Jelani McDonald
Texas Longhorns
91
Elite

Jelani McDonald

Texas LonghornsContender
SSDefenseElite
Projected Starter

Is Jelani McDonald starting?

Jelani McDonald is the projected starter at SS for Texas Longhorns.

See full Texas Longhorns depth chart ›

The Story

Elite-Tier Talent

A 4-star recruit out of Waco Connally, ranked #70 nationally coming out of high school. In 2025: 80 tackles, 3 INT, 3 PBU. That's 8% of the team's production at his spot and 97th-percentile production nationally — good for a 91 overall (Elite tier).

Recruit4★ · #70 Natl3-Yr Total115 tacklesTeam Share8%Percentile97th
Waco, TX
Jersey
#4
Class
SR
Height
6'2"
Weight
199 lbs

Career Stats

SeasonTklINTPD
20258033
20243311
2023200

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

Recruiting Profile

Stars
★★★★☆4-star
Composite
0.9672
National Rank
#70
High School
Waco Connally
Hometown
Waco, TX

Why this rating?

On a 90-rated defense; 97th-percentile production (×0.97 for competition level) put them +3 vs unit starters → 91.

Team defense (SP+)
90
Rating basis
On-field stats
On-field production
Outperforms 97% of peers
Recruiting pedigree
Top 25% recruit
Strength of schedule
Faces easier competition — rating adjusted down (×0.97)
Depth-chart adjustment
+3 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 91 OVR fair?
91
Elite
Vote to see what thousands of fans think

Team Role

80 tkl · 3 PD · 3 INT
Usage / Involvement100%

Depth at SS · Texas Longhorns

  1. 1491Jelani McDonaldStarter
  2. 2276Derek Williams Jr.
  3. 3968Jonah Williams
  4. 42367Jordon Johnson-Rubell
Coach TexasTake 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.