Junior tight end for LSU. 2025: 13 catches, 192 receiving yards, 2 TD.
6′3″ · 242 lb · Thomasville, GA · Thomas County Central HS
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment.
Yards / catch: 94th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
receiving yards · 2025
13 catches · 2 TD · 14.8 per catch
Best game: 1 rec, 21 yds, 1 TD, vs Notre Dame
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 tight end for LSU. 2025: 13 catches, 192 receiving yards, 2 TD.
Malachi Thomas
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment. He got to LSU by way of Pittsburgh. The receipt on tape: 36 rec yds, 2 receptions against East Carolina, Bowl, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2024–2025
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Brian Kelly → Frank Wilson. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to LSU
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Pat Narduzzi, all balanced offenses — 15-11 over that span.
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: yards / catch (94th percentile). Concern: receptions (9th percentile).
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Situational · Share of own targets (PBP, 2025)
Third-down role
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 9 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 1.4 | 18.6 | 15.7 | 0.4 |
| Road4g | 1.5 | 24.8 | 17.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 1.8 | 25.8 | 16.7 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+4g | 1.0 | 15.8 | 15.8 | 0.2 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lane Kiffin
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Player standing · 2025
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Three-star recruit. Now #121 at the position.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 13 | 192 | 14.8 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 15 | 214 | 14.3 | 3 | -- |
Signature plays · top plays by |EPA|
The plays that mattered most
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 9 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 61-9vs Duquesne | 1 | 34 | 34.0 | 1 | 34 | Season-high 36 yds |
| Wk 3 | L 24-31@ West Virginia | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 0 | 22 | |
| Wk 5 | L 27-34vs Louisville | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 6 | W 48-7vs Boston College | 3 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 8 | W 30-13@ Syracuse | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 20 | |
| Wk 9 | W 53-34vs NC State | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Wk 12 | L 15-37vs Notre Dame | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 1 | 21 | |
| Wk 13 | W 42-28@ Georgia Tech | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 0 | 17 | |
| Bowl | L 17-23@ East Carolina | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 0 | 26 | |
| Total | 13 | 192 | 16.3 | 2 | 34 |
Play style
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Blake Whiteheart’s 2021 season.
Matches Blake on
Differs from Blake on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Lakota Dippre's sophomore season at James Madison (2025).
Matches Lakota on
Differs from Lakota on
Player DNA
2 more on the roster · LSU team page