USC Loses 2023 Top QB Prospect to Transfer Portal

Caleb Williams isn’t the only quarterback set to potentially leave USC this year. 

Freshman quarterback Malachi Nelson is reportedly set to enter the transfer portal as he explores his options ahead of his sophomore season, according to Matt Zenith of 247Sports. 

Nelson was a former five-star recruit out of Los Alamitos, Calif., who was heralded as one of the nation’s best quarterback prospects. ESPN ranked him as their No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023, though 247Sports rated him as the No. 5 quarterback and No. 13 recruit in the class.

He was third-string on USC’s depth chart this season, behind Williams and redshirt sophomore Miller Moss.

Former top recruit Malachi Nelson wasn’t a likely contender to be USC’s starting QB next season.

Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports

The decision to enter the transfer portal comes on the heels of former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard’s visit to the Trojans over the weekend. 

The ex-Wildcats signal caller entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer at the end of the season and could potentially make the move to Southern California to fill the shoes of Caleb Williams, who is expected to make the jump to the NFL. 

USC has reportedly been seeking an experienced transfer quarterback to replace Williams, indicating that Nelson would not have a strong shot at getting on the field until 2025. 

Nelson featured in just one game last season, making a late appearance against San Jose State, during which he completed one pass for no gain.