Top 2023 Quarterback Malachi Nelson Commits to Oklahoma
Lincoln Riley has landed his hand-picked quarterback yet again.
Malachi Nelson, a 5-star quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class from Los Alamitos, CA, committed to the Sooners on CBS Sports HQ.
He picked OU over Notre Dame, LSU, Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and USC.
"This is a special place and when I finally got on campus, I felt really comfortable with the staff, the environment, just the vibe on campus," Nelson said on CBS Sports HQ. "I'm excited to get out there in Norman. We're gonna make a movie and make something special."
Riley isn’t the only person Nelson has impressed, as he was named the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in California after throwing for 1,513 yards, 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions in six games of action last year.
Sports Illustrated All-American’s director of recruiting John Garcia Jr. told SI Sooners that Nelson has physical skills that track well beyond his years.
“The first thing when it comes to Nelson’s tape is you watch how mature his mechanics are and how easily the ball jumps out and you have to remind yourself that hey, this kid still has two more years of high school,” Garcia said. “The natural tools are just about as good as you could hope for. Smooth, again effortless release, Just really looks easy.”
Garcia said that Nelson could remind a lot of people of Spencer Rattler when they watch the Californian throw, but that Nelson is probably a more physically gifted athlete than Rattler.
“I think just everything on tape points to Oklahoma, points to this offense,” Garcia said. “I saw him throw 53 yards on a hitch, you know, where he really didn’t set his feet and dig into the throw and use his full body and the ball is in the air 53 yards so that’s the type of talent that Oklahoma just picked up.”
The Sooners are no stranger to incredible talent at the quarterback position. While Rattler enters 2021 as the Heisman Trophy favorite, Caleb Williams sits behind him on the depth chart as not only the top quarterback in his class, but the No. 1-overall player in SIAA’s SI99.
Garcia said Nelson could be in the running to follow in Williams’ footsteps as the top player in the country. The competition will be stiff though, as Arch Manning and Eli Holstein join Nelson to form a very talented 2023 quarterback class.
“I do think the conversation today begins with Malachi. I think he’s the conversation starter,” Garcia said. “But if you just go off of the right arm and what we saw on Friday nights in the smallest sample, that conversation has to start with Malachi Nelson and that’s how I’m sort of approaching (ranking the SI99) early on in this decision making process.
“I think he has the best throwing tools and combination of athleticism to build into something truly fit for this modern day and age just a little bit better than the other guys on that list.”
With Nelson and talented running back Treyaun Webb, the Sooners are already off to a flying start with their 2023 class.
