Big Ten Daily: 5-Star QB Malachi Nelson Includes Ohio State Football in Top 7

Five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson revealed his top-seven list, which includes Ohio Sate, Indiana baseball commit Colson Montgomery was selected in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft and Northwestern earned the commitment from a three-star running back. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten.

Author:
D.J. Fezler
Publish date:
Jul 12, 2021 12:07 PM EDT

Malachi Nelson, one of the top prospects in the 2023 recruiting class, released his top-seven list Sunday afternoon. He included Ohio State, the only Big Ten program in his final choices, alongside Notre Dame, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Florida State and USC.

Nelson, a five-star recruit from Los Alamitos, California, is the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the class and the No. 5 overall player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

He is listed at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds and only trails Arch Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, at his position. The Buckeyes are recruiting both prospects.

Ohio State has yet to earn a commitment for the 2023 recruiting cycle, but Nelson will announce his choice on July 18.

Indiana Commit Taken in the First Round of the MLB Draft

Colson Montgomery committed to the Indiana baseball program before he even started his junior season at Southridge High School in southern Indiana. Now, with his stock rising, he may not even make it to Bloomington after all.

Montgomery was drafted in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft on Sunday night, being selected by the Chicago White Sox with the No. 22 overall pick.

Montgomery is one of the top prep players in the entire country, and he was one of eight draftees who attended the event at the Bellco Theatre in Denver, Colorado, as part of the All-Star Game festivities.

He won a Class 3A state championship at Southridge this season, batting .333 with seven home runs, 17 extra-base hits and 42 runs. Montgomery was so feared as a hitter that he was walked 39 times with 11 intentional walks, including two in the state championship game.

Montgomery signed with Indiana because of his connection with the coaching staff, he said back on signing day.

“It was mostly because of the connection I had with the head coach, Jeff Mercer,” Montgomery said in May. “It was just a connection that I knew that I didn’t feel like I could have with any other coach.

“Right now, in the front of my mind, is just be a kid. This is all kid stuff. I’m just taking it as this is all normal, but with extra things like the draft and then the decisions of if I want to go to college or start my professional baseball career, that just comes as time. I’m just trying to be in the present right now and enjoy my last couple days at Southridge High School, where it pretty much all started.”

Montgomery was with his family in Colorado, and they all shared hugs when his name was called by commissioner Rob Manfred. His father. T.J. Montgomery, shared a message with them before he went up on stage to meet Manfred.

"He just told me how proud he was of me. He said he loved me so much," Montgomery said in an interview with MLB Network after the selection was made. "I'm a little emotional right now."

Arkansas 3-Star Running Back Commits to Northwestern

Joseph Himon II, a three-star running back out of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas, announced his commitment to Northwestern on Sunday.

Himon was the 14th commitment to the Wildcats 2022 recruiting class. He also held offers from 15 other programs, including Louisville, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Kansas and Miami.

“I would like to thank every coach that has been a part of my life and coached me hard so that I could get to where I am right now,” Himon wrote. “This journey is far from over! With that being said for the next 3-4 years I will be continuing my athletic and academic career at Northwestern University!”

Himon is a 5-foot-9, 175-pound prospect and a top-50 running back in the cycle, according to 247Sports. He is also the eighth-best player in his home state of Arkansas.

During the 2020 season, Himon rushed for 1,925 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior while also tallying 1,068 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions. He helped Pulaski Academy to a 13-0 season and an Arkansas 5A state title.

Himon accounted for 1,300 yards rushing yards and 738 receiving yards while scoring for 21 total touchdowns during a 12-2 season in 2019. The program won a state championship during that season, too.

With the recent pledge from Himon, Northwestern’s 2022 class ranks No. 31 nationally and No. 7 in the Big Ten Conference, according to 247Sports.

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