Cade McDonald is having a huge senior campaign with Miami football

Cade McDonald started playing football in third grade and quickly fell in love with the sport. Now a redshirt senior wide receiver, he is leaving his mark on the Miami University football program in his final season.

McDonald grew up in Naperville, Illinois, where he attended Naperville Central High School. Going into his senior year, he was unsure if he would play at the collegiate level before receiving an offer from Michigan State University.

“I wasn’t really sure if I was going to play college football or not; [I] didn’t have any opportunities junior year,” McDonald said. “Then, senior year we had a really great quarterback who got an offer from Michigan State. Luckily, they noticed me and offered me a walk-on spot.”

Over McDonald’s four years at Michigan State, he played in 25 career games and gathered three Academic All-Big Ten awards. After not receiving a scholarship from MSU, he contemplated retiring from football before ultimately deciding to enter the transfer portal and joining Miami prior to the 2023 season.

While he received offers from several Mid-American Conference (MAC) schools after entering the portal, he said he ultimately chose Miami because of its beautiful campus and the relationship he formed with the coaching staff.

McDonald made an immediate impact for the RedHawks in 2023 to help them win their 17th MAC Championship, collecting 28 catches for 353 yards and three touchdowns across 13 games. He also made key contributions as a punt returner, gathering 90 punt return yards throughout the season.

Now, in his final season with the RedHawks, McDonald has established himself not only as a key offensive weapon, but also as a leader in the locker room.

“He responds to everything really well,” wide receivers coach Roy Roundtree said. “He works hard every day, and it translates to football on Saturdays.”

Miami’s receiving core has contributed heavily to the team’s success this season. The receivers have accumulated 2,039 yards and 17 touchdowns. For redshirt sophomore receiver Javon Tracy, McDonald’s leadership shines in his ability to show others what they need to be doing.

“He’s more of a leader by example,” Tracy said. “He’s not really a vocal person about it, but if it gets to that point, he will be vocal. Cade’s a great leader.”

As a player, some of McDonald’s biggest strengths include his explosiveness and ball skills. Additionally, Roundtree sees McDonald excelling in several other key areas.

“He’s physical while blocking in the run game, a great route runner, and his specialty is punt and kick return,” Roundtree said. “He’s very aggressive, and he gets vertical, making people miss.”

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Photo by Jessica Monahan | The Miami Student
McDonald finished the game against the Bearcats with 135 yards and one touchdown

McDonald had another big game against Ohio University, leading the team in receiving with five receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. He helped propel the RedHawks to a 30-20 victory for the team’s second conference win.

The RedHawks faced stiff competition in non-conference play to start the season, playing three teams from Power-Four conferences. They picked up an overtime win against the University of Massachusetts before dropping a close game to MAC-rival University of Toledo to fall to 1-4.

However, Miami has rattled off four straight wins to move to second in the conference as it continues its quest to repeat as MAC champions. Despite the mediocre start to the season, McDonald said he remains confident in the team’s ability to continue adding to the win column as the season progresses.

“I’m really happy with how all the guys attack practice every day,” McDonald said. “We’re treating every week like we’re 0-0, just going in every week to win that game.”

McDonald and the RedHawks will next be in action against Kent State University at home on Nov. 13 as they look to continue building momentum with a fifth consecutive victory.

kehreswe@miamioh.edu