Rivals100 DT Tywone Malone goes in-depth on his final series of visits
Defensive tackle Tywone Malone has been making the rounds in the last couple of weeks to see his to see some of his finalists. This weekend, the Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic Rivals100 prospect took a trip down to Ole Miss with his family but over the past few weekends Florida State and Texas A&M were also able to get him on campus.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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IN HIS OWN WORDS...
Ole Miss- "It was great to be able to see everything like the campus, the facilities, and to just go around the town itself," Malone said. "I mostly hung out with (Jerrion) Ealy and his roommate. I met up with (John Rhys) Plumlee as well. We talked about how they manage their time going from baseball to footballI and how they handle jumping from season to season. They told me it's going to be hard at first but you just have to get used to it. I've been doing that my whole life.
"I also talked to one of their younger defensive backs and a senior linebacker," he said. "It was pretty good to see them. They're really chill, nice guys, and funny. We mostly talked about the program, the school, and how it is living there coming from out of state.
"We've talked to a lot of coaches there before," said Malone. "Coach Kiffin and the whole coaching staff have been checking up on me. We've Zoomed a few times to talk about their program and how they see me helping out the place with my abilities in both sports. They think I could be a game changing player for their program.
"Coach Bianco and coach Lafferty are saying I could be a big power guy for them right away and that I have a lot of potential," he said. "They want me to make big things to happen for them in key spots.
"My dad and I came down to Ole Miss a few months ago for baseball so we pretty much saw a lot of things then," Malone said. "My mom coming down this time and she got to see everything. Everybody was really welcoming."
Texas A&M- "Last weekend I was at Texas A&M," he said. "I felt like their town was great and the people were very welcoming. The campus was nice and so were the dorm rooms. Baseball and football there were amazing. It was great to be able to see it for myself with my mom and my dad. They coaches told me about everything before I got there but getting out there to see it all was good.
"Coach Robinson and I have a really strong relationship," said Malone. "When he first started recruiting me we talked often on the phone and texted a lot. He's been checking up on me and seeing how my family is doing. We're pretty close. It's really interesting how well coach Robinson and the coaching staff there has done recruiting defensive linemen. They're definitely going to be a scary piece in a couple years. I feel comfortable with it.
"They have a legit plan for me to be a power hitter for them," he said. "That's what they're looking for from me if I do decided to go there. They're looking for me to help them bring in runs and move guys around in key spots. I feel like I have a really good relationship with the baseball coaches. They text me and call me often to see how the recruiting process is going and to see if I have any other questions."
Florida State- "Florida State was really nice," Malone said. "I've been to Florida many times for baseball but I've never been to Tallahassee. It was really nice. It was great to see how close everything was. The baseball facility was really close to the football facility so it was really good.
"It was a really nice town too," he said. "They have a lot of stores and places to go right there for students and players. I actually had a chance to hang out with a few of their football guy when I went down there. They showed me around the town and the main spots where the students hang out.
"Coach Haggins and I have a really good relationship," said Malone. "We talk about some of the same things as everyone else. He calls me and we talk about life is going, what's happening in school, the recruiting process, and football too. He brings up how I could make a really big impact on their defensive front and how I could fit into their program with my personality.
"The baseball coaches themselves are wonderful," he said. "Coach Martin and coach Metcalf hit me up a lot and try to break down a couple swings that I have and they show me what I could bring to their table."
On what's coming next in his recruitment- "I'm not 100-percent sure on my next step right now," Malone said. "I'm probably going to take a break from the recruiting process for a couple days and think about where I want to go and talk to my parents about my options and what we liked about certain schools. I'm going to sign on February 3rd. As of right now, I don't have any other visits planned."
RIVALS' REACTION...
During this stretch of visits, the team that Malone most recently visited has held the momentum and now it appears it has swung back towards Ole Miss after a very good visit to the Oxford campus. Malone enjoyed spending time with multiple players and both parents enjoyed the atmosphere. The ability to successfully play both football and baseball is very intriguing to him and he should have an opportunity to contribute early in his career in both sports. Florida State gained a lot of ground after Malone visited earlier this month and the Noles are hoping he saw and heard enough to convince him that he'll be a huge success in both football and baseball if he signs with them. Texas A&M is hoping for the same but there was a bit more enthusiasm from Malone when talking about Florida State. Rutgers, USC, and Tennessee around out his top six and he refused to eliminate any of them from contention but Malone will likely sign with one of the first three teams.