Syracuse adds former No. 1 overall prospect in transfer portal

Former UTEP quarterback Malachi Nelson, ESPN's No. 1 overall prospect in 2023, is transferring to Syracuse.

UTEP sophomore quarterback Malachi Nelson (7) watches his teammates warm up during spring practice at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former UTEP quarterback Malachi Nelson is transferring to Syracuse, according to a report on Friday from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Nelson, who was ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class, will be on his fourth school in four years. He started his career at USC in 2023 before moving on to Boise State in 2024 and spent the last season with UTEP.

While Nelson did win the starting job out of camp, he lost his starting job in UTEP’s sixth game against Liberty and didn’t see the field after that. He finished 2025 completing 104 of 190 passes for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns to nine interceptions.

He was not rated in the most recent transfer portal cycle. Nelson joins returning starter Steve Angeli, and transfer quarterbacks Danny Lauter (Georgetown) and Amari Odom (Kennesaw State) as football scholarship players. Syracuse also has QB Joseph Filardi on the roster, though he is on lacrosse scholarship. 

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