While neither Johnnie Dixon nor Malcolm Pridgeon heard their names called during the 2019 NFL draft in Nashville, Tenn., they each signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans.
Ohio State football announced the moves for Dixon and Pridgeon shortly after the 254-pick, seven-round draft ended. Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors first reported the news for both former Buckeyes.
Dixon came to Columbus as a consensus four-star recruit and ESPN’s No. 5 wide receiver in the 2014 class, but knee injuries limited the West Palm Beach, Fla., native and nearly ended his career.
Dixon persevered through setback after setback to emerge as an effective receiver for the Scarlet and Gray. He hauled in 67 receptions for 1,146 yards and 16 touchdowns in his tenure at Ohio State.
As a redshirt junior, Dixon caught 18 passes for 422 yards and eight touchdowns. Voted a captain as a fifth-year senior, Dixon capped his Buckeye career with an excellent season, with 669 yards and eight touchdowns on 42 receptions.
His 16 career touchdowns rank No. 11 in Ohio State history, while his yard-per-catch average of 17.1 is good enough for No. 12 all-time.
The 6-7, 310-pound Pridgeon — a Central Islip, N.Y., native — joined the Buckeyes in 2016 after two all-conference seasons at Garden City (N.Y.) Nassau Community College. He suffered a knee injury and redshirted his first year in Columbus, then went on to play in 28 games (14 starts) during his junior and senior seasons.
Pridgeon was not invited to the NFL scouting combine, which seemingly signaled he would not be drafted. But he apparently performed well enough in front of the representatives from all 32 NFL teams at Ohio State’s pro day to sign an undrafted free agent deal.
Join the discussion One Comment