Quarterback Malachi Nelson, a top prospect in the 2023 class, has scheduled a visit to Boise State, his first since entering the transfer portal, ESPN reported Thursday.
Nelson was listed as the No. 1 overall recruit in his class by ESPN — the 247Sports composite ranked him No. 12 — when he chose Southern California coming out of nearby Los Alamitos High School.
With 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams entrenched at the quarterback position, Nelson played in just one game with the Trojans, completing 1 of 3 pass attempts for no gain.
ESPN reported that Boise State could be the favorite for Nelson, who wants to transfer to a “blue-collar program” where he would have the chance to win a starting spot immediately.
Boise State has an opening for a starter with the transfer of Taylen Green to Arkansas.
Coming out of high school, Nelson was considered by a variety of recruiters to be the top quarterback in the class, even better than Arch Manning, who landed at Texas. Nelson twice was named the California Gatorade Player of the Year and was recruited by college football’s blue bloods, including Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and Alabama.
Boise State was 8-6 in the 2023 season and won the Mountain West title but lost to UCLA 35-22 in the LA Bowl with CJ Tiller ineffective at quarterback in place of Green.
