New Jersey’s No. 1 DT Tywone Malone is an Ole Miss Rebel!
Tywone Malone is an Ole Miss Rebel!
After months of speculation and offers from many Power 5 and SEC schools, Malone — the nation’s No. 5 defensive tackle out of Bergen Catholic in Oradell, New Jersey — signed with Ole Miss Wednesday on ESPN2.
Malone is New Jersey’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, according to 247sports. His 6-foot-4, 280-pound size combined with his unusual agility set him apart from others in the class and made him a highly coveted recruit.
Malone had narrowed his list to Ole Miss, A&M, Florida State, Rutgers, Tennessee, and USC.
In addition to being among the best at his defensive position, Malone also spent some time on offense at tight end for Bergen Catholic. And many may not realize that while head coach Lane Kiffin and staff have been recruiting Malone, so has Carl Lafferty and the Ole Miss baseball program.
Malone is an outstanding player on the baseball diamond as well, and that played a role in his decision to come to Ole Miss.
4-star football recruit Tywone Malone is 6’4” 300 lbs and can hit a ball a mile 💪 (via youthprospects/IG) pic.twitter.com/oNsB8xY2Bt
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) July 8, 2020
His coach at Bergen, Vito Campanile, described Malone’s physical prowess to 247Sports last fall.
“In the years I have been coaching, I really haven’t been around as gifted an athlete as Ty. He has as good of hands as any guy in the program. And I attribute that to baseball.”
Coach Campanile on Tywone Malone
The 247Sports Composite index would agree, as Malone comes in with a composite score of 0.9709, making him the highest-rated prospect of Lane Kiffin’s 2021 Ole Miss signing class. Here’s a glimpse why:
Big Man Touchdown ❕❗️❕
Tywone Malone (@TywoneMalone) with the pick-six for @BergenCathFBall pic.twitter.com/GSlxN0yrtS
— Gus Ramos (@G1Bound) October 10, 2020
Here’s how 247Sports evaluates Malone:
“Big-framed defensive lineman with good height and length. Measured 34-inch arms as a sophomore and an 80-inch wingspan as a junior. Also owns college-ready mass with build to fit multiple fronts. Experience inside and on the edge vs. good high school competition. Flashes impressive strength-to-power ability as a stout bull rusher. Length and strength foster stack-and-shed ability vs. the run. Keeps his eyes forward and locates the ball well. Somewhat of a short-strider who redirects adequately relative to size. Generally quick off the ball. Strong tackler who arrives with purpose. Two-sport athlete who plans to play football and baseball in college. Pad level is adequate but can show more consistency in that department. Tools-laden defensive lineman who will need to expand move set and overall nuance. Legitimate high-major D-line prospect who could become multi-year impact starter with a real shot at reaching the NFL Draft.” – Gabe Brooks
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Herring-Olvedo sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
