USC quarterback Malachi Nelson is expected to enter the transfer portal as the freshman looks for a change of scenery, according to Pete Nakos of On3.com.
The former 5-star recruit was originally expected to battle for the starting job leading the Trojans' offense should Caleb Williams leave for the NFL draft, although the recent campus visit of former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard may indicate that the coaching staff is interested in going a different direction (via Matt Zemek of Yahoo Sports).
Nelson was considered the No. 5 quarterback recruit in the 2023 class, per 247Sports. In his junior year at Los Alamitos High School, the 6'3" passer averaged 244.5 yards per game through the air while tossing 39 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Nelson received offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, and Ohio State among several other schools before choosing USC.
He briefly appeared in a single game for the Trojans to preserve his redshirt season, completing one of his three pass attempts during the team's Week 1 victory over San Jose State.
Backup quarterback Miller Moss is also expected to get a shot at the starting job in 2024, as he's currently slated to start USC's matchup against No. 15 Louisville in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27. In four games of limited action this season, Moss has completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 309 yards and a touchdown.
However, head coach Lincoln Riley told reporters on Dec. 5 that he would leave the door open for a transfer portal quarterback addition (via Antonio Morales of The Athletic).
"I like the guys we have in the room, but you also have a responsibility to the team to continue to look at potential people who can come in, make our room better and make our team better, so not ready to say we'd for sure do anything," he said.
Nelson will presumably look for a team that has a clearer path for him to earn a starting role in 2024.
