Malachi Nelson to start as quarterback for UTEP this season
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Former five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson will start for UTEP this season.
UTEP Athletics confirmed the news to ABC-7 this morning.
Nelson was in competition with three other quarterbacks for the starting job.
They were last year's starter Skyler Locklear, Cade McConnell and Shay Smith.
ESPN ranked Nelson the No. 1 overall recruit for the 2023 class.
UTEP's season opener against Utah State on August 30 will be Nelson's first start of his college career.
Nelson signed with UTEP after transferring from Boise State.
He had started his college career at USC before he transferred to Boise State at the conclusion of his freshman season.
“Before practice [today], I announced to the team that we’re rolling with Malachi Nelson as our starting quarterback headed into week one,” Football Head Coach Scotty Walden said. “I’m very excited for Malachi. I want to make a big emphasis that it was an extremely tight race. Skyler Locklear, Cade McConnell, Shay Smith, and Chad Warner — I’m very thankful to be coaching such a talented room and a great group of men. And that’s the more important thing. Unfortunately, I’m in a position where I have to choose one guy. I feel like Malachi made phenomenal strides in his growth from Spring to right now. But it was a close battle, and I truly believe that we have more than one guy in the room that we can win games with.”
The Los Alamitos, California native is the most decorated recruit in UTEP's history, according to the university's athletics department.
