Malachi Nelson’s opportunity has finally arrived, as the former five-star quarterback prospect has been named UTEP’s starter ahead of the Miners’ Week 1 game at Utah State, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Nelson beat out returners Cade McConnell and Skyler Locklear for the job.
The redshirt sophomore will be tasked with shepherding the offense for a program that is seeking a Year 2 jump under coach Scotty Walden following a 3-9 campaign in 2024. What exactly Nelson will bring remains a mystery following a winding journey that led the former blue-chip player to El Paso, Texas.
But Nelson will have the chance — for the first time in his college career — to show the immense potential that made him the No. 13 overall player in the Class of 2023, per 247Sports. After the Utah State trip and a Week 2 home game against Tennessee-Martin comes a Week 3 game against Texas and fellow Class of 2023 blue-chipper Arch Manning.
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For a quarterback class that has seen its struggles, that game, and specifically Nelson’s role as UTEP’s quarterback, will be a spectacle that few could have imagined when he was an Under Armour All-American drawing projections as as future first-round NFL Draft pick.
Nelson began his career at USC in 2023 and was once viewed as a Lincoln Riley’s next potential quarterback star. But after redshirting for the Trojans on a roster that included Caleb Williams and Miller Moss, he left for Boise State, only to get beaten out last season by Maddux Madsen, who helped lead the Broncos to the College Football Playoff.
With an 0-for-2 mark on finding the field, Nelson took his search for a starting job to one of college football’s remote outposts. UTEP has posted just one winning season over the past 10 years but has been given a jolt of life under Walden, 35. The Miners emerged from an 0-6 start last season to win three of their final six games.
Landing a player of Nelson’s billing from the portal turned heads. But the fact remains that, through two seasons of reserve duty, he’s completed just 13 of 20 passes for 128 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
“This is a huge moment for Malachi, one that’s incredibly well-earned,” said his agent, Justin Giangrande. “We’ve always known the level of talent and drive Malachi brings to the table, and now the rest of the country gets to see it firsthand. Every great athlete faces adversity, and Malachi has handled his journey with maturity, patience and perserverance beyond his years. His path hasn’t been easy, but that’s exactly what separates the good from the great. We couldn’t be more excited for Malachi and this next chapter of his career.”
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Conference USA served as a rebound spot for once-touted quarterback prospect Kaidon Salter over the past two seasons. The former No. 7 QB prospect from the Class of 2021, who had a brief stint at Tennessee, took the reins at Liberty in 2023 and thrived. Now he is back at the Power Four level with Colorado.
If UTEP is able to unlock even a portion of the promise that Nelson showed as a high school prospect, he could find a similar measure of redemption. In a November 2021 evaluation, 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks noted that Nelson was “perhaps the most natural thrower in an excellent 2023 QB group.”
“Flashes the functional athleticism to extend plays outside the pocket, where finding a receiver is almost always the priority over tucking and running,” Brooks wrote. “Still, athletic enough to hurt defenses with legs on occasion.”
Nelson’s potential as a passer has never been in question, and his dynamic ability to extend plays could pay significant dividends for a UTEP team that ranked No. 122 nationally in total offense last season at 320.8 yards per game.
“His arm talent is unbelievable,” Walden said this summer. “The game is starting to slow down for him, which has been good to see.”
A struggling class
Nelson is not alone as a Class of 2023 quarterback who has struggled to meet immense hype. Of the top eight QBs from the class, only Manning of Texas hasn’t transferred, and he is just now in line for his crack at the Longhorns’ starting job.
But the fall from prominence has been harder for Nelson and for Jaden Rashada than for the others. Rashada is finally poised for an on-field opportunity at Sacramento State just as Nelson is about to get his chance at UTEP. Both stand as cautionary tales.
In an era when top prospects — especially quarterbacks — can be guaranteed millions, there is still nothing guaranteed on the field. Nelson’s journey to El Paso is a reminder of that.
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