Linebacker, UCF (from Virginia Tech), 2021–26
Jayden McDonald
- Number
- No. 38
- Height
- 6′4″
- Weight
- 235 lb
- Class (2026)
- Senior
- Hometown
- Salem, VA
Jayden McDonald plays linebacker for UCF, after Virginia Tech (2021–24). Last time out, at Oklahoma State: 2 tackles.
2026 so far
13 tackles
Last game: 2 tackles at Oklahoma State, L 28–42
Next game: vs. BYU, Oct 24
Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.
Defense
* The season in progress, so far.
| Season | Team | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Virginia Tech | 19 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | Virginia Tech | 26 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | UCF | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | UCF | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 73 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls. A dash: the source has no number for that season (often an FCS season), and career totals count only the numbers on file.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Virginia Tech | 38 | LB | Yr 1 | ||
| 2022 | Virginia Tech | 38 | LB | Yr 2 | ||
| 2023 | Virginia Tech | 38 | LB | Yr 3 | ||
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | 38 | LB | Yr 4 | ||
| 2025 | UCF | 38 | LB | Yr 5 | ||
| 2026 | UCF | 38 | LB | Sr. (Yr 6) | 6′4″ | 235 |
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Game by game
2026 UCF 6 games, 13 tackles
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3 | vs. Bethune-Cookman | W 73–6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 12 | at Pittsburgh | L 7–12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 19 | vs. Georgia State | W 44–30 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 26 | vs. TCU | W 21–13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 3 | at Houston | L 17–27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 10 | at Oklahoma State | L 28–42 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2025 UCF 7 games, 15 tackles, 1 INT
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28 | vs. Jacksonville State | W 17–10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 6 | vs. North Carolina A&T | W 68–7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 4 | vs. Kansas | L 20–27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 11 | at Cincinnati | L 11–20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 18 | vs. West Virginia | W 45–13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 1 | at Baylor | L 3–30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 7 | vs.Houston | L 27–30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2023 Virginia Tech 10 games, 26 tackles
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2 | vs. Old Dominion | W 36–17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 16 | at Rutgers | L 16–35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 23 | at Marshall | L 17–24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 30 | vs.Pittsburgh | W 38–21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 7 | at Florida State | L 17–39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 14 | vs. Wake Forest | W 30–13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov 11 | at Boston College | W 48–22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 18 | vs. NC State | L 28–35 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 25 | at Virginia | W 55–17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 27 ✦ | vs. Tulane | W 41–20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 Virginia Tech 7 games, 19 tackles, 1 sack
| Date | Opponent | Result | Tkl | Solo | TFL | Sacks | Int | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2 | atOld Dominion | L 17–20 | 6 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 10 | vs.Boston College | W 27–10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 17 | vs. Wofford | W 27–7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 1 | at North Carolina | L 10–41 | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 8 | atPittsburgh | L 29–45 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 27 | atNC State | L 21–22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 19 | at Liberty | W 23–22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
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