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On National Signing Day, the Buckeyes' boom train keeps moving right along with Malcolm Pridgeon jumping aboard Ohio State's class of 2016. Announcing his plans to play at OSU days after ending his official visit to Columbus, the four-star junior college offensive tackle is the fifth lineman and 24th overall prospect to select Ohio State as their future home, joining Michael Jordan, Tyler Gerald, Gavin Cupp, and Jack Wohlabaugh.
The third offensive tackle and fourth JUCO prospect in the country, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, the 6'8, 305-pound, four-star prospect from Nassau Community College (NY) received a scholarship offer from not just OSU, but also programs such as Baylor, Florida, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Louisville, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers.
Playing for one of the top junior college programs in the country, Pridgeon, and the rest of the Lions helped Nassau account for over 4,200 yards of total offense last season. Leading the way upfront, Malcolm was named to the NJCAA All-American team for his stellar play on the field.
Even though he earned his offer from the Buckeyes last March, Pridgeon was a late Ohio State target. With the Ohio State coaching staff looking to replace numerous bodies up front, and with a large amount of their returning linemen lacking experience on the college level, Pridgeon might not have been penciled in the Buckeyes class two months ago, but could find himself in the mix to battle for early playing time next season at tackle with the departure of both of last seasons starters, Taylor Decker, and Chase Farris.
Scouting report
"Malcolm is one of the top offensive tackles in all of JUCO. He is a hardworking young man and brings his lunch pail and hardhat to work every day. He has a big athletic frame and plays with a great knee bend. Malcolm is a former basketball player. He possesses great footwork, quickness, and agility. He is a highly competitive player and plays with a mean streak. Whoever signs Malcolm Pridgeon will get a fine football player, but an even better young man." - Nassau Community College OL coach Vinnie Rizzo
Highlights