Getty Image / iStockPhoto
QB Malachi Nelson was once the most sought-after passer in the nation. A five-star recruit, he was rated as the No. 1 overall prospect by ESPN in the 2023 cycle.
Fast forward two seasons and much has changed. He’s now entering the transfer portal for the second time in as many years!
Nelson initially signed with the USC Trojans after an accomplished high school career at Los Alamitos. At the time, it appeared to be another great QB “get” for head coach Lincoln Riley. He was expected to be the heir apparent to Heisman trophy winner Caleb Williams. It didn’t quite work out!
Nelson failed to separate himself in the QB room. After Williams’ departure, the Trojans turned to the transfer portal for help under center. Unhappy with the idea of waiting another season to land a starting role, the passer opted to leave.
Surprisingly, he wound up at Boise State where he’d have a chance to join Ashton Jeanty in the backfield. Instead, he’d find himself at No. 2 on the depth chart.
Maddux Madsen won the quarterback battle. He’d then lead the Broncos to the College Football Playoff. Nelson played in just three games, each in mop-up duty. He competed 12 of his 17 passes for 128 yards and an interception.
Madsen is just a sophomore. Given this season’s performance, he’ll likely be the No. 1 option moving into the 2025 season. Seeing that writing on the wall, Malachi Nelson is packing his bags in search of a starting role once again!
Boise State quarterback Malachi Nelson intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per his manager @JgNetworkCEO. He’s a former USC QB who was ESPN’s No. 1 overall player in the class of 2023. pic.twitter.com/1DeQS0jjlE
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 12, 2024
Nelson is from California. There’s a chance he stays on the West Coast when making his next commitment. Plenty of programs will need quarterback help, and they’ll use the transfer portal to find it.
Cal recently lost its starting signal caller to the portal. Nelson’s old program USC saw its top passer hit the road, too. Others searching for QB candidates include UCLA and Stanford.
With that being said, Nelson may not see as much interest this time around. He’s now lost a pair of quarterback battles at two different programs, with one being at the Group of Five level. Will a P4 program take a chance? Time will tell.
Malachi Nelson wants the keys to a college football offense. He’s failed in previous attempts. That’s not stopped him from continuing to search for the right fit. It will be interesting to see where he ends up in 2025.