Malachi Nelson is the obvious Caleb Williams successor in Lincoln Riley’s offense
For one more season, Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans will be treated to having reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams running the offense, and they surely wouldn’t have it any other way. But the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is going to be gone soon and that means Fight On will need someone to step into that role. Enter Malachi Nelson.
Nelson has clearly had his sights on playing in the Lincoln Riley offense for a long time as the California native was headed for Oklahoma before the head coach bolted for USC. He committed to the Trojans two days after officially decommitting from the Sooners.
And let’s be honest, playing in Riley’s offense is a big reason why you have like a 5-star quarterback like Nelson’s potential to become better than Arch Manning. Riley has produced multiple Heisman Trophy winners and has guided elite offenses with the likes of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and now Williams.
Nelson appears to be the perfect mold for the Riley offense too. The Los Alamitos product isn’t as mobile as someone like Williams, Murray or Hurts, but he’s relatively athletic. Where he thrives, though, is with creating time and throwing off-platform, which has been a staple for Riley quarterbacks. With elite coaching and Riley continuing to accrue talent, the situation is ripe for Nelson to become a top-tier college quarterback.