Jelani McDonald: 2027 NFL Draft Prospect Profile & College Stats
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Jelani McDonald is a freshman DB at Texas from Waco, TX. He is listed at 6'2", 201 pounds. Gridiron AI's prospect model ranks Jelani McDonald No. 79 on its 2027 board (No. 19 among defensive backs): a 76% chance to be drafted, 40% to go in the top 100 picks and 1% to go in the first round. His grade is driven by production & role and program & competition. At Texas (2023–26) he made 178 tackles (8 for loss) and had 5 interceptions and 7 passes defended.
Team details
- School: Texas
- Position: DB
- Class: Freshman
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 201 lbs
- Hometown: Waco, TX
- Jersey: #4
- Big board: No. 79 of 2027 (No. 19 DB)
- Projection: Rounds 4-7
- Chance to be drafted: 76%
- Recruiting: 4-star
What drives his prospect grade
| Factor | Effect on his grade |
|---|---|
| Production & role | Strong plus |
| Program & competition | Strong plus |
| Size | Plus |
| Recruiting pedigree | Plus |
| Age & experience | Plus |
| Efficiency | Neutral |
College career stats
| Season | School | G | Tackles | Solo | TFL | Sacks | INT | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Texas | 8 | 63 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | Texas | 13 | 80 | 49 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | Texas | 12 | 33 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | Texas | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2026 game log
| Wk | Opponent | Result | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas State | W | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Ohio State | W | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | UTSA | W | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | at Tennessee | W | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 6 | at Oklahoma | L | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Florida | L | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 8 | Ole Miss | W | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Mississippi State | W | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com