Ex-USC QB Malachi Nelson, No. 1 recruit in 2023, to visit Boise State - ESPN

Quarterback Malachi Nelson, ESPN's No. 1 overall recruit from 2023, will take an official visit to Boise State in the upcoming days, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

It will be his first visit since leaving USC, where Nelson spent his freshman season in 2023 before entering the NCAA transfer portal in December. The trip to Boise State will mark his first official visit, as he's received interest from myriad high-profile programs.

Boise State looms as the favorite, sources told ESPN, as Nelson looks for a blue-collar program where he can blend in and prove himself while growing up with a strong team. After being redshirted at USC in 2023, he would immediately available with four years of eligibility remaining.

Nelson would have an opportunity to earn the starting job at Boise State after quarterback Taylen Green's transfer to Arkansas. The Broncos won the Mountain West championship in 2023 under interim coach Spencer Danielson and have 18 starters returning.

The returning starters include four offensive linemen and Mountain West Player of the Year Ashton Jeanty, who led the nation in yards from scrimmage per game (159.6). Jeanty resisted big-money overtures from power conference teams to return to Boise State this year.

While at Los Alamitos High School in Southern California, Nelson threw for 2,898 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior, eventually eclipsing Arch Manning atop the ESPN recruiting rankings. He won back-to-back California Gatorade Player of the Year awards and his offer sheet included Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame.

Nelson took four snaps for USC.

While Nelson got interest from bigger programs in the portal, the potential to play immediately and a strong roster loomed large in him choosing