The Football Brainiacs

Player Profile

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 203

Class: Super Senior

Seasons at OU: 0

Hometown: Fresno, Calif.

Previous School: San Diego State University

The Path to Norman

Dez Malone, a California high school product, started his college football journey at San Diego State. After a redshirt season in 2020 and a limited role in 2021, Malone was an impact player in 2022 and 2023. Following his 2023 season, Malone entered the transfer portal and landed in Norman.

https://twitter.com/DezjhonM/status/1733887970111852563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Career so Far

Malone took a redshirt season in 2020, appearing in two games.

In 2021, Malone played in eight games, mostly on special teams.

2022 was Malone’s breakout season. He played in all 13 games, starting in 11 of them, during a very productive season. Malone earned an Honorable Mention All-Mountain West nod and tied for fifth in the Mountain West in interceptions.

Malone enjoyed an even better 2023 season. He played in 692 defensive snaps, second on the team, while starting in all 12 games at corner. Malone also saw time in the punt return game for SDSU.

Stats

Years: 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | Career

Games Played: 12 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 35

Tackles: 47 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 90

TFL: 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3

Sacks: 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1

INT: 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4

FF: 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1

PR Yards: 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37

Stats via Soonersports.com

This Season

Malone has impressed over the offseason, solidifying himself as one of OU’s top corners. He was listed as an “or” at starting corner on this week’s depth chart alongside Gentry Williams, who has continued to work through injuries; Malone was also listed on the punt return depth chart. Look for the experienced newcomer to be a regular contributor for the OU defense this fall.