Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
5 2 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State had long been considered a strong contender to land New Jer- sey offensive tackle Malachi Goodman, and the four-star prospect ended the suspense on Sept. 3, announcing that he planned to sign with the Nittany Lions. Listed at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Good- man earned an offer from the Lions last fall and was considered one of the staff's most important targets in the class. He made it clear early in his recruitment that Penn State was in a good position, but a surge of elite scholarship offers from schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and USC gave him a lot more to think about when it came time to take visits this past spring. Each one of those schools ultimately hosted the Paramus Catholic standout on campus for at least one unofficial visit. Florida and Ohio State were the only schools that didn't receive official visits once the calendar turned to June. How- ever, in recent weeks, Goodman made it clear that his decision would come down to Penn State, Auburn and USC. In the end, the Nittany Lions prevailed. "The biggest factor was development," Goodman told On3. "The main reasons I committed to Penn State are the coaching staff, how I feel about the offensive line group, and I like Coach [Phil Trautwein] a lot." He went on to add, "It was a pretty tough decision because of the top schools I was down to. I liked all of them and I could see myself going to each of them." Goodman's addition was a big win for Trautwein, the Lions' fifth-year offensive line coach who had hoped to add at least one more tackle to this class. The combi- nation of Goodman and Owen Aliciene of Avon (Conn.) Old Farms gives the Nittany Lions two of the region's top three tackles. "I really like Malachi Goodman," said Charles Power, On3's director of scouting and rankings. "He's a guy that's younger for the class [having turned 17 in late July]. He could be a 2026 prospect, age-wise, but he has good size, good length and is very strong at the point of attack. He's got good balance, too. I think he's a solid athlete, not an overwhelming athlete, so I see him as maybe more of a right tackle type. But he moves pretty well. "We have him and [four-star Ohio State commit] Carter Lowe back-to- back, and I think they're very similar players. Both guys win with their length, their strength and balance, more so than just elite movement skills. They're rock- solid offensive tackle types. With Good- man, especially given his youth, I'm very interested to see how he continues to de- velop. He's still kind of a puppy from an age perspective." Goodman is the top player in Penn State's class, per the On3 Industry Rank- ing, which slots him at No. 130 nation- ally, No. 11 among offensive tackles and No. 3 in New Jersey. On3's scouts have him at No. 107 over- all, No. 11 among tackles and No. 4 in his home state. ■ Elite New Jersey Prospect Strengthens Offensive Line RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Goodman chose the Nittany Lions over Auburn and USC, explaining that "the biggest factor was development." PHOTO COURTESY ON3 At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Malachi Goodman could project at a few positions. He's got a guard body with tackle length. In watching his film, he played right tackle as a junior and switched to the left side to start 2024. It's still way too early in his senior year to make any determinations, but he looked comfortable on the right side and he's still feeling out the left. Penn State has been all over the map in recent years when it comes to adding offensive tackles. They've come in just plain big (Maleek McNeil), tall and skinny (Eagan Boyer), build 'em up (Garrett Sexton) or ready-made (Anthony Donkoh). The main point is that there is no specific prototype for the position. Goodman will be a guy they bring in, likely redshirt and figure out the rest. He's got good feet and length, which is a great start. As a junior, Goodman was a bit lighter on his feet and strong in pass protection. He will tend to lean at times, both in pass protection and as he collapses on unsuspecting high school defensive linemen when he down blocks. He will be a technical project at the next level when he has to use something other than size to move defenders, but the high ceiling is there. He's a huge pickup for Penn State this late in the cycle. — Sean Fitz P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N COMMITMENT PROFILE MALACHI GOODMAN