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Originally expected to redshirt and thus not make any impact in 2012, Houston Cougars freshman cornerback Adrian McDonald continues to pay immediate dividends on the field for head coach Tony Levine this season.
The 5'10 Oklahoma native signed with Houston as a three-star athlete who projected as an option quarterback, but quickly transitioned to the defensive side of the ball and began working with the scout team. After standing out on numerous occasions during the team's weekly 20-minute scrimmages, McDonald's play ultimately convinced the coaching staff to give him a real shot in the secondary.
"We made the decision to pull the redshirt off him and ease him onto some special teams," Levine said on Tuesday, as reported by Josepth Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.
Despite starting his collegiate career roughly one month ago, McDonald was a standout performer with eight tackles and an interception in a key 45-35 win over UTEP on Saturday. The true freshman also saw a whopping 80 snaps on the day and looks to have a long, productive career ahead of him if he can continue to play at a high level.