With his junior college career over, Moses Mallory found himself in a tough spot.
The offensive guard had been named all-conference at Eastern Arizona and was one of the top JUCO offensive line prospects in the country, but a coaching change at West Virginia led the Mountaineers to take away his scholarship offer.
His football future suddenly up in the air, Mallory went to social media to get his name back on the radar.
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“I just kind of had to take it upon myself and get the responsibility to get my film out there,” Mallory said. “I probably DM’ed every D-I coach in the country and sent them my film, probably DM’ed them each probably like four or five times until they would pick up. I just had to be patient until somebody realized the talent that I have and what I could do on the football field.”
That paid off this week. Mallory committed to Montana on Tuesday while on his visit to Missoula, picking the Griz over offers from Weber State, Jacksonville State and North Alabama, among others.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 335 pounds, Mallory should bring instant impact to a Griz offensive line that is slated to be the most inexperienced unit on the team. He’s the second offensive line transfer that Montana has brought in for next year. Kordell Pillans, from Mesa CC, signed with the team in the early signing period and is expected to compete for a starting spot on the interior of UM’s offensive line.
Mallory was named all-conference for Eastern Arizona in 2018, and 247Sports listed him as the No. 8 JUCO guard in the country coming out of EAC. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining at Montana.
“I like to get my hands in the dirt, and I like to see the guy across from me and see him in the dirt,” Mallory said. “I’m all about physical gameplay, I want to punch it down the field and really get going with the run game. But that doesn’t mean…I’m versatile, you know. I like to call myself a jack of all trades. I’m a faster o-lineman, I run about a 4.9 [40-yard dash], so I like to do it all.”
Originally from Kansas City, Mallory moved to Utah before high school and went on to win a state title with Herriman High School and earn a scholarship from Dixie State.
That kicked off a college career that’s been defined by betting on himself.
He won a starting spot as a true freshman at Dixie but tore his MCL early in the season.
Even before that, he wasn’t sure that the Division-II school offered the level of competition he was looking for.
“I didn’t see myself playing against the top competition that I know I need to be playing against,” Mallory said. “I was kind of getting comfortable. … So I left and took a chance.”
According to Mallory, the Eastern Arizona coaches contacted him on a Saturday night. By Sunday morning, he was out of Dixie State and on his way to Arizona.
That willingness to bet on himself and keep taking risks paid off again after West Virginia pulled his scholarship following a coaching change.
“I just really had to believe in myself,” Mallory said. “It’s like the marathon, you know, you’ve got to believe in yourself when others don’t. I never quit and I’ve always worked hard, believed in myself and my family backed me up. I was able to come through and do what I knew I could.”
“They just believed in me the whole time,” Mallory said. “My mom has always been my backbone, my older brother. They helped me out with whatever I needed to do, and always made sure I was doing the little things right while this was going on, so that whenever it’s time to go, I’d always be the best person possible for that school.”
Mallory’s family has been a source of strength throughout the process, particularly his mother and older brother.
On Tuesday, he was able to pay them back by finally realizing his Division-I dream. All the risks and all the work had finally paid off.
“My favorite part was seeing my mom there and having her enjoy it,” Mallory said. “She’s an emotional person, so she was crying when I was talking to the coaches, telling them I was going to commit. That’s really the best part for me, is making my mom happy, because she really made this happen for me. Without her backing me up pretty much my whole career, this wouldn’t have happened.”
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