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Scholarship traits at the Group of 5 level, with the tools to earn Power 4 looks as you develop.

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Editor’s Note: This article includes the latest college football injury intel from On3’s Chris Low, Brett McMurphy, Pete Nakos and Wilson

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The 2025 Syracuse Football season went completely off the rails following quarterback Steve Angeli's season-ending injury in their fourth game of

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Syracuse QB competition: Breaking down Steve Angeli, Malachi Nelson, Amari Odom resumes to play in 2026

There is renewed excitement across the spectrum of California programs from USC to UCLA, from Cal to Stanford - and for good reason.  The Trojans are

Donte Wright, Brandon Arrington and Dijon Lee afi-

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A year ago, college football was preparing for a busy offseason of quarterback decisions. Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State were all set

top college football quarterback battles entering 2026 season

Top college football QB battles heading into 2026 season

Well-traveled former five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson is on the move again, committing to transfer to Syracuse, according to On3's Hayes Fawcett

NCAA Football: Utah State at Boise State

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Former USC, Boise State, UTEP QB Malachi Nelson transferring to Syracuse

Malachi Nelson

New York

Malachi Nelson was a known commodity for years growing up in Orange County. He was named to the 4V 7v7 Passing League Hall of Fame in 2019, a distinction given by local coaches for players’ efforts in youth passing leagues across the Los Angeles area. Nelson set the Los Alamitos school record for touchdown passes in a game with seven as a sophomore – the third most in Orange County history. Nelson is lifelong friends with high school teammate Makai Lemon. They first met when they were 7 years old playing in Pop Warner football in Los Alamitos. “I think he threw a deep pass to me and it was like perfect on the dot," Lemon told Spectrum Sports about Nelson. "I thought, 'This kid is kinda good.'” Nelson plans on majoring in pre-med in college. He lists his hobbies as school, music and foreign languages. His parents are Eric and Naomi Nelson.

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Mariota was not as highly-touted as  Malachi Nelson coming out of high school, but we see similarities in the body type, physical skill set and play style. For starters, Nelson’s build at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds is not too far off from Mariota’s (6-foot-3.5, 185) at the same stage. Both are accurate passers who are adept at running up-tempo offenses and excel in playing quarterback with a point guard mentality. Mariota was more of a run threat, while Nelson is a bit more polished as a passer at the same stage.

Not enough on film yet to project a level. Add more game film and verified measurables to unlock a full projection.

Undetermined

A developmental projection today — keep adding film, measurables, and reps, and your evaluation grows with your game.

D-III / Dev

Scholarship-caliber traits for Division II and NAIA programs, with room to climb through continued development.

D-II / NAIA

Starter-caliber traits for a Power 4 program (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC). Squarely on major-conference radars.

Power 4

Blue-chip traits — a high-priority Power 4 target with the tools to contribute early at the highest level.

Blue Chip

The top of the scale — national-caliber talent that every major program pursues, with a clear NFL trajectory.

Elite / Top 100

Quick-armed, accurate passer with strong functional movement skills. Has a thinner frame, measuring around 6-foot-3, 180-pounds with a 9-inch hand. Has been considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2023 cycle dating back to early in his high school career. A natural, nuanced passer with a quick release. Shows some aggressive tendencies in throwing downfield. Has touch with the ability to layer his throws. Accurate with good ball placement dating back to his sophomore spring season which was shortened due to COVID-19. Solid arm strength, which could improve with overall strength progression. Adept at running the quick game out of spread looks, flipping the ball out quick to the boundary. Loose and fluid in his movements. Plays with bouncy footwork and lower body twitch. Looks to pass first, but has good burst as a runner with the ability to run zone read or pick up yards when the play breaks down. Plays at a relaxed pace. Will need to continue adding mass lean, streamline frame. Arm strength registers as average relative to other top 2023 quarterbacks. Older for the cycle, turning 19 years old in December of his senior year. 

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Year	Team	GP	CMP	ATT	YDS	TD	INT	QBR
2026	SYR	3	42	70	532	3	2	132.3
2025	UTEP	6	104	190	1163	8	9	110.6
2024	BSU	3	12	17	128	0	1	122.1
2023	USC	1	1	3	0	0	0	33.3
Career		13	159	280	1823	11	12	115.9

Date	Opponent	Result	CMP	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	QBR
Oct 17	LOU	L 26-34	26	39	315	8.1	2	2	141.2
Oct 10	UVA	L 25-28	16	29	217	7.5	1	0	129.4
Sep 5	NH	W 66-3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0

Malachi Nelson

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