#55 Cody Fletcher — By adopting the jersey of such previous defensive standouts as Cody Fletcher (55), I am hoping K-State’s on-again/off-again/on-again JUCO recruit Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder seeks to channel a true “junkyard dog” mentality on the defensive line. | Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 55th day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State defensive tackle Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder.

#55 Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder

Redshirt Sophomore | 6-5 | 318 lbs. | Brockton, Massachusetts

Position: Defensive Tackle
Previous College: Butler Community College
Projection: Co-Third-String
Status: On Scholarship

Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder (b. May 9, 2004) is a large JUCO transfer defensive tackle by way of Butler Community College who redshirted in 2022 and played the 2023 season for the Grizzlies under head coach and former K-Stater Bryce Vignery.

A December signee, Alcorn-Crowder was briefly determined to have left the 2024 recruiting class due to an academic issue that was later cleared up, paving the way for his fall arrival.

(He briefly entered the transfer portal on March 8 but later exited on April 30, back to KSU.)

Alcorn-Crowder was regarded as the fourth-best overall community college prospect in the Class of 2024 by On3, No. 5 by ESPN, No. 17 by Rivals and No. 21 by 247Sports.

On3 also rated him the top community college defensive tackle prospect in the country, while ESPN ranked him No. 2.

Alcorn-Crowder played in nine games in 2023, earning honorable mention all-conference honors and totaling 28 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and two forced fumbles.

He tallied a season-high six tackles against Independence, which included three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pair of sacks, and he also had two-sack performances against Dodge City and Ellsworth. He had five tackles against both Iowa Central and Dodge City.

Alcorn-Crowder, who plans on majoring in business, prepped under head coach Zack Botelho at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Massachusetts, where he earned all-state honors as an offensive lineman during his senior season in 2021 from the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association and also competed in basketball.

He is the first K-State signee from the state of Massachusetts since Andrew Bulman in 2002.

Given that Alcorn-Crowder lost out on spring practices due to his setback, I think he will have a hard time cracking the two-deep at nose guard over either Uso Seumalo or Damian Ilalio, but he also brings the same versatility at all three positions as Jevon Banks did before.

That could lead to early playing time for this promising prospect, even if only as a reserve.

Alcorn-Crowder selected K-State over offers from Bryant, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Georgia Southern, Houston, Jacksonville State, Marshall, Maryland, Miami, Minnesota, Mississippi State, NC State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Texas, Old Dominion, South Carolina, South Florida, UConn, UMass and USC.