Malachi Madison recently entered the transfer portal after a difficult college football season at UMass. There are a lot of rumors about his departure.
He wants to set the record straight.
The rising redshirt senior claims his decision to continue his college football career at his third different school in five years stems from a series of false promises. The coaching staff actually encouraged him to leave.
Who is Malachi Madison?
A native of Virginia, Madison rated as a three-star defensive line prospect in the recruiting Class of 2022. He decided to stay home and committed to Virginia Tech over 29 others offers from schools like UCF, Iowa State, Colorado Pittsburgh, Minnesota, UConn and Mississippi State.
The defensive tackle position is at a premium in college football these days. Madison was expected to provide immediate depth for the Hokies at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds. He did not.
Madison recorded only one tackle as a true freshman and took a redshirt. He did not see game action in 2023 and recorded only one tackle and one sack in 2024.
He hit the transfer portal for the first time last offseason.
The rising redshirt junior committed to UMass. Madison made nine total tackles and one sack in 2025.
Number 1 OL in the country right? Everyone else words not mines. “yall just do your best” “there OL is going to try to kill you” “prepare to be hurting bad after this game” lol show me @247SportsPortal @TransferPortal @PeteNakos @Rivals pic.twitter.com/TXygKEixca
— Malachi Madison (@ActiveMadison44) December 31, 2025
A tumultuous season both on and off of the field led him to re-enter the transfer portal.
However, there are a lot of concerns about his character. And where there is smoke, there is often fire.
UMass supposedly kicked Malachi Madison off of the team for poor behavior after a suspension. Nobody knows the full story but it sounds like he was often late to meetings and practices, and/or showed a lack of interest.
Madison wanted to set the record straight. Some of his issues were self-imposed. Others were due to circumstances out of his control. He attributed a number of them to false promises.
The former Minuteman released the following statement:
“I want to address this directly and with respect. I understand how situations can be perceived differently, and I take responsibility for any misunderstandings that may have occurred on my part.
“From the day I stepped into the program, I did my best to adapt and meet expectations, even as circumstances continued to change. Several things that were communicated to me early on ranging from my living situation to transportation and aspects of my role within the scheme did not ultimately align with what occurred. Regardless, I adjusted, showed up, and remained committed.
“I made significant personal sacrifices to be available for this team. I spent thousands of dollars on daily Uber rides to and from practice and games, often relying on my mother for financial support, after being told transportation assistance would be available but ultimately was not. I was placed nearly 20 minutes away from campus and still arrived on time every day.
“I voluntarily played scout team offensive line to help give my teammates better looks. I supported my teammates however I could, including making sure they had food when resources were limited. I never missed meetings; in fact, I helped initiate meetings in an effort to find solutions and improve our season and game outcomes.
“Throughout the season, I had multiple meetings by staff request with several members of the coaching and support staff to discuss how we could perform better, raise our standard of practice, and improve our ability to win games. During those conversations, I was told on multiple occasions that changes would likely need to wait until next year, and that the current roster was not believed in enough to be capable of winning at the level required. I was told directly by more than one person that what we currently had was not enough. I took those statements seriously, especially because I am part of that group as a player fully invested in improving and contributing in any way possible.
“Given the outcome of a difficult season, the environment became increasingly intense. During the week of my suspension, players were told that if performance did not improve, there would be physical consequences from coaches. I include this only to provide context for the pressure and atmosphere at the time, not to assign blame.
“My release from the team ultimately stemmed from a transportation issue beyond my control. On the morning of the day I was suspended, the Uber I ordered was canceled, and no other rides were available in the area. I communicated this situation approximately two hours prior to check-in. Multiple staff members and players later indicated to me that I was not expected to be disciplined for arriving late under those circumstances, given the advance communication and lack of available transportation. Despite that understanding, I was ultimately suspended and advised to transfer.
“I never quit on that or any program, my teammates, or the game. I believe strongly in accountability, faith, and trusting God’s plan, and I accept whatever is in His will. That said, some of what I’ve recently heard being said about me does not reflect the truth of my actions or intentions.
“All I ask is that conclusions not be drawn without hearing the full context. I love football, I love my teammates, and I’ve always acted with commitment and respect. I’m open to any conversation necessary to clarify the situation and take responsibility where appropriate.”
UMass players are split.
Malachi Madison actually deleted his post just a few hours after it went live on Saturday morning. He responded with a follow-up.
This was after some of his former teammates offered their thoughts on the situation. Kicker Bennett Abbe offered a message of support.
“I can personally vouch that Malachi was fully committed. He hosted team BBQs every weekend during camp to try and bring the team together, and paid for it with the money from his own pocket, with no support from the staff. Anyone saying otherwise just isn’t telling the truth—he was truly a team player.”
Offensive lineman Sullivan Weidman did not. He made four points:
- “You lived with two people that owned cars. If you woke up earlier you would have been on time, too hard for you.”
- “Physical consequences? You had to clean the weight room because you were late so much.”
- “You were kicked off”
- “You are not a team guy.”
Madison clapped right back.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed that the staff removed him from the roster.
The whole thing is very strange. UMass says one thing. Malachi Madison says another. One teammate says one thing. Another teammate says another.
Regardless of what really went down in Amherst, Madison is looking for a new home.