Some sources say that USC quarterback Malachi Nelson is going through the transfer system.

Some sources say that USC quarterback Malachi Nelson is going through the transfer system.

Sources told ESPN on Sunday that USC qb Malachi Nelson, who is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023, has told the Trojans’ staff that he is going through the transfer system.

When Nelson graduated from high school, he committed to Oklahoma. But on November 28, 2021, he changed his mind when coach Lincoln Riley quit the Sooners to take the same job at USC. Nelson then broke his promise to play for the Trojans and switched his allegiance to Riley.

Before that, Nelson was the best QB recruit and the best recruit in California, coming from Los Alamitos. In 2022, he was named the national Mvp player of the year. In his last year of high school, he passed for 2,898 yards, 35 touchdowns, as well as 4 picks.

He got into USC early and played behind start Caleb Williams last year. He only played in one game and threw three times, making one pass. This means he can use his redshirt and still be eligible for four seasons.

Sources told ESPN on Sunday that USC quarterback Shiloh Nelson, who is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023, has told the Trojans’ staff that he is going through the transfer system.

When Nelson graduated from high school, he committed to Oklahoma. But on November 28, 2021, he changed his mind when coach Lincoln Riley quit the Sooners to take an identical job at USC. Nelson then broke his promise to play for the Trojans and switched his allegiance to Riley.

Before that, Nelson was the best QB recruit and the best recruit in California, coming from Los Alamitos. In 2022, he was named the national Gatorade star of the year. In his last year of high school, he threw for 2,898 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 4 picks.

He got into USC early and played beneath starter Caleb Williams last year. He only played in one game and threw three times, making one pass. This means he can use his dnp and still be eligible for four seasons.

When he signed with USC from Los Angeles last December, Malachi Nelson was seen as Caleb Williams’ natural successor.
Nelson was a five-star quarterback with a lot of potential, and at first glance, he seemed like the right fit for Lincoln Riley’s plans for the position.

But Nelson is already making plans to leave USC less than a year later. A person who knows about the choice but isn’t allowed to speak publicly said that the freshman quarterback plans to use the NCAA transfer portal. This makes USC’s future at the quarterback position very unclear.

For now, Miller Moss will be USC’s quarterback in the Holiday Bowl at the end of the month. The Trojans only have one other scholarship qb on the team. His name is Jake Jensen, and he is a redshirt junior who has never played.

Early this month, Riley had made clear that he was going to use the transfer site to look for quarterbacks. He said, “Right now, my goal is to always have a few guys in the room who you feel are starter-level guys who can really compete.”

This weekend, USC focused on one transfer quarterback in particular: Will Howard, a highly sought-after Kansas State quarterback, paid a visit to campus.

However, that pursuit may have had effects that were not planned. The quarterback Riley had once thought would take over was on his way out by the end of the weekend.

In his first few weeks at USC, Nelson had a hard time getting used to things because he had just had surgery on his shoulder.

His early growth was slowed by the injury, which gave Moss the chance to take over as backup quarterback in the spring.

According to 247 Sports, Nelson signed as the No. 13 talent in the 2023 class. He played briefly late in USC’s season-opening romp over San José State and completed one pass for no yards. He never saw a game again, though.

Nelson followed Riley to USC less than 24 hours following Riley was hired. He had already promised to work for Riley at Oklahoma. At that time, Nelson or his relatives were very excited about the quarterback’s plans to stay close to home.

Early this month, Riley was asked what his plans were for the former five-star quarterback now that he was looking for a new quarterback. “Hasn’t necessarily been the most seamless of years” for Nelson, he said.

Riley said, “Malachi is certainly a young man. He’s very talented, he works very hard, and he’s had to get over a few physical problems.” He has fought for a lot of achievements and is sure to get there. For sure, his future looks bright.

We want him to be fully healthy again and to get to where he’s growing quickly. I don’t think he’s too far away from that, but it’s taken a while.

No one knows what Riley’s plans are for the future at quarterback from here on out. USC hasn’t signed a quarterback prospect for either the 2024 or 2025 classes.

Even though Julian Lewis, the best player in the 2026 class, has already committed to the Trojans, he won’t sign for an additional two years, so his promise isn’t exactly a sure thing.