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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Boise State quarterback Malachi Nelson, the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2023, intends to enter the transfer portal, his manager, Justin Giangrande, told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.
Nelson began his college career at USC in 2023 and appeared in three games with the Broncos this fall after transferring to Boise State earlier this year. The former five-star passer will enter the transfer portal with three years of eligibility remaining.
A once-coveted prospect in the quarterback pipeline of coach Lincoln Riley, Nelson’s career has yet to take off in two seasons at the college level. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound passer was one of two five-star recruits in USC’s 2023 class, but Nelson took just four snaps during his debut campaign before entering the transfer portal last December after his freshman season.
Nelson attracted interest from a long list of high-profile programs upon entering the transfer portal. He committed to Boise State in January, arriving with the opportunity to compete for the Broncos’ starting job under first-year coach Spencer Danielson after quarterback Taylen Green‘s transfer to Arkansas.
Nelson ultimately lost out in a fall camp quarterback battle with redshirt sophomore Maddux Madsen, who completed 62% of his passes for 2,714 yards and 22 touchdowns with three interceptions during the regular season while guiding Boise State to a College Football Playoff berth alongside Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty. Nelson made three appearances off the bench in a series of blowout wins, completing 12 of 17 passes for 128 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
As the nation’s top-ranked high school prospect, Nelson threw for 2,898 yards and 35 touchdowns in his senior season at California’s Los Alamitos High School and closed his high school career as the back-to-back California Gatorade Player of the Year. Nelson initially committed to USC in November 2021 over offers from Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame, among others.
