Is Derek McDonald starting?
Derek McDonald is the projected starter at MLB for North Carolina Tar Heels.
Graduate student · #15 · 6'4", 230 lbs
See full North Carolina Tar Heels depth chart ›Depth at MLB · North Carolina Tar Heels
- 11580Derek McDonaldStarter
- 2872Jonathan Agumadu
- 39562Daniel Anderson
North Carolina Starting Lineup
- DE
- NT
- DT
- LOLB
- WLB
- MLBDerek McDonaldThis player
- ROLB
- LCB
- SS
- FS
- RCB
- NB
- RES
Top linebackers in the ACC
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 80 overall (Good tier).
- Jersey
- #15
- Class
- GR/TR
- Height
- 6'4"
- Weight
- 230 lbs
- Transfer
- Syracuse
Stats
| Season | Tkl | TFL | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | 6 | 0 | 0 |
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 83-rated defense; 34th-percentile production at transfer origin (×0.89 for competition level) put them -3 vs unit starters → 80.
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.
2026 Game Log
Oct 10WPITTTKL 12
- TKL
- 12
- SOLO
- 6
- SACK
- 0
- INT
- 0
- PD
- 0
Final W 21-17
Oct 3LNDTKL 13
- TKL
- 13
- SOLO
- 6
- SACK
- 0
- INT
- 0
- PD
- 0
Final L 37-26
Sep 19LCLEMTKL 10
- TKL
- 10
- SOLO
- 5
- SACK
- 0
- INT
- 0
- PD
- 1
Final L 28-20
Sep 12WETSUTKL 3
- TKL
- 3
- SOLO
- 1
- SACK
- 0
- INT
- 0
- PD
- 0
Final W 35-3
Aug 29WTCUTKL 11
- TKL
- 11
- SOLO
- 4
- SACK
- 0
- INT
- 0
- PD
- 0
Final W 15-10
| OPP | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10 | WPITT | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 3 | LND | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 19 | LCLEM | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sep 12 | WETSU | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 29 | WTCU | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Derek McDonald's 2026 game-by-game stat log.
The People's Ratings
Team Role
Overall ratings blend team strength (SP+), on-field production, and recruiting. Higher = more impactful.