4-star OT Malachi Goodman commits to Penn State Nittany Lions: 'The biggest factor was development'

Penn State has landed a commitment from Paramus Catholic (N.J.) four-star offensive tackle Malachi Goodman.

Goodman chose the Nittany Lions over USC and Auburn. He also took summer official visits to Georgia and Alabama.

“The biggest factor was development,” Goodman told On3. “The main reasons I committed to Penn State are the coaching staff, how I feel about the offensive line group and I like coach Traut (Phil Trautwein) a lot.

“It was a pretty tough decision because of the top schools I was down to. I liked all of them and I could see myself going to each of them. I made my decision around last week.”

Goodman has visited Penn State three times and hopes to return for games this fall.

The 6-foot-5.5, 315-pound Goodman is the nation’s No. 130 overall prospect, No. 11 offensive tackle and No. 3 recruit from New Jersey in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3 is higher on Goodman than the other major recruiting services. He ranks No. 108 nationally and No. 11 among offensive tackles in the 2025 On300.

On3’s take on the new Penn State commit

“Malachi Goodman is a powerful offensive tackle with a big frame and plus length for the position,” Director of Scouting Charles Power said. “He pairs those physical traits with very good play strength. We also like the balance that Goodman shows. He plays with a strong base and is able to stay anchored on contact. Goodman is one of the younger blue-chip offensive tackles in the 2025 cycle, so he could have some room to continue growing and developing given his relative youth.”