2020 DE Cade McDonald signs with Wisconsin

Wisconsin gained another tall, athletic defensive end when Cade McDonald officially joined the 2020 matriculating class for UW.

McDonald is a bit of a hidden gem, as his recruiting scores vary wildly across the agencies (note how low ESPN has McDonald). Perhaps this is because he is a multi-sport athlete and has flown under the radar to this point. At 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, it’s clear that the Badgers coaching staff sees a lot of potential in the Hudson, Wis. (Hudson) defensive end. McDonald’s other main sport is lacrosse, which shows athleticism to pair with his size.

He needs to bulk up a bit, but he does have some serious potential to contribute in a few years opposite someone like fellow signee James Thompson Jr.

Rankings

247 Composite: 3 stars; grade: .8407; No. 1403 player in the nation; No. 70 SDE; No. 12 Wis.

247 Sports: 3 stars; grade: 87; No. 625 player in the nation; No. 31 SDE; No. 7 Wis.

Rivals: 3 stars; 5.5 rating

ESPN: 2 stars; Grade: 69; No. 223 DE; No. 284 Regional; No. 29 Wis.

Verbally committed on June 3, 2019

UW coaches Chris Haering and Inoke Breckterfield lead McDonald’s recruiting effort, but McDonald got little interest outside of Wisconsin. He earned offers from Illinois State, North Dakota and South Dakota according to 247Sports.

While the offer sheet is not earth-shattering, these are the types of players who Wisconsin has a knack of turning into key producers after some time in the strength room.

Video highlights

Player bio (courtesy of UW Athletic Department)