BOOOOM! 2027 four-star CB Deontay Malone commits to Ohio State
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Official visit season is in full swing, and Ohio State is already making the most of this portion of the calendar with its latest commitment in the 2027 class.
On Sunday afternoon, four-star corner Deontay Malone has announced his verbal pledge to the Buckeyes.
Hailing out of Massillon, OH, Malone ranks as the No. 11 player in Ohio and the No. 33 CB nationally per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot defensive back chose Ohio State out of an offer sheet that includes Auburn, Michigan, Michigan State, UNC and more than a dozen others, with the Spartans being position coach Tim Walton’s biggest competition.
Malone made his decision while on his official visit in Columbus this past weekend, and his relationship with Walton was a big reason why.
“Coach Walton is a great guy,” Malone told Rivals back in March. “I love him. We had a good time and good meetings. I feel like I’d be comfortable around him. He’s like my coach but my best friend at the same time. I got to meet head coach Ryan Day at the end of practice. It was good to talk to him. I felt blessed to talk to him.”
“It was great,” Malone told 247Sports of his visit this past weekend. “Being a part of the brotherhood and seeing how the players react with people outside of football was an amazing experience. On the first day there, I knew I had to be a part of it and with the Ohio State Legacy!
Malone is an impressive athlete for Massillon Washington, making plays in all three phases of the game last season. He starred as a corner, recording 25 tackles, three interceptions and seven PBUs, while also showing off his athleticism as a receiver with 34 catches for 498 yards in addition to more than 22 yards per return in the kicking game, totaling nine touchdowns on the season.
Ohio State is hoping this commitment is the first of a few here in the near future, especially at the cornerback position.
Fellow four-star CB Jaden Carey out of St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida is set to announce his decision this Wednesday, with the Buckeyes seemingly holding an edge over in-state Miami at this current time. Walton and Ohio State are also very hopeful in the pursuit of Monsanna Torbert Jr., the No. 5 player in Ohio and a former Indiana commit.
For now though, Malone is the Buckeyes’ lone commitment at corner and the 14th member of Ohio State’s 2027 class overall, which currently ranks 13th in the country. Malone is the 6th commit on the defensive side of the ball and the third member of the secondary, joining safeties Eli Johnson and Angelo Smith, the younger brother of Jeremiah Smith.
Ohio State has kept its official visit weekends to a shorter guest list this offseason in an effort to pay closer attention to each individual player, and so far it looks like those efforts are starting to pay off.
Quick Hits
Speaking of Torbert, Ohio State received two more On3 Insider Predictions over the weekend to land the standout cornerback, including Steve Wiltfong, bringing the total now to three. Having de-committed from Indiana back in May and is coming off an official visit to Columbus, with a trip to Ann Arbor set for next weekend.
The Buckeyes remain the odds-on favorite to land the No. 91 overall player in this 2027 class.
Sticking on defense, Ohio State also seems well-positioned for five-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou. Having also just come off an official visit to Columbus, the Buckeyes are now up to five total On3 Insider Predictions in their favor after another three dropped on Friday.
Fakatou is the No. 24 overall player and the No. 2 DL prospect via the 247Sports Composite. It would be a big win for Larry Johnson and Ohio State to pull the heavily coveted defender out of California among his nearly 40 offers.
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