5-star Plus+ QB Malachi Nelson comes full circle, commits to USC

When Malachi Nelson was asked years ago about his dream school, the answer was always USC. He grew up miles from the Trojans’ campus. He saw a lot of games at The Colesium as a kid, and he and his family were big fans of the local program.

His parents still have plenty of USC gear. And now, they will be able to wear it inside The Coliseum to see their son play. That’s because Nelson told On3 he has committed to the Trojans.

The Five-Star Plus+ quarterback out of Los Alamitos (Calif.) High that checks in as the No. 3 prospect in the 2023 On3 Consensus committed to Oklahoma over USC in July.

As the 6-foot-3, 175-pound junior went through the recruiting process, Oklahoma checked the most boxes for him. A big part of that was head coach Lincoln Riley. From the way Riley coaches to his history with quarterbacks to how relatable he is to his creative offensive mind, the fit for Nelson was in Norman.

On Sunday, Riley left Norman for Los Angeles.

That caught Nelson by surprise. His mother actually had on an Oklahoma shirt when they got the news. It hit Nelson hard. He didn’t know what to think.

After giving it some thought and letting it sink in, he decided to back off his commitment to the Sooners and speak with coach Riley more in the coming days.

The two spoke, they were still on the same page, and although the news sent shockwaves across the college football landscape, it was really a simple fix for the parties involved.

Riley still wanted Nelson. Nelson still wanted to play for Riley. Riley was moving his family west to a new area. Nelson gets to stay home and play in front of family and friends. What seemed like a very difficult situation at first, ended up being something that was so simple to fix.

“It was very tough at first, I am not going to lie,” Nelson told On3. “When I heard about coach Riley going to USC, I was at a loss for words.

“I thought about it for a little while, I talked it over with my parents, and I decided to recommit. I turned my phone off, I got off social media, and I just gave myself time.”

It was obviously a crazy period of time for Riley, but he made time to speak with Nelson. He made sure the No. 2 quarterback in the country knew he was still his target. He explained his decision. The vision was discussed. The two knew they had to stay together.

“It was really pretty easy after talking with coach Riley,” Nelson said. “People are going to say what they want to say, but it was a business decision, and he did what he felt was best for him and his family.

“He is excited about USC. Coach Riley can do big things at USC and I want to be right there with him.

“I am super-excited to be committed to my dream school. I get to go to USC, a school I have always loved, and I get to play for the best coach out there. It was crazy how it happened, but it is a very exciting time.

“We can’t wait to get things rolling.”

Malachi Nelson is living out a childhood dream by going to USC

As far back as he can remember, Malachi Nelson has been watching USC Trojan football games. He and a lot of his family grew up cheering for the local program with passion.

“I could never go to UCLA,” Nelson said. “That is how big of a USC fan I was growing up. I just don’t like UCLA. I am sure it is a great school, but as a big USC fan, I hated them growing up.”

You could hear that passion in his voice. That is why getting the chance to pair up for Riley and USC means so much to Nelson.

“I really can’t believe this is happening,” Nelson said. “To get to play for USC, to get to play for coach Riley, and to get to stay home, is amazing.

“I never thought about coach Riley being at USC. I had grown to love the people at Oklahoma, I got comfortable there, and Oklahoma is a great place, but it is so exciting to think about what can happen here at home at USC.

“Now I get to play for coach Riley at my dream school in my own backyard.”

Nelson was back at The Colesium, walking around the USC campus, and just looking at things differently this time. As a kid, he took those same steps dreaming of being a Trojan, but now he took them knowing he is committed to his dream school, and it is a reality.

Following Lincoln Riley to USC was easy for Malachi Nelson

As a recruit, it is hard to base your decision on relationships because college coaches are on the move every year. But at the same time, it is hard not to base your decision on relationships.

Recruits connect with a coach, parents figure out who they want to turn their kids over to, and relationships play a big part in commitments.

That was so true when Malachi Nelson committed to Oklahoma, and now, USC.

“Me and coach Riley just click,” Nelson said. “He has been real with me from the beginning, he has always been honest with me, and we have a strong relationship.

“At the very beginning, he told me I was his guy. He never offered another 2023 quarterback, he recruited me hard, he got to know me, and we just clicked.

“It is a strong relationship and that played into my commitment.”

Maybe Nelson should have added an s to commitment. Within days of Riley’s move to USC, Nelson followed. There is more to Nelson’s commitment to USC. We talked about it being a local school, the school he grew up a fan of, and the dreams he had of playing there, but it came down to coach Riley.

“Outside of the connection we have, I love who he is as a coach. He has a great history with quarterbacks, he runs a great offense, he is very creative, and he has always made me feel special.

“The way he has recruited me, gotten to know me, and spoken to me, has always made me feel wanted. Coach Riley has stayed loyal to me and I am staying loyal to him.

“Loyalty is in my blood and we have a chance to do big things together at USC.”