WATCH: 5-Star USC QB Commit Malachi Nelson Earns Invite to Elite 11 Finals
On Sunday morning I traveled from Dallas to Las Vegas to attend the Elite 11 Regional I and watch Malachi Nelson, Jaden Rashada, Pierce Clarkson and Eli Holstein. All four ended up earning invited to the Elite 11 Finals next month in Los Angeles (CA).
Last month Erik McKinney wrote this about the 2023 5-Star USC Quarterback commit The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder threw for 2,690 yards and 39 touchdowns as a junior this past fall. That backed up a shortened sophomore season when he completed 74% of his passes for 1,513 yards and 23 touchdowns against just four interceptions.
Each year, On3 will designate some recruits as Five-Star Plus+ prospects. They are those who earn five-star status by all four major recruiting media services. There have never been more than 11 in a season dating back to the 2015 class. For the 2023 recruiting class, there are just three.
Quarterback Arch Manning is the No. 1 overall prospect. He’s followed by Nelson and cornerback Cormani McClain.
USC has an opportunity to have a special quarterback room in 2023, with Nelson joining Caleb Williams and Miller Moss. But Nelson would be the only Five-Star Plus+ prospect since Williams barely missed out as a four-star prospect by ESPN.
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Following the recent release of an updated On300 ranking, a number of changes have happened in the On3 Consensus, including five new five-star prospects. Checking in as the No. 2 overall prospect in the class is Los Alamitos (Calif.) High quarterback Malachi Nelson.
Nelson’s held the No. 2 spot in the On3 Consensus rankings for quite some time. He is also a Five-Star Plus+ recruit – meaning he’s ranked as a five-star by all four major recruiting media services. Nelson made an early commitment to Oklahoma in the recruiting process. However, he backed away from that pledge and eventually followed Lincoln Riley to USC.
Malachi Nelson Scouting Summary
“Malachi Nelson is a 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.
“Furthermore, Nelson has 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 a good burst as a runner with the ability to run zone-read or pick up yards when the play breaks down. Additionally, he plays at a relaxed pace and typically seems unbothered in the pocket. Has a lean, streamlined frame and will need to continue adding mass.” – Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings
WeAreSC shot video of most of Nelson’s reps on Sunday and posted about a three minute video on our YouTube channel.
