‘Savvy’ Tywone Malone already giving Buckeyes depth on interior of defensive line

COLUMBUS — On the surface, Ohio State didn’t truly need to add another defensive tackle from the transfer portal after last season.

The Buckeyes return three starters at defensive tackle and two veteran playmakers on the edge. Some of those returners are already garnering first-round buzz for next spring’s NFL Draft.

Dig deeper, though, and it’s easy to see why the Buckeyes decided to add a defensive tackle to the roster for depth. And it might be even easier to see why the answer to that was former Ole Miss defensive tackle Tywone Malone.

Malone will be in the program for more than one year. He’ll be a mainstay on the Ohio State defensive line for at least two seasons. And, after turning down the Buckeyes on the recruiting trail to play two years at Ole Miss, he has experience that will immediately help Ohio State. That was on full display Thursday as the program opened training camp.

“He’s got game experience,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “He’s got toughness, he’s got savvy. You know, he’s just someone you feel comfortable with right away. You know, he just, he can handle things — and the physicality, too.”

With the return of three big-time playmakers, the Buckeyes are feeling quite confident in the interior of their defensive line. Mike Hall is back at full strength after struggling through injuries a season ago — and still dominating in games he could play. Ty Hamilton is a steadying force at nose tackle, while Tyleik Williams has shown some flashes during his first two years with the Buckeyes.

But this is a defensive line that will rotate, almost to a fault at times. Legendary defensive line coach Larry Johnson will play as many interior linemen as he can — if they’re what he deems to be game-ready.

Malone is game-ready, especially after showing his skills as a part-time football player for the Rebels while splitting time with the baseball roster. He’ll boost the rotation at Ohio State this fall.

“You need and you want so many guys that can play,” Knowles said. “You want as many guys that can that can play to step up. So he adds so much depth.

Other guys will be fresher because of it.”

No, Malone may not be in that top tier of the defensive line that includes former five-star prospects on the edge and reliable veterans on the interior.

Ohio State has its mind set on who will step up and be the main factors on the defensive line.

“We’re looking for physicality in preseason,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said last week at Big Ten Media Days. “We need guys who are playing downhill or playing fast. We gotta win the line of scrimmage. The defensive line’s gotta play physical. In order to do that, I think J.T., Jack, Mike, Tyleik [Williams], Ty [Hamilton], Kenyatta [Jackson], they gotta take on the majority of the reps.

“We’ve rotated guys in the past on the D-Line, but these guys have gotta be guys who we can count on to play the majority of games. And, like we say, carry the water. They’re the ones that gotta do it up front.”

But after just one practice in August, Malone is already pushing to be among the water-carrying Buckeyes on the interior. As Tyleik Williams sat out for a portion of Thursday’s practice due to an undisclosed issue, Malone filled in the open spot and took plenty of reps. He is showing he can work hard, fit in and provide depth for a unit that needed it this offseason.

And he has a chance to work his way into the conversation as a mainstay on a defensive line that enters this season with incredibly high expectations.

“The sky is the limit,” Knowles said. “You have the the best coach, you have veteran players, you have some depth. … Upfront, you need a lot of depth so those guys can play fast. But I don’t see any limitations to why they can’t be the best in the country.”

That expectation is only heightened with an emerging Tywone Malone, who is still proving why he was such a good addition from the transfer portal.

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