California set to host Coastal Carolina OL transfer Will McDonald
Coastal Carolina offensive lineman Will McDonald has run a low-profile transfer recruitment.
An All-Sun Belt third-team selection in 2023, he’s started 26 games in his career. The starting left guard for the Chanticleers the last two seasons, McDonald has allowed only three sacks on 823 career pass-blocking snaps.
The 6-foot-2, 295-pound offensive lineman tells On3 he’s scheduled to visit Cal this week, with his official visit slated to begin on Thursday. He’s also been in contact with Arkansas, Georgia Tech and UCF. McDonald protected four quarterbacks over the 2023 season and helped Coastal Carolina rank 24th nationally in sacks allowed.
The grad transfer has one year of eligibility remaining and can play immediately. In his college career, he’s played 1,640 snaps. He was a Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team selection heading into the 2023 season.
McDonald led a Coastal Carolina offensive line that helped the Chanticleers rush for over 150 yards in six consecutive games in 2023.
What is the transfer portal?
The spring transfer portal window is just 15 days, a crammed period that could reshape the 2024 college football offseason. The portal tool was launched in 2018 to allow athletes to be more involved in the process of transferring. Athletes must notify institutions of their intent to transfer. Each school’s compliance team has 48 hours to put a name into the portal.
After an athlete is officially in the portal, there is no rush on making a decision as long as they are properly enrolled at a new institution in time for fall camp. Commitments do not have to be made during the 15-day window. Grad transfers are allowed to enter the portal at any time.
Roster retention has been crucial for programs, with NIL playing a vital role in keeping rosters together in the new age of college football. Exactly 645 FBS players transferred in last year’s spring window. In the first week of the 2024 spring transfer portal, 497 FBS scholarship players entered.