Ohio State adding another transfer from the SEC

Also a member of member of the Rebels baseball team, Malone redshirted as a football freshman then made 10 tackles, including one sack, as a reserve last season.

What role the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder could fill for the Buckeyes remains to be seen, but veteran position coach Larry Johnson is fond of rotating heavily at all four spots.

He seemed to have a solid four-man rotation at end during spring with juniors J.T. Tuimolau and Jack Sawyer followed by second-year players Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson while three players looked to separate themselves on the interior.

Junior Ty Hamilton returns as a starter at nose tackle while junior Tyleik Williams plays 3-technique and third-year sophomore Mike Hall Jr. could get starter snaps at both spots.

Malone is the second New Jersey native to transfer to Ohio State from Mississippi this year, following cornerback Davison Igbinosun’s decision to do so in January.

Although head coach Ryan Day has gone on record saying he prefers to build his program mostly via developing high school recruits, Ohio State has been relatively aggressive this offseason in fortifying multiple units with college players.

Along with Igbinosun, the Buckeyes added offensive linemen Victor Cutler (Louisiana-Monroe) and Josh Simmons (San Diego State), safety Ja’Had Carter (Syracuse), quarterback Tristan Gebbia (Oregon State), cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (Notre Dame) and long snapper John Ferlmann (Arizona State).