Malone, a two-sport standout who’s also hoping to play baseball in college, said he traveled to Tennessee a few months ago, but there’s a reason he still wants to take a closer look at the Vols. His trip to Knoxville, he said, came during the February dead period for football recruiting and primarily allowed him to see what Tennessee’s baseball program has to offer.
“I definitely want to get back to Knoxville and visit Tennessee again,” said Malone, who’s ranked the No. 56 overall prospect and No. 4 defensive tackle in the 2021 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
“I’ve been there for the baseball part, because it was the (February) dead period. I haven’t visited for the football part of things yet, so I’m looking at going back down to visit that part.”
Malone said he took “a little tour” of Tennessee’s campus and baseball facilities during his visit with the Vols, and he came away with a good impression of them despite not getting to meet with Tennessee football coach
Jeremy Pruitt’s staff while he was there.
“I pretty much liked everything they had,” said Malone, who received his first SEC football offer in September 2018 from the Vols. “They were showing me about the baseball part of things. Me and Coach were really talking about it and how Tennessee’s program for baseball is — not about football, mostly about baseball — and also their scheme of playing games and stuff like that.”
He admitted “baseball is a big part in my recruitment because a team I decide to commit to, that’s a team I know that’s going to let me play both sports in college at their school, and I will have a good opportunity to play.”
