By Jim Bastian

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM — Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Malachi Kohls, The Journal’s 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, has signed a Letter of Intent to play football at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall next year.

“I had a really great conversation with all of the coaches there,” Kohls said. “I got to visit there and had a great talk with the D-line coach and my recruiting coach and I liked what they were telling me about their program.”

Kohls said he also talked to a current SMSU player that told him that there is a lot of positive direction with the Mustangs’ football program.

“He said that there is a lot of improvement going on,” Kohls said. “There is a lot of motivation in the program. Just in talking with players and coaches on the team, they all believe in what they are doing.”

Kohls said he was not told if he was going to redshirt or not his first year.

“They will make that decision in fall camp, but they do have me playing a defensive line/edge position,” the 6-5, 235-pound Kohls said. “I do really like putting my hand in the ground. It will be an adjustment, but I think that I will enjoy it.”

Kohls had also visited St. Olaf and UW-River Falls.

“St. Johns had shown interest in me, but I never ended up going there for a visit,” Kohls said.

Kohls’ plans for this offseason to prepare for his first year of college football are to hit the weight room hard.

“I really want to get into lifting,” Kohls said. “College football is a lot different than high school football. And I want to get involved with the team, especially during fall camp and with the other freshmen football players.”

Jim Buboltz, Kohls’ football coach at MVL, said that SMSU is getting a young man with a big motor.

“He is not going to quit and not going to stop,” Buboltz said. “He is going to take things in like a sponge — absorb it — and they will see a max effort every day.”

Kohls finished last season with a team-high 13 sacks to go along with 113 tackles. He also had three fumble recoveries and an interception.