USC football commit Malachi Nelson overtakes Arch Manning in recruiting rankings

USC Football QB commit Malachi Nelson is about as good of a recruit as it gets. His 6-3, 182-pound frame has a lot of opportunity to blossom into a great QB body-build once he gets on campus here, and is very accurate with ability to throw from different arm slots.

An athletic QB, he's a pass-first guy with nice arm talent who can also beat defenses on the ground if they dare him to. He committed to Lincoln Riley back when Riley was at Oklahoma, and made sure to flip to USC later on after Riley had headed to Southern California. He wants this offense, and this offense wants him.

The most interesting development in his recruiting profile, however, is that he is now listed as the No. 1 recruit in the entire 2023 recruiting class--regardless of position. ESPN has now had him overtake Texas QB commit Arch Manning for the No. 1 spot. The five-star was not always expected to be ahead of Manning, even if he deserved it.

USC Football QB commit Malachi Nelson was seen by many as having a disadvantage that Manning does not have.

That disadvantage for USC Football's 2023 QB commit Malachi Nelson would be his last name. Many analysts believe that Manning may be a bit overhyped due to being the nephew of legendary SEC/NFL QB's Peyton and Eli Manning.

Popular College Football Insider Mike Farrell even when as far to say that he would only be a two or three-star recruit if he had a last name other than Manning. It's unclear as to who will be right about Manning's talents, but one thing that's tangible is that ESPN now has him below Nelson on their board.

Nelson hails from Los Alamitos, California, and plays high school ball at Los Alamitos High School. Keeping him in California was huge, and SC can thank Riley for that. Nelson paired with the consensus No. 1 offensive coach in the country is a dream duo.