Agree with Chris above. Coach Campbell has provided the juice to a very interesting positional shift. It represents an undisclosed skill set and depth behind him at the DE position.
The article is describing a player "type" and the potential impact that type of player can have. McDonald is the vessel and though there are definite statements, it was not intended to say that he "is", it is to say that he is "expected to be" or "could be."
It is intensely curious to me that Coach Campbell chose to speak so effusively about McDonald's potential. In my post-spring article I pointed out that when Campbell speaks a name, it means something. In this case, he not only mentioned the name, he attached a skill set to it. That is a level up in his enthusiasm. Therefore, we decided to speculate about some options that may be efficient uses of the skill set and a departure from the way the defense has been played in the past.
* Additional article note:
In the previous seasons, Iowa State has generated pressure in a high risk manner. That means with safeties, corners, and bringing six players. Those constructs, like the example shown in the article and if you recall the effective blitz package against West Virginia. Against West Virginia the safety and outside linebacker blitzed from the same side which creates a significant coverage deficiency if the blitz does not get home.
TCU has been the top pass defense team in the league two years in a row and among the top since they have been a part of the league. The key is that they consistently have edge players of the same type and skill set as Will McDonald is described as having. Therefore, they are able to provide pressure with 4 and play full, non-compromised coverage behind it. The same is true for Iowa who is now playing a 4-2-5 structure similar to and based on the TCU model.
That model is what is exciting about the use of this player. Iowa State is expecting that they will have the ability to bring pressure with four in a traditional and non-compromised manner and to be creative in coverage behind it depending on offensive tendency. That is a departure from the past, a useful pivot and growth point, and makes the defense so multiple that it will be harder to game plan against them.
