Malachi Nelson. Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Five-star QB gets beaten out for starting job in big surprise

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Aug 19, 2024 9:41 AM ET

Boise State has named a starting quarterback for the 2024 season, and the decision came as somewhat of a shock.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen has won Boise State’s starting quarterback job over transfer Malachi Nelson, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Sources: Boise State has named redshirt sophomore quarterback Maddux Madsen as the starting quarterback for the opener at Georgia Southern. Madsen has been in a close competition with former No. 1 overall recruit Malachi Nelson, who transferred from USC this spring. pic.twitter.com/fwKM0AMc8Z

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 18, 2024

Nelson transferred to Boise State earlier this year from USC, where he played behind Caleb Williams. He is a former five-star recruit, so it was surprising that the Broncos landed such a high-profile player.

Nelson was ranked as the No. 12 player nationally by 247 Sports’ composite rankings for the class of 2023. He was the No. 5 quarterback nationally and had scholarship offers from multiple schools. The general consensus was that he chose Boise State because his path to starting should not be difficult there, but that obviously did not work out for him.

Madsen was Boise State’s primary backup behind Taylen Green last season. He threw for 1,191 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions in limited playing time. Though the odds were stacked against him, Madsen obviously did enough this offseason to impress head coach Spencer Danielson.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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