What Happened to Malachi Nelson, and Is He Due for a Breakout Season?

Malachi Nelson is entering his third season in college football. Despite some prematurely labeling him as a preseason Heisman trophy contender with Boise State last season, that's not how the story unfolded. Nelson barely saw the field with the Broncos and transferred to UTEP this offseason.

So, what happened to Nelson, and can he still bounce back?

Coming out of Los Alamitos High School in Southern California, Malachi Nelson was a star. Nelson was a five-star recruit per every recruiting in the country, and ranked as a top-five quarterback in the class of 2023, per 247Sports.

With offers from essentially every school in the country, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and Miami, Nelson could go wherever he liked. But after a tough decision, Nelson elected to stay close to home, committing to USC.

It was a somewhat surprising move, considering Caleb Williams had clearly established himself as the QB1, but Nelson was willing to wait his turn, redshirting his freshman season. Williams went on to win the Heisman that season.

In the final week of the season, Williams elected to go to the draft before the bowl game, meaning there was an open position at quarterback for the Holiday Bowl. However, Head Coach Lincoln Riley elected to roll with Miller Moss over Nelson. Moss went on to have six touchdowns in a win over #16 Louisville.

Nelson eventually decided to transfer, looking for a new opportunity to be a starting quarterback. In the process, he ended up at Boise State. However once again, Nelson lost the battle, this time to Maddux Madsen. When asked about the quarterback battle, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson assured local media he was confident in the decision.

It ended up being the right decision for Boise State, as the Broncos went on to have a successful season where they went 12-2, won the Mountain West Conference again, and reached the College Football Playoff.

After the season, Nelson once again entered the portal, and committed to a rebuilding UTEP, where he finds himself today.

Despite a rocky start, his career is just starting. With three years left of eligibility and a place where he can be the guy, Nelson has potential to prove why he had such a strong rating coming out of high school.

Despite questions about other positions on their roster, the Miners have a manageable schedule next season. Altogether, the Miners have had just one winning season in the last decade.

Like the Miners themselves, Malachi Nelson has been doubted and largely forgotten about...but 2025 has the potential to be the start of something special in El Paso.

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