USC 5-Star Plus+ QB commit Malachi Nelson calls potential Big Ten move 'exciting'

Los Alamitos (Calif.) Five-Star Plus+ prospect and USC quarterback commit Malachi Nelson may soon be the signal-caller to lead the Trojans into its future.

The news dropped Thursday that USC and rival UCLA are in discussions to join the Big Ten conference as early as 2024.

With Caleb Williams likely to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft after he concludes his third year of eligibility, Nelson would be next in line to start under center during that potential transition.

That opportunity excites Nelson.

“It’s definitely exciting,” Nelson said Thursday at the Elite 11 Finals. “You can’t say you’re not excited for that.”

The No. 2 recruit in the 2023 On300 ranking was not privy to any inside information about the discussions beforehand.

“I have not heard about this until literally 13 minutes ago,” Nelson said with a chuckle.

Head coach Lincoln Riley is working to turn the Trojans around with Nelson and the 2023 recruiting class expected to be a major reason why.

But instead of building a recruiting class to compete against the likes of Oregon and Arizona State, Riley now has to be build a team capable of competing in November in Madison, Wisc., and Ann Arbor, Mich.

“We’re gonna be on the upswing and there’s gonna be a lot of uphill climbs,” Nelson said. “I’m gonna come in after Caleb and bring this class in and we’re gonna keep the thing going. I think it’ll be really, really exciting to be able to compete at a high level.”