CB Chuck McDonald Talks Miami Offer, Recent UM Visit

Despite the cross-country distance between the program and the player, Miami has involved itself in the recruitment of talented 2025 cornerback and Mater Dei (Calif.) product Chuck McDonald.

The rising junior, at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, has one of the most impressive frames of any defensive back in his recruiting cycle. McDonald finished his sophomore year with 28 tackles and two blocked punts. He was also a key contributor to the Monarchs’ defense, which only allowed 11.7 points per game this season in what many consider to be the hardest division of high school football in California.

McDonald had a chance to check out Miami’s campus for the first time on Jan. 21, and he enjoyed his visit.

“Miami was a great place to visit! I thought everything about the facility and school was great and very nice,” McDonald told LifeWallet Sports. “I had a great talk with [senior director of recruiting Juan Navarro Jr.]. I had a good first impression of the program.”

Navarro offered McDonald on Jan. 30, only nine days after the cornerback’s visit.

McDonald also fields offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio State, Oregon and Southern California, among others from Power Five programs. 

While the talented defensive back isn’t expected to make his college decision for quite some time, he already has a solid idea of what factors will go into his eventual commitment.

“What I consider the most important thing from these schools during my recruitment us how good the education at the school is, how many people that they produced to go pro and also just the type of coaches they have that can help me get better as a athlete and a man,” McDonald said.

On the football field, McDonald prefers to play in press coverage, which allows the cornerback to use his blend of length and speed. He hopes to improve his hip fluidity and ability to break faster on shorter routes in the coming years.