It remains to be seen how Ohio State will use him, but Massillon senior-to-be Deontay Malone has committed to the Buckeyes.
Posting on X Sunday, Malone wrote (alongside a photo of himself posing with head coach Ryan Day):
“Committing to @OhioStateFB means more than just playing football, it’s about joining a family, a legacy of greatness. I’m ready to work harder than ever, push past every limit, and represent the Buckeyes with pride and heart.”
The 6-foot, 170-pound Malone exceled for Massillon on offense, defense an special teams in 2025.
Watch Ohio High School Sports Live on NFHS Network all year
As the year progressed, running back Savior Owens became a focal point of Massillon’s offense.
Opponents knew early on that Malone was an omnipresent receiving threat, from the time he showed dazzling run-after-catch ability in a scrimmage win over Cincinnati Moeller.
In the regular-season finale, his fourth-quarter, punt-return touchdown was the difference in a 21-14 win over McKinley.
In a playoff game against Hoover, he caught a 66-yard touchdown pass.
Malone figures to be part of a stacked Massillon offense in 2026. Massillon’s receiving leaders in 2025, Giorgio Jackson Jr. (43 catches, 533 yards, eight TDs) and Malone (34 catches, 498 yards, seven TDs) both return.
As a defensive back, he ranked third on the team in solo tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions.
The early view is Malone will begin at Ohio State as a cornerback. Multiple reports identified him as a priority recruiting target of Buckeye defensive backs coach Tim Walton.
Walton played defensive back for the Buckeyes from 1990-93 and has coached at Ohio State since 2022. He has 13 years of NFL experience and is a former defensive coordinator of the Rams.
One of the curiosities of Massillon’s 2026 season is how head coach Nate Moore will mix Malone’s time on offense and defense.
The Tigers will open on Aug. 21 against Cleveland Glenville. In the 2025 opener against Glenville, Malone caught six passes, two for touchdowns. His workload on defense increased as the season went along.
Ohio State football is quite familiar with Massillon WR/DBs
Ohio State has chased Massillon receivers before.
Ex-Tiger Devin Smith was a member of the Buckeyes’ 2014-season national championship team. Ex-Tiger Gareon Conley started at cornerback for the 2014 Buckeyes.
Jayden Ballard spent four seasons (2021-24) on the Ohio State receivers depth chart before transferring to Wisconsin in 2025.
Ohio State’s 2026 defensive starters heading into the summer, according to Ourlads, include senior left cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., sophomore right cornerback Devin Sanchez, and senior nickel back Earl Little Jr.
Little, whose father was a Cleveland Browns safety, played in 2025 at Florida State, where he led the Seminoles in tackles.
Follow the latest Ohio State football recruiting news by clicking here.
Massillon’s Braylon Gamble, Giorgio Jackson Jr. are recent college football commits
Per 247sports, a hot recruiting stretch includes Tiger seniors-to-be Braylon Gamble and Giorgio Jackson Jr. committing to Boston College and Miami (Ohio), respectively. Gamble was a Tiger standout in 2025 who projects as a safety at Boston College. The 6-foot-4 Jackson projects as one of the tallest and most dangerous receiving threats in Northeast Ohio for 2026.
The recruiting watch continues for other Tigers, including another offense-defense dynamo, 6-foot-3, 248-pound Brayton Feaster. He is a recent transfer from Akron Hoban who, according to 247sports, has “warm” interest in Georgia, Cal and Oregon, among numerous schools pursuing him.
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Deontay Malone commits to Ohio State. How will Buckeyes use him?
Reporting by Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
