Auburn DB Craig McDonald to transfer to Minnesota

Head coach P.J. Fleck and co. have made it a priority this season to add depth on the defensive side of the ball and another piece fell into place for the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday with a commitment from Auburn transfer defensive back Craig McDonald.

McDonald has three years of eligibility remaining, but he’ll require a waiver in order to be eligible this fall. He already took advantage of the one-time immediate eligibility transfer rule when he transferred from Iowa State to Auburn. If his waiver is approved, McDonald is expected to fill in behind starter Jack Henderson at the slot cornerback position.

The Minneapolis native committed to Iowa State out of high school. As a redshirt freshman with the Cyclones, McDonald played in 13 games, recording 41 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one pass break-up, and two interceptions. He opted to enter the transfer portal and ended up at Auburn, where he played in two games last season before suffering a season-ending injury.