Syracuse just made one of the more intriguing moves of the college football offseason, landing former five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson out of the transfer portal. For Orange fans, this is a name that should sound familiar - Nelson was once the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class, a can’t-miss prospect who had offers from college football royalty: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Penn State. But instead of heading across the country, he stayed home and committed to USC.
That decision made perfect sense at the time. The Trojans were fresh off an 11-3 season and a narrow Cotton Bowl loss to Tulane.
Lincoln Riley was building something electric in L.A., and Nelson - a California kid - seemed like the next great quarterback in a long line of USC stars. But timing is everything, and Nelson’s arrival coincided with Caleb Williams’ Heisman rise.
With Williams firmly entrenched as QB1, Nelson never got a real shot to show what he could do. And when Williams sat out late in the 2023 season to prep for the NFL, it was Miller Moss, not Nelson, who stepped in.
That was the first sign Nelson might need a fresh start. He transferred to Boise State, looking for a clearer path to playing time.
But once again, he found himself on the outside looking in. Maddux Madsen won the quarterback battle in fall camp, and Nelson’s role was limited throughout the Broncos’ run to the College Football Playoff.
His stat line at Boise was modest - 12-of-17 passing, 128 yards, one interception - but the bigger concern was that he couldn’t break through in a Group of Five program.
Still, the talent was never in question. That’s why UTEP took a swing, bringing him in as one of the most high-profile recruits the Miners had ever landed.
And early on, it looked like it might finally click. Nelson earned the starting job coming out of camp and opened the season as the guy.
But after six starts, where he threw for 1,163 yards and completed just under 55% of his passes, UTEP made a change. Skyler Locklear took over, and the Miners stumbled to a 2-10 finish.
Now, Nelson heads to Syracuse with a fresh opportunity - and perhaps his last real shot to prove he can be a Power Five starter. For the Orange, this is a low-risk, high-upside move.
The raw tools that made Nelson a five-star recruit are still there. He’s got the arm talent, the pedigree, and now, the experience of bouncing around different systems and locker rooms.
The question is whether he can put it all together in Central New York.
Syracuse is betting that with the right coaching and a stable environment, Nelson can finally tap into the potential that once made him the top quarterback prospect in the country. And if he does? The Orange may have just found their X-factor under center.