D.K. McDonald stressing communication, what he wants to see from his defense

Kansas will bring a fairly new-look defense with new defensive coordinator D.K. McDonald in 2025. McDonald spoke with the media during Kansas football’s media day Thursday, talking about how the defense is stressing communication, how he wants that defense to look, and when he knows a defense has a chance to be special.

McDonald wants his defense to be great communicators

While communication is a vital part of playing defense, it’s especially important to a Kansas team that will feature a lot of transfers. McDonald said he is always stressing communication, from the meeting room to the field.

“Even here in this meeting room that we have, we expect guys to speak at a volume that’s acceptable,” McDonald said. “People who speak at a high volume usually produce confidence within the defense. So that’s really good. In our meetings, our guys are expected to speak loud. So we start that in the meetings, in the classrooms. Then it’s on the field, guys are constantly talking.”

Great communication starts in the middle of the defense with the linebackers, and the secondary has to communicate well too. McDonald wants his defense to be known as one that communicates.

“It’s everybody out there because the defense that doesn’t communicate is a bad defense,” McDonald said. “So in order to be a great defense, you got to be one that communicates. And like I said, that’s a part of us playing for each other. So that’s what we do, and that’s what we want to be known for — as a group that communicates.”

‘Fast, physical, for each other’

If you’ve heard McDonald or one of his players talk about the Kansas defense, they usually mention that it’s fast, physical, and for each other. McDonald wants the fans to see those pillars on game days.

“Hopefully when you get a chance to see us play, you get a chance to kind of see that imprint on the game that our guys are playing fast, that they are playing physical and that we’re doing a great job of communicating and really playing for one another,” McDonald said. “And so hopefully that’s what a chance you’ll get a chance to see our guys do.”

McDonald is excited about this year’s defense. He said the roster has done a good job gelling and looking to play great defense.

“I’m excited about how our guys have really grown and really started to really become one unit,” McDonald said. “And that’s what I’m really wanting them to do out there. And, you know, you got some transfers that are in, got some guys that have been around the program, so we’re really gelling together well and really looking to play some great defense here at Kansas.”

When do you know ‘we’ve got a team right now’

McDonald spent some time in the NFL as the Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach. He pointed to a moment during the offseason in the season the Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl of really knowing when a team can be special.

“I think there’s always different parts in your career where you’re like, man, we got a team right now,” McDonald said. “I remember when I was with the Eagles, the year we went to the Super Bowl and lost to the Chiefs, there was a time we were down in Miami and having an inner squad practice against them, and you just kind of knew right then, like, man, we can have something special if we can stay healthy.”

McDonald has seen things in practice that make him believe that Kansas can be a great defense. He wants the team to carry those good moments through as the season gets ready to start.

“There have been some moments where we really did some special things and really put a big smile on your face and got you excited,” McDonald said. “Hopefully we can carry that through and keep going and keep building now that we kind of transition into game week. But, yeah, there are always those moments where you’re like, yeah, we got something special here, and we need to keep building on this and keep growing. And as coaches, keep fostering it.”