Derek McDonald
North Carolina Tar Heels
74
Average

Derek McDonald

North Carolina Tar HeelsAverage
MLBDefenseAverageTRANSFER · Syracuse
Projected Starter

Is Derek McDonald starting?

Derek McDonald is the projected starter at MLB for North Carolina Tar Heels.

See full North Carolina Tar Heels depth chart ›

The Story

Making His Case

This season: 6 tackles, 0 TFL, 0 sacks. That's 1% of the team's production at his spot — good for a 74 overall (Average tier).

Team Share1%
Atlanta, GA
Jersey
#15
Class
GR/TR
Height
6'4"
Weight
230 lbs
Transfer
Syracuse

Stats

SeasonTklTFLSacks
—600

Regular-season totals from public sources. Derived splits (completion %, yards per carry, catch rate) aren't available in our current dataset.

Why this rating?

On a 79-rated defense; 29th-percentile production at transfer origin (×0.78 for competition level) put them -5 vs unit starters → 74.

Team defense (SP+)
79
Rating basis
On-field stats
Production (prior school)
Outperforms 29% of peers
Recruiting pedigree
Top 35% recruit
Strength of schedule
Faces easier competition — rating adjusted down (×0.78)
Depth-chart adjustment
-5 for role

2026 projection — based on SP+ (a respected team-efficiency metric; 2026 not published yet, using 2025), 2025 production, recruiting, and the 2026 transfer portal; capped to depth-chart order.

The People's Ratings

Is our 74 OVR fair?
74
Average
Vote to see what thousands of fans think

Team Role

6 tkl · 0 TFL · 0 sacks
Usage / Involvement50%

Depth at MLB · North Carolina Tar Heels

  1. 11574Derek McDonaldStarter
  2. 25467Timir Hickman-Collins
  3. 39558Daniel Anderson
Coach North CarolinaTake them from week one to the natty. You call every play.

Overall ratings blend team strength (SP+), on-field production, and recruiting. Higher = more impactful.