Player profileNorth Carolina Football
North Carolina · Football
Derek McDonald
LB · Senior · #15 · 6' 4" · 230 lbs · 3★ recruit
From Atlanta, GA
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Estimated NIL value
$159K
North Carolina · Football
Derek McDonald
LB · Senior · #15 · 6' 4" · 230 lbs · 3★ recruit
From Atlanta, GA
Loading live player file…
Estimated NIL value
$159K
North Carolina · Football
LB · Senior · #15 · 6' 4" · 230 lbs
★★★★★3★ RecruitFrom Atlanta, GA
Estimated NIL value
$159K
Modeled from role, roster, recruiting, current market evidence, and school-pool reconciliation.
Pool-accounting allocation: $117.5K
Confidence meter
Watchlist confidenceWe have enough context to frame the range, but not enough sourced detail to call it tight.
Derek McDonald is a 6' 4" 230 lbs Senior Linebacker for North Carolina and is listed by ESPN from Atlanta, GA. Derek McDonald ranks 41st within the current North Carolina football roster. The modeled value is $159K, with $117.5K allocated to reconcile the sport pool.
Pool share by sport
0.6%
Football pool: $20.95M
Pool share of school
0.3%
North Carolina roster market: $37.25M
Roster dollars tracked
$20.95M
North Carolina Football pool-accounting sum
Recent game logs
1
Latest verified ESPN appearances
Live player file
Last updated Sep 1, 2026
Position
Linebacker
Class
Senior
Jersey
#15
Height
6' 4"
Weight
230 lbs
Hometown
Atlanta, GA
Roster status
Active
Current listing
North Carolina Tar Heels
Recruit rating
3-star
Recruiting profile
3-star / No. 1439 nationally
Rating: 0.8411
High school: Marist School
From: Atlanta, GA
Class: 2021 / TE
Transfer history
Syracuse to North Carolina
2026 portal cycle / Jan 10, 2026 / Immediate
2026 season production
ESPN player feedDefense
11
Total tackles
4
Solo tackles
0
Sacks
0
Interceptions
0
Passes defended
0
Forced fumbles
Career history
| Season | Team | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | PD | FF | AST | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Syracuse Orange | 41 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 30 |
| 2023 | Syracuse Orange | 63 | 28 | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 2024 | Syracuse Orange | 51 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| 2025 | Syracuse Orange | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Career | All teams | 172 | 88 | 3.5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 84 | 30 |
Sideline Data Desk
Front-seven value reflects snap importance, pass-rush or run-fit scarcity, recruiting demand, and transfer-market leverage. For Derek McDonald, the current roster role, class, recruiting signal, program market, and available market evidence produce a $159K headline case.
The visible base estimate is $159K. The pool-accounting allocation is $117.5K, equal to about 0.6% of the North Carolina football market. The player ranks 41st on that roster.
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Other North Carolina LB estimates.
Recent player-specific reporting from school and national college-sports sources, newest first. NIL and endorsement stories are marked when relevant.
