Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532761
3 4 M A R C H 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 5 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / J ust as its season was getting started, Penn State picked up one of its most important com- mitments of the 2025 cycle. On Sept. 3, three days after the Nit- tany Lions' 34-12 win over West Virginia on opening day, four-star New Jersey offensive tackle Mala- chi Goodman announced that he was headed to PSU. Listed at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, Goodman had earned an offer from the Lions nearly a year ear- lier, in October 2023. Following his junior season, he emerged as one of offensive line coach Phil Trautwein's top overall targets in the class. Goodman had made it clear early in his recruitment that Penn State was in a good position, but a surge of scholarship offers from elite schools like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State and USC gave him a lot to think about when it came time to take visits last spring. He ended up taking at least one unof- ficial visit to each of those schools, fol- lowed by official visits to Alabama, Au- burn, Georgia, Penn State and USC. In the final weeks of his recruitment, Good- man made it clear that his decision would come down to the Nittany Lions, Tigers and Trojans. Penn State ended up prevailing, in large part because of Trautwein's track record. "The biggest factor was de- velopment," 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 Trautwein a lot." He added that there wasn't a lot of separation between the leading contenders on his list. "It was a pretty tough decision because of the top schools I was down to," he said. "I liked all of them, and I could see myself going to each of them." Over the past few years, Trautwein has emerged as one of Penn State's top re- cruiters. The Nittany Lions landed five- star prospects Cooper Cousins and J'ven Williams in the previous two classes, and the 2025 class is also very strong, espe- cially at offensive tackle. In addition to Goodman, Trautwein signed four-star prospect Owen Aliciene of Cheshire, Conn. Aliciene and Goodman were two of the top three offensive tackles in the Northeast for the 2025 cycle. Only Notre Dame signee Will Black was rated higher by On3. "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. He could be a 2026 pros- pect, 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." Following a strong performance in the Navy All-American Bowl, Goodman moved up to No. 34 nationally in On3's final rankings for the 2025 class. He was just two spots away from earning a five- star grade. He's also the sixth-ranked of- fensive tackle nationally. — Ryan Snyder After eliciting the interest of major programs from across the country, Goodman chose the Nittany Lions over Auburn and USC. PHOTO COURTESY ON3 MALACHI GOODMAN Penn State's offensive line welcomes another elite prospect OT | 6-6 | 310 Paramus Catholic Bloomfield, N.J. Rankings Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Industry ★★★★ 37 6 2 On3 ★★★★ 34 6 2 247Sports ★★★★★ 19 5 1 ESPN ★★★★ 138 17 4 Rivals ★★★★ 138 5 2 Statistics • Helped Paramus Catholic rush for 1,916 yards in 11 games during his senior season Notable • Played in the Navy All-American Bowl • Three-year letterman in track and field • Honor roll student during his junior and senior years Recruitment • Committed to Penn State on Sept. 3, 2024 • Recruited by offensive line coach Phil Trautwein • Picked Penn State over Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and USC • Officially visited on May 31, 2024 2025 Projection Physically, the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Good- man is similar to five-star 2024 signee Cooper Cousins in the sense that he's not far from being able to contribute. Unlike Cousins, how- ever, Goodman won't arrive on campus until the summer. Add in the fact that the Nittany Lions bring back just about everyone on the offensive line for the 2025 season, and Good- man appears likely to redshirt this coming fall. However, he looks to be entirely capable of becoming a multiyear starter at Penn State and is a potential NFL Draft pick down the road. They Said It On3 scouting director Charles Power: "Goodman was close [to earning a fifth star]. I believe this is the strongest offensive line cy- cle nationally that I've seen in my time doing this. … I think in a normal offensive line cycle, he probably is a five-star." T H E G O O D M A N F I L E