Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | CMP/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | YPA | QBR | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 66-3vs New Hampshire | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | Season-high 0 yds |
| Total | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — |
#16
Malachi Nelson
Junior quarterback on Syracuse's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 193 lb · Los Alamitos, CA · Los Alamitos
Transferred UTEP → Syracuse for 2026
The numbers
0
passing yards · 2026
0 INT
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: vs New Hampshire
The play that turned itSwung UTEP from 27% to 61% to win.UL Monroe at UTEP · 31-25
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 quarterback on Syracuse's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 5-star recruit to USC in 2023.
- Transferred from UTEP to Syracuse in 2026.
Aura™ · Him Watch
Hype = tape
+24aura tax
Fans rank this player in the 27th percentile of QBs; the tape says
3rd pctl our passing-value metric (wEPA) QBs · 160 qualified, n=21
— the discourse is fair.Aura — fan perception27th pctl
Production — on-field3rd pctl
n=21 mentions · cohort: QBs · 160 qualified · perception = conversation volume, production = our passing-value metric (wEPA)
Buzz vs Tape
Every angle we can check here reads about where you'd expect this season.
28thattention percentile · vs QBs
4thproduction percentile · vs QBs
Malachi Nelson
Operates within the system without forcing anything. Across four seasons and four programs, four head coaches: Lincoln Riley, Spencer Danielson, Scotty Walden and Fran Brown.
0 PASS YDS · 0 PASS TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
His career
2023
- Signed with USC5-star out of Los Alamitos
20243 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
20256 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★★
CFB
College
4 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
Nunzio Campanile
Syracuse
Coaching transition mid-career: Nunzio Campanile → Fran Brown. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Syracuse
2025UTEP
2026Syracuse
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023USC8-5HC: Lincoln Riley · Pass-leaning, slow tempo
2024Boise State12-2HC: Spencer Danielson · Run-leaning
2025UTEP2-10HC: Scotty Walden · Balanced
2026Syracuse1-1HC: Fran Brown · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this profile ranks vs the QB cohort
Box-score percentiles
Elite: interceptions (92nd percentile). Concern: pass yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 0.0 YDS/g, 0.0 TD/g, 0.0 YPA, 0.0 INT/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Fran Brown
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Syracuse | -- | 2 | 0.0% | -- | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | UTEP | 104 | 190 | 54.7% | 1,163 | 6.1 | 8 | 9 | 110.6 | 24 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Boise State | 12 | 17 | 70.6% | 128 | 7.5 | 0 | 1 | 122.1 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | USC | 1 | 3 | 33.3% | -- | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 117 | 212 | 55.2% | 1,291 | 6.1 | 8 | 10 | 109.4 | 24 | -- | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Syracuse | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | UTEP | 23 | -13 | -0.6 | 0 | -- |
| 2024 | Boise State | 2 | -11 | -5.5 | 0 | -- |
| 2023 | USC | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 25 | -24 | -1.0 | 0 | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Pocket Passer
Balanced passer who operates within the system, without one standout number carrying the profile.
QB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Ben Finley’s 2023 season.
Matches Ben on
Weight
Rush yards / carry
TD rate
Differs from Ben on
Class year (lower)
Completion % (lower)
Through 1 college season, his career arc tracks closest to Aidan Armenta’s path through UL Monroe.
Matches Aidan on
Height
Yards per attempt
Completion %
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Rickie Collins's junior season at Syracuse (2025).
Matches Rickie on
Height
Differs from Rickie on
Weight (lower)
Rush usage (lower)
Rush yards / carry (lower)
Background
Career Overview: Former No. 1 recruit in the country ... Transferred to Syracuse in January, 2026 after previous stops at USC, Boise State and UTEP ... Has appeared in 10 collegiate games (six starts), completing 117-of-210 passes for 1,291 yards and eight touchdowns in his career heading into th...
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology