When he signed with USC last December out of Los Alamitos, Malachi Nelson was viewed as the natural heir apparent to Caleb Williams, a five-star quarterback that oozed upside, who seemed, at first, like the perfect fit for Lincoln Riley’s succession plans at the position.
But less than a year later, Nelson is already planning his exit from USC. The freshman quarterback intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to a person with knowledge of the decision unauthorized to speak publicly, leaving USC’s future at the position glaringly uncertain.