2023 Los Alamitos quarterback Malachi Nelson commits to USC Trojans football

Two days after de-committing from the University of Oklahoma, class of 2023 Los Alamitos (Calif.) quarterback Malachi Nelson pledged to USC on Tuesday. Former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley was introduced as USC's new head coach on Monday and now a day later he has his first Trojan commitment. Nelson made the announcement to follow Riley to USC on social media.

This past season as a junior Nelson threw for 2,690 yards and 39 touchdowns for a Los Alamitos team that went 9-2 and qualified for the Division 1 Southern Section playoffs. Nelson was named the California Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a sophomore after throwing for 1,513 yards and 23 touchdowns during California's spring high school football season.

Following his Oklahoma de-commitment on Sunday, Nelson told 247Sports.com recruiting analyst Greg Biggins: “End of the day, I committed to Lincoln Riley. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Oklahoma but coach Riley is why I committed there.”