Tywone Malone has been a well-known name in the ultra competitive world of northern New Jersey high school sports on the gridiron and on the baseball diamond for a few years. The disruptive defensive tackle out of Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic is entertaining offers from all over the country, but one of the limiting factors in his recruitment is his devotion to baseball. Malone wants to play both sports in college and his recruitment has centered around that theme. The downside of that is Malone hasn’t been able to take as many visits as he wants to before he commits.
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and many others are in pursuit of Malone’s commitment. This race is very tight, so almost any team could quickly see themselves surge to the top of Malone’s recruitment, but a commitment from the coveted defensive tackle is still a ways off.
Here is how we rank the contenders for his commitment.
MORE: How things stand with top uncommitted DTs of 2021
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes have really endeared themselves to Malone. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson and his track record of developing players for the NFL is very appealing to Malone. The Buckeyes have a great connection to Malone and his school in former Bergen Catholic standout Javontae Jean-Baptiste. Look for Malone to lean on his relationships at Ohio State to learn more about the program before he is able to get back on campus.
2. Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights are surging on the recruiting trail thanks to Greg Schiano’s influence with in-state prospects. Malone is feeling the excitement around the Rutgers program and the familiarity he has with many of the current commits, players, and assistant coaches is second to none. Still, Malone is hoping to see more progress from the program this season while maintaining his connection with the team.
3. Texas A&M
Jimbo Fisher and his staff reached out to the east coast in the 2020 recruiting class to sign two defensive linemen from New Jersey and that isn’t lost on Malone. Defensive line coach Elijah Robinson is a great recruiter and he has built a connection with Malone. The opportunity to play baseball at Texas A&M is also very appealing to him. Look for the Aggies to work on getting Malone on campus once the recruiting dead period is over.
4. Ole Miss
Just like many of the other schools, Ole Miss is telling Malone he can play both football and baseball if he were to sign with them. The Rebels are leaning on the connections co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge has in New Jersey. The entire coaching staff is continuing to show Malone he is a priority and that has gotten his attention. The next step will be getting on campus at some point this summer or fall.
