The biggest domino has fallen.
With Lincoln Riley’s stunning decision to leave Oklahoma for USC, the expectation came that the Sooners would suffer a serious hit on the recruiting trail.
While it has been expected, it may have come even quicker and more furiously than most thought.
2023 5-star wide receiver Brandon Inniss was first, followed by 4-star running back Treyaun Webb, and now the biggest fish of all has followed suit.
5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, the heir apparent to the throne after the Caleb Williams era in Norman, has announced he will be decommitting from Oklahoma.
“I want to start by thanking all the coaches and staff at OU for seeing enough in me and recruiting me to be a part of Sooner nation.” Nelson wrote on Twitter. “One of the things that attracted me most to OU, other than the rich history and amazing fans, was the stability in the coaching staff and their ability to develop the QB position.
“In light of the recent events and changes, my family and I believe it’s best if I de-commit from OU at this time. I want to thank all the Sooner fans for the relentless love and support they’ve shown.”
Less than a week after Nelson took a visit to Norman, his apparent future home, he is now looking to play elsewhere when his college days come.
Nelson is rated the No. 2 quarterback and No. 2 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Out of Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, CA, it is all but a guarantee that Riley will now put maximum effort into bringing Nelson to USC to join the Trojans in two seasons.
A rough situation for Oklahoma continues to get worse as the program enters a state of upheaval in the wake of Riley’s move out west.
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