McDonald Resembles a San Diego State LB, Who Looks a Lot Like a Former Seahawk

These brothers from Haslet, Texas, play similar positions on the college level.

Patrick O'Brien, the Colorado State transfer quarterback, must have done a double-take once he joined the University of Washington football team and first encountered freshman outside linebacker Cooper McDonald.

O'Brien couldn't have been faulted had he asked the young Texan, "Are you following me?"

Wrong McDonald, same family.

In his final Mountain West game last December, O'Brien was unable to get away from a bothersome San Diego State linebacker named McDonald, in this case Caden, Cooper's older brother.

The old McDonald had a big night with 3 quarterback hits, 2 pass break-ups and 2.5 tackles for loss among 4 tackles in the Aztecs' 29-17 victory.

Caden McDonald rushes Patrick O'Brien / USA TODAY Sports

As O'Brien has learned since, the Huskies are thinking they'll get the same production out of their McDonald as San Diego State has from its.

Caden McDonald, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound senior entering his fifth collegiate season, is a returning first-team, All-Mountain West selection. He's accumulated 70 career tackles and most impressively has 15.5 tackles for loss, 7 of which have been sacks, and has a pass interception. He's started 18 of 34 games.

The elder McDonald is considered the conference's top returning linebacker by a vote of the media.

I see you @CadenMcDonald https://t.co/D2Qp760Vxt

— Cooper McDonald ✞ (@coopmcdonald55) August 10, 2021

Cooper McDonald, who's four years younger, matches his sibling for height but already has 10 more pounds.

Just getting started, he appeared in three of four Washington games as a true freshman during the pandemic-shortened season. He has two tackles and one pass defended, nearly coming up with a one-handed interception on the latter. 

This McDonald currently is in a fierce competition to claim the Husky starting edge-rusher job that opened up after All-America candidate Zion Tupuola-Fetui ruptured his Achilles tendon in spring practice and had surgery.

Once McDonald enters the UW lineup, similar to his brother at San Diego State, he's likely not coming out.

These brothers hail from small Haslet, a Last Picture Show type of town of 2,000, found in the shadows of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. They're a valued species: a Texas linebacker. 

Curiously, Caden McDonald eeirly resembles another Texas-raised backer who originally came from Irving, some 30 miles from Haslet, and who's well known throughout Seattle for multiple reasons.

This other guy played for Oklahoma in the 1985 Orange Bowl and lost to Washington 28-17 that night, and he was drafted by the Seahawks but lasted barely three seasons with the franchise before injuries ended his NFL career. 

Brian Bosworth.

Caden McDonald resembles Brian Bosworth, doesn't he? / San Diego State

Cooper McDonald would do well to spend a lot more time in Seattle than the Boz, make a lot more tackles and enjoy a longer football career. By all accounts, that's going to happen.

As for facial comparisons to the flamboyant one who's now a low-budget actor and commercial pitchman, Cooper no doubt will gladly leave that curious situation to the other McDonald.

 

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