Kentucky OT commit Malachi Wood trying his hand on the defensive line

When Malachi Wood early enrolls at Kentucky this January, he’ll bring a versatile skillset to the trenches.

The class of 2023 Wildcat commit has spent most of his high school career playing offensive tackle. Clocking in at 6-foot-8, 290 pounds, Wood possesses a massive frame that allows him to carve out plenty of space on the line. But now in his senior season at Madison Central High School, the in-state product is taking on a new challenge: lining up on defense.

“It’s all very new to me, this is my first year really playing defense, but it’s pretty fun,” Wood said following his first game of the 2022 season on Friday. “I think I’m getting the hang of it pretty well.”

Madison Central, ranked No. 12 in the state, was hosting No. 6 Lexington Christian Academy on Friday night, which was led by one of the hottest recruits in the state, QB Cutter Boley. Madison Central was able to find the endzone with just two seconds left in the fourth quarter to secure a thrilling 38-34 victory.

Wood was on the field for the majority of the game, rotating between offense and defense. He registered four tackles on defense, two of them solo. On offense, Wood helped Madison Central run for 203 total yards on 41 carries, which led to two touchdowns. He’s been needed on the defensive line out of necessity, but through one game, the results were encouraging.

“It was the coaches that brought it up because we lost, obviously last year — our D-line was all seniors, all of them were seniors,” Wood said. “So I just had to step up and do my part.“

Wood will still come to Kentucky expected to play on the offensive line, but there’s nothing wrong with developing different skills. He even said that playing on defense has made him better in some areas on offense.

“It definitely helps with just your punch and your hand placement and being accurate with your hands,” Wood added.

Committed to Kentucky since March, Wood is one of 15 recruits locked in for the ’23 class. He’s considered a three-star recruit by the On3 Consensus and a top-10 player from the Bluegrass State. Madison Central will play again this Friday at home against Paul Laurence Dunbar.