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WATCH: 5-star QB Malachi Nelson toss TD to 5-star WR Carnell Tate

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•03/12/22•

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On3 image
(Chad Simmons/On3)

Los Alamitos (Calif.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback and USC commit Malachi Nelson is playing with the top-tier South Florida Express 7-on-7 team this weekend in Los Angeles.

On a team that is already flush of elite talent, Nelson’s addition was bound to lead to some highlight-reel touchdowns.

Nelson got one early on with a beautiful 35-or-so-yard touchdown pass to five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate.

Nelson was looking at Tate, who is from Chicago and goes to high school at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, the entire play. With Tate streaking down the field, Nelson lofted a beautiful ball towards the end zone. Tate lept up, secured the ball and came down for the score.

The On3 Consensus — a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies — has Nelson as the No. 2 overall recruit in the country and Tate as the No. 13 prospect in the nation. Both are the second-ranked players at their respective positions, with Nelson behind only Arch Manning and Tate behind USC commit Zachariah Branch.

Manning and Nelson are two of only three current Five-Star Plus+ prospect in the 2023 cycle. The other player is Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson cornerback Cormani McClain, who also plays for South Florida Express.

Nelson is coming off a big weekend last week at the Under Armour Next Camp Series: Los Angeles.

Joseph Hastings of Clemson Sports named Malachi Nelson the On3 MVP of the event. He said Nelson was not only the most consistent player at the event, but also the most comfortable.

“At times, Nelson made it look effortless with the way he spun the football,” Hastings said. “Nelson maintained the same fundamentals on every single pass: Light on his feet, always on balance, and a quick release that had velocity but also a tight spiral and was thrown in stride for his receiver almost every time. Nelson throws a very catchable football that just flies off his hand. He was also comfortable when he was not sitting back in the pocket as he threw on the run effectively (Nelson squared up his shoulders well on these throws) and showed off different arm angles on passes without sacrificing any accuracy or velocity. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder also had several deep throws that were dropped right in the bucket for his receivers.”