He played college football at Iowa State and was selected by the Jets as the 15th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

[1] He attended Casimir Pulaski High School as a freshman before transferring to Waukesha North High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he lettered in basketball, and track and field in addition to football.

[2][3][4] McDonald had three tackles with one sack and a forced fumble in four games as a true freshman before deciding to redshirt the rest of the season.

[5] McDonald was named first team All-Big 12 Conference as a redshirt sophomore after setting a school record and tying for the national lead with 10.5 sacks.

[8][9] McDonald was selected by the New York Jets in the first round as the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.