Malachi Nelson is entering dangerous territory as he enters the transfer portal once again after just one season at Boise State. And this is truly a puzzling move. He hasn’t spent more than a season at a school, and hasn’t really played. He is now on the move again.
Nelson, a former five-star recruit, lost the starting job to Maddux Madsen at Boise State for a reason. Maybe he’s not as elite as he was in high school. And that’s okay, but moving around for the perfect opportunity is just hurting him in the long run.
He’s quickly becoming a reiteration of Tate Martell, which isn’t good company to be in. Martell is the former five-star quarterback who rose to fame from the Netflix TV show, QB1. He then moved around from Ohio State, Miami and UNLV before calling it quits on his career.
Nelson feels Boise State won’t help him progress like he wants and so the question becomes where would? What other school is willing to take the flyer on Nelson on what he used to be? Well there’s at least three schools I think Nelson has a chance to use his final lifeline at as he looks to re-establish himself as an FBS quarterback.
3. Tulane could use a starting quarterback and maybe a redemption story for Malachi Nelson
Jon Sumrall lost his starting quarterback and gem in Darian Mensah to Duke earlier this week. So with Tulane in the market for a new quarterback, Nelson could have his chance to revive his career. The Green Wave would provide a low-pressure situation where if he isn’t good, it wouldn’t come with massive slander.
He could have a chance to grow under a talented coach with three years of eligibility left and he’d be able to play right away. I feel like if he doesn’t start at Tulane and loses a quarterback battle, that’s a sign maybe his playing days are behind him.
The Green Wave could give him a chance to find himself and who he is. At USC and Boise State, Nelson was a forgotten prospect. A new program and a smaller one at that – while still being in a competitive conference – might be the best opportunity for him.
2. Dan Mullen has a track record of working with some talented quarterbacks
Dan Mullen is headed to Las Vegas and with it, he’s going to be in the market for a new quarterback. What better way to welcome yourself back to college football than to aid a quarterback in reviving their career? Just like UNLV is giving Mullen another chance, he could give Nelson one too.
It’s not farfetched for the two to come together. Nelson could certainly grow with a coach like Mullen. When he was at Mississippi State, Mullen turned Dak Prescott into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL right now.
When Mullen was at Florida, Kyle Trask was able to turn into an NFL prospect and now a backup quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mullen has also worked with Alex Smith (Utah), Chris Leake (Florida), Feleipe Franks (Florida) and Tim Tebow (Florida).
Malachi Nelson could be the next. He’d have the chance to grow under an experienced coach which could be key for his development as well.
1. Bill Belichick could turn to Malachi Nelson as his first project as a college football coach
Bill Belichick is stepping into a new realm as a college football coach. And as he starts to construct his roster with a massive NIL package, one player that could help him is Nelson. It’s been a while since Belichick has worked with a young prospect.
And with Mac Jones, it didn’t quite pan out well like it did with Tom Brady. He could turn over a new leaf with Nelson. It might not be the best option, but Belichick could show just how good of a college coach he can be if he can take Nelson and lead the Tar Heels as one of the top programs in the country.
Because Nelson has been around college football for a while, he’d be a good starting part for Belichick as well as he wouldn’t need a lot of development. He just needs a chance to play and a chance to grow.