The Inside Scoop: Schools are still pursuing USC Five-Star Plus+ QB commit Malachi Nelson

Los Alamitos (Calif.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Malachi Nelson has been committed to USC since Nov. 30, 2021. The 6-foot-3, 182 pound signal-caller is the top-ranked prospect in the Trojans’ 2023 recruiting class and recently told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons that “(a)s far as recruiting goes, I’m really not worried about that right now.”

However, numerous programs are seeking the services of Nelson, the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2023 On3 Consensus. According to Simmons, a school to watch is Texas A&M, who received an unofficial visit from Nelson over the summer.

“I think there’s a couple of schools that would love to get him on campus,” Simmons said on On3’s The Inside Scoop. “That stuff’s staying pretty quiet. I’ve talked to his dad a couple of times and he did mention the word quote, unquote ‘couple.’ So obviously, A&M, maybe at least one other. But I think A&M is really the main school to watch at this moment, if there is one to watch. The sense I get is he… is very connected with (head coach) Lincoln Riley. Obviously, he loves what he does offensively and with Caleb Williams and even past quarterbacks he had at Oklahoma. So I think right now, things are still trending in the right direction for him to stay with USC, but I think A&M’s the main school to keep that eye on throughout this season.”

In his earlier discussion with Simmons, Nelson touched on his visit to the Trojans’ game against Fresno State and how he is looking to help USC add more talented prospects to its 2023 class. At the moment, Simmons believes the Trojans are in a good spot to earn his signature on Signing Day.

“Everything seems to be going pretty well for USC and Malachi and them staying together at this point, based on what I’m hearing,” Simmons said. “I spoke to him a good bit on Sunday and he definitely used the term ‘we’ when speaking about USC, when speaking with me and I think that’s always a good sign. I mean, obviously, you never know what can be happening behind the scenes. And of course, the big news over the summer was him visiting Texas A&M and they’d love to get him back on campus for an official visit. But his only plans right now is to be at USC’s home games throughout the rest of this season. So he missed the first because he had a game of his own on Saturday night, but he was there this weekend and he plans to be back numerous times moving forward.”

Malachi Nelson On3 Scouting Summary

The following is the On3 Scouting Summary for Malachi Nelson:

“Quick-armed, accurate passer with strong functional movement skills. Considered one of the more talented quarterback prospects in high school football dating back to his early high school career. A natural, nuanced passer with a quick release. Shows some aggressive tendencies in throwing downfield. Has touch with the ability to layer his throws. Accurate with good ball placement dating back to his sophomore spring season which was shortened due to COVID-19. Good arm strength, which could improve with overall strength progression. 

“Adept at running the quick game out of spread looks, flipping the ball out quick to the boundary. Loose and fluid in his movements. Plays with bouncy footwork and lower body twitch. Looks to pass first, but has good burst as a runner with the ability to run zone read or pick up yards when the play breaks down. Plays at a relaxed pace and typically seems unbothered in the pocket. Has a lean, streamline frame and will need to continue adding mass.“