WATCH: Five-Star Plus+ QB Malachi Nelson reaffirms USC commitment

Five-Star Plus+ quarterback and USC commit Malachi Nelson has been one of the country’s top passers in the 2023 cycle for most of his high school career.

But as he hits the halfway point of his senior year, Nelson caught up with On3 to talk about the biggest areas of growth in his game, his thoughts on Trojans’ 2022 season and where his recruitment stands.

“I think it’s maturity, right?” Nelson told On3 about his growth. “You mature by the day, mature by the year especially. I wanted to come out here and be a lot more consistent. Even last year, I was coming up a little bit short in turning the ball over or whatever it was. And I just wanted to come out this year and protect the ball; I think I’ve only thrown like three picks, and a couple were like tonight where it’s bouncing off of people. But it is what it is. Protecting the ball is something big.”

The elite quarterback has made the short drive up to the L.A. Coliseum a few times this year, and he’s been impressed by what head coach Lincoln Riley has put together in his first year.

“They’re ballin’. Similar to us, they want to win, and it’s cool to see how they’re playing and how they’re coming together as a brotherhood,” he said. “I was over there last week, and to see that, see some guys step up when people go down, it’s cool to see how they’re playing.”

Riley’s personality is a big selling point for Malachi Nelson

When Nelson opted to follow Riley from Oklahoma to USC, a big factor was the coach’s development of quarterbacks at an elite level. But he was also drawn to him as a person and how he leads his program.

“The way he treats the players and the way they trust him,” Nelson added. “When you have a big-time coach like that, the players really buy in. And I see that, and the world sees it now that we’re winning some games. It’s cool to see how he has a command over the team but they trust him and love him.

…Everything that Coach Riley and his staff brought over from Oklahoma; the way they treat the players, the players really want to win and feel like they can win.”

Despite some interest from other programs and a visit to Texas A&M, Nelson says he is locked in with the Trojans and ready to help complete a strong first recruiting cycle for Riley and Co.

“I’m set man. I’m ready to start finishing up this class, we got a couple more pieces to fill, and then get to it in the spring.”