McIntosh Eager for What’s Next
Apr 21, 2026 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
One of four Kansas State football players to run 23 miles-per-hour prior to the 2025 season, junior cornerback Donovan McIntosh has added a little size to his 6-foot-3 frame and has increased his weight from 187 pounds to 195 pounds over winter conditioning — a product, he says, of the intense weight training regimen instituted by new Director of Strength and Conditioning Jeremy Jacobs and his staff.
"I still feel my speed," McIntosh says, chuckling, after a spring practice late last week. "I've been making plays, taking over my 1-on-1 matchups. I had a pick-6 when I was covering boundary side in zone coverage, jumped and made the play, then ran the ball back about 50 yards. That's my favorite interception of the spring. Everything's going pretty good."
And when McIntosh intercepted the pass, and he turned and sprinted the opposite direction for a defensive touchdown, there was one person in particular racing down the sideline, trying to keep up with the 21-year-old defender with elite speed.
It was 38-year-old K-State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson.
All spring, K-State defensive players have brought the heat while learning the intricacies of defense Peterson brought to Manhattan after an ultra-successful tenure as the Texas A&M co-defensive coordinator, and Peterson, once an all-state defensive back at Lexington (Texas) High School, has brought the ceaseless energy, quickly becoming famous for his sideline sprinting to join in the on-field celebration of his players after a big play.
"The energy is consistent," McIntosh says. "Everything is consistent in practice. If somebody on defense makes a play, the whole defense is running. If somebody on offense makes a play, the whole offense is running. The main thing is Coach Peterson's energy. He's into it. In practice, he's into it. Whenever somebody makes a play, he's running with us. I like how into it he is in practice.
"He's one of the group."
Last season, Peterson's defensive backs were responsible for 24 pass breakups for a Texas A&M defense that ranked 16th in the FBS in passing defense (176.6 yards per game), 18th in total defense (307.4 yards per game) and 19th in fourth down defense (41.2%).
Peterson prides himself operating a defense that features multiple looks — it's rare that formations are lined up the same on successive plays — and the tried-and-true scheme has become the buzz of a new-look K-State defense that features 2025 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention cornerback Zashon Rich, a 12-game starter who returns for his junior season after posting 57 tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception and 11 pass breakups last season, along with a battalion of defensive backfield supporters. That includes four transfers in senior Kaleb Patterson (Illinois), Koy Beasley (Miami [Ohio]), Adrian Maddox (Georgia) and Ja'Son Pervard (Virginia).
In the film room, almost every day, is McIntosh, watching, studying and keeping track of the defensive system — and how he performed in various defensive looks during spring practice that morning.
"I watch a lot of video, especially in learning new systems," McIntosh says. "I'm watching film every day just to make sure I get right what I messed up, or to see what I did right, so I can keep doing it right. Each day, us defensive backs are always together, and we're learning this new scheme. We all help each other out, and we try to get each other better.
"We have plenty of different looks. I change how I play and how I look and scheme. It's a big change."
Last season, McIntosh received hefty assignments as a sophomore, and he seemingly thrived as his first season as a starter wore on. He played in 11 games with seven starts and recovered 33 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups while playing 470 defensive snaps.
In his first start, he had a career-high eight tackles to go along with two pass breakups against Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous making that first start against Iowa State, but stepping out there on that field, I was like, 'It's time,'" McIntosh says. "That first drive, I got a tackle, and it got me up, and I said, 'Oh yeah, it's time, for sure.' I went out there and made plays. That's the main thing. I went out there and guarded guys and made tackles."
Now McIntosh is eager for what's next. He seems excited for the road ahead with Peterson and new cornerbacks coach Marcel Yates, who came to K-State after he had six players from his defensive secondaries earn All-Big 12 honors during his tenure as passing game coordinator and defensive secondary coach at Texas Tech from 2022 to 2024. Yates has helped to send 11 defensive backs to the NFL Draft, including six in the first four rounds.
"One thing I like about this defense is we're just able to play fast," McIntosh says. "We know what we have to do, and we're going to play fast. We're all learning and playing."
If there's a noticeable improvement within McIntosh's game, he sees it every day: It's his eyes.
"I've improved my eyes," McIntosh says. "That's something I've worked on this spring. Coach Yates, he came in, and first practice he started working on my eyes. He told me what to do, and I started doing it. I got better because of it."
The first time McIntosh even saw a football, he was hooked. There he was, chubby 4-year-old Donovan snatching a football and running around his older brother's football practice. It became a thing — Donovan running around with the football. His older brother, Chase, and his teammates, always chased him.
"Granny always tells me, 'Man, I remember when you were out there, you were so ready to play football. You told me you were ready to play football. You were so ready.'"
Organized football began at age 5 for Donovan, who started out playing offensive line due to his chubbiness. He wanted to play a skill position, so he slimmed down, and switched to running back. Offensive football was his first love. Then he switched to defense.
As a freshman at St. Mary's High School in St. Louis, Missouri, McIntosh starred on the jayvee and varsity squads, eventually growing into a top-50 cornerback in the Class of 2023 by On3. His first scholarship offer arrived his junior season when an Arkansas assistant coach pulled him out of law class to officially invite him to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Kansas, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Iowa and K-State followed with scholarship offers as well.
"After I got the Arkansas offer, I got a KU offer, and I went to the KU/K-State football game in Lawrence," McIntosh says. "After the game, I got a call from K-State. I came to Manhattan for a game after that, and it was all K-State. The KU/K-State game's outcome didn't have an impact on me at the time. I do remember K-State really blew them out, so it wasn't really a game, really. K-State called and invited me on a visit.
"I can't remember who K-State played, but it was a big game, and seeing all the coaches and players, I thought it was cool. Seeing all the fans in the stadium was good. The KU game, there was nobody there. When I came to K-State, everybody was there."
He pauses.
"I was like, 'This is it.'"
And now, one year after running 23 miles-per-hour as one of the fastest players at K-State, McIntosh is a year older, a year wiser, and a year more experienced as he eyes the 2026 season opener against Nicholls on September 5 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. There's so, so much to do before then, of course, and so McIntosh practices and studies — and behind his speed and playmaking ability, he continues to incite rabid on-field unit-wide celebrations along the way in practice.
"I already see that aggressiveness and playing free in practice," McIntosh says. "Even from the first practice to now, we're consistent. Everybody is flying around making plays and celebrating.
"The energy is real."
There are plenty of good vibes as spring practice nears the end, and the vision of Peterson chasing McIntosh down the field after a 50-yard pick-6 might be a lasting image of triumph for a defense that is just getting started.
One of four Kansas State football players to run 23 miles-per-hour prior to the 2025 season, junior cornerback Donovan McIntosh has added a little size to his 6-foot-3 frame and has increased his weight from 187 pounds to 195 pounds over winter conditioning — a product, he says, of the intense weight training regimen instituted by new Director of Strength and Conditioning Jeremy Jacobs and his staff.
"I still feel my speed," McIntosh says, chuckling, after a spring practice late last week. "I've been making plays, taking over my 1-on-1 matchups. I had a pick-6 when I was covering boundary side in zone coverage, jumped and made the play, then ran the ball back about 50 yards. That's my favorite interception of the spring. Everything's going pretty good."
And when McIntosh intercepted the pass, and he turned and sprinted the opposite direction for a defensive touchdown, there was one person in particular racing down the sideline, trying to keep up with the 21-year-old defender with elite speed.
It was 38-year-old K-State defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson.
All spring, K-State defensive players have brought the heat while learning the intricacies of defense Peterson brought to Manhattan after an ultra-successful tenure as the Texas A&M co-defensive coordinator, and Peterson, once an all-state defensive back at Lexington (Texas) High School, has brought the ceaseless energy, quickly becoming famous for his sideline sprinting to join in the on-field celebration of his players after a big play.
"The energy is consistent," McIntosh says. "Everything is consistent in practice. If somebody on defense makes a play, the whole defense is running. If somebody on offense makes a play, the whole offense is running. The main thing is Coach Peterson's energy. He's into it. In practice, he's into it. Whenever somebody makes a play, he's running with us. I like how into it he is in practice.
"He's one of the group."
Last season, Peterson's defensive backs were responsible for 24 pass breakups for a Texas A&M defense that ranked 16th in the FBS in passing defense (176.6 yards per game), 18th in total defense (307.4 yards per game) and 19th in fourth down defense (41.2%).
Peterson prides himself operating a defense that features multiple looks — it's rare that formations are lined up the same on successive plays — and the tried-and-true scheme has become the buzz of a new-look K-State defense that features 2025 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention cornerback Zashon Rich, a 12-game starter who returns for his junior season after posting 57 tackles, 3.0 tackles for a loss, one sack, one interception and 11 pass breakups last season, along with a battalion of defensive backfield supporters. That includes four transfers in senior Kaleb Patterson (Illinois), Koy Beasley (Miami [Ohio]), Adrian Maddox (Georgia) and Ja'Son Pervard (Virginia).
In the film room, almost every day, is McIntosh, watching, studying and keeping track of the defensive system — and how he performed in various defensive looks during spring practice that morning.
"I watch a lot of video, especially in learning new systems," McIntosh says. "I'm watching film every day just to make sure I get right what I messed up, or to see what I did right, so I can keep doing it right. Each day, us defensive backs are always together, and we're learning this new scheme. We all help each other out, and we try to get each other better.
"We have plenty of different looks. I change how I play and how I look and scheme. It's a big change."
Last season, McIntosh received hefty assignments as a sophomore, and he seemingly thrived as his first season as a starter wore on. He played in 11 games with seven starts and recovered 33 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups while playing 470 defensive snaps.
In his first start, he had a career-high eight tackles to go along with two pass breakups against Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland.
"I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous making that first start against Iowa State, but stepping out there on that field, I was like, 'It's time,'" McIntosh says. "That first drive, I got a tackle, and it got me up, and I said, 'Oh yeah, it's time, for sure.' I went out there and made plays. That's the main thing. I went out there and guarded guys and made tackles."
Now McIntosh is eager for what's next. He seems excited for the road ahead with Peterson and new cornerbacks coach Marcel Yates, who came to K-State after he had six players from his defensive secondaries earn All-Big 12 honors during his tenure as passing game coordinator and defensive secondary coach at Texas Tech from 2022 to 2024. Yates has helped to send 11 defensive backs to the NFL Draft, including six in the first four rounds.
"One thing I like about this defense is we're just able to play fast," McIntosh says. "We know what we have to do, and we're going to play fast. We're all learning and playing."
If there's a noticeable improvement within McIntosh's game, he sees it every day: It's his eyes.
"I've improved my eyes," McIntosh says. "That's something I've worked on this spring. Coach Yates, he came in, and first practice he started working on my eyes. He told me what to do, and I started doing it. I got better because of it."
The first time McIntosh even saw a football, he was hooked. There he was, chubby 4-year-old Donovan snatching a football and running around his older brother's football practice. It became a thing — Donovan running around with the football. His older brother, Chase, and his teammates, always chased him.
"Granny always tells me, 'Man, I remember when you were out there, you were so ready to play football. You told me you were ready to play football. You were so ready.'"
Organized football began at age 5 for Donovan, who started out playing offensive line due to his chubbiness. He wanted to play a skill position, so he slimmed down, and switched to running back. Offensive football was his first love. Then he switched to defense.
As a freshman at St. Mary's High School in St. Louis, Missouri, McIntosh starred on the jayvee and varsity squads, eventually growing into a top-50 cornerback in the Class of 2023 by On3. His first scholarship offer arrived his junior season when an Arkansas assistant coach pulled him out of law class to officially invite him to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Kansas, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Iowa and K-State followed with scholarship offers as well.
"After I got the Arkansas offer, I got a KU offer, and I went to the KU/K-State football game in Lawrence," McIntosh says. "After the game, I got a call from K-State. I came to Manhattan for a game after that, and it was all K-State. The KU/K-State game's outcome didn't have an impact on me at the time. I do remember K-State really blew them out, so it wasn't really a game, really. K-State called and invited me on a visit.
"I can't remember who K-State played, but it was a big game, and seeing all the coaches and players, I thought it was cool. Seeing all the fans in the stadium was good. The KU game, there was nobody there. When I came to K-State, everybody was there."
He pauses.
"I was like, 'This is it.'"
And now, one year after running 23 miles-per-hour as one of the fastest players at K-State, McIntosh is a year older, a year wiser, and a year more experienced as he eyes the 2026 season opener against Nicholls on September 5 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. There's so, so much to do before then, of course, and so McIntosh practices and studies — and behind his speed and playmaking ability, he continues to incite rabid on-field unit-wide celebrations along the way in practice.
"I already see that aggressiveness and playing free in practice," McIntosh says. "Even from the first practice to now, we're consistent. Everybody is flying around making plays and celebrating.
"The energy is real."
There are plenty of good vibes as spring practice nears the end, and the vision of Peterson chasing McIntosh down the field after a 50-yard pick-6 might be a lasting image of triumph for a defense that is just getting started.
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