{"id":4386,"date":"2022-03-29T16:57:21","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T21:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gridironstuds.com\/blog\/?p=4386"},"modified":"2022-03-29T16:57:21","modified_gmt":"2022-03-29T21:57:21","slug":"why-is-he-a-5-star-malachi-nelson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/why-is-he-a-5-star-malachi-nelson\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is He a 5-Star? Malachi Nelson"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Chad Wilson<\/strong>
\nTwitter: @GridironStuds<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

We are all keenly aware of how recruiting works by now.\u00a0 The players play.\u00a0 The schools hand out the offers and the writers issue the stars.\u00a0 We are also aware that every year there is a debate over whether a star really deserves the rating.\u00a0 Today we are going to take a look at the 2nd overall rated quarterback in the 2023 class in Malachi Nelson out of Los Alamitos High School in California.<\/p>\n

With all of the talk going on right now about whether the number one guy with the famous last name,\u00a0 Arch Manning,\u00a0 should hold that top spot or should even be a 5-star,\u00a0 Malachi Nelson is quietly showing his worth.\u00a0 I had a chance to watch the tape on the young gun slinger and here is what I observed.<\/p>\n

Easy Thrower<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some quarterback have to put a lot of effort into their throws.\u00a0 I am sure you have seen that type.\u00a0 Any time they have to launch one deep or throw to the sidelines,\u00a0 it seems their whole body has to go into the throw.\u00a0 Worse yet,\u00a0 some guys have to wind up to make such a toss.\u00a0 This is most definitely not the case for Nelson.\u00a0 Whether he’s fitting the ball into the seam between defenders,\u00a0 going up top on the secondary or hitting a guy out of his break on a deep out,\u00a0 it’s just a flick of the wrist for Nelson.\u00a0 The kid is what I call an easy thrower.\u00a0 We see this from guys like Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.\u00a0 There’s little effort to make a throw and there are definitely all types of advantages to that.\u00a0 Nelson can make all the throws and do so from many different positions.\u00a0 On top of that,\u00a0 he has the confidence in his arm that all big time quarterbacks have.\u00a0 Can it get him trouble?\u00a0 Sure but we haven’t seen that yet.<\/p>\n

Great Ball Placement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Accuracy is up there for me when it comes to evaluating a quarterback.\u00a0 If you can’t hit your mark,\u00a0 what are you anyway?\u00a0 Having a gun and the intelligence is great but at the end of the day,\u00a0 you have to hit the guy between the numbers to make it happen.\u00a0 Nelson is that guy.\u00a0 Not only can he let it fly but he can put it where he wants to.\u00a0 He’s especially accurate on deep throws where he shows a proficiency for dropping it in-stride to wide outs and often times to the proper shoulder to keep it away from defenders.\u00a0 Some quarterbacks work their whole lives to obtain this important skill,\u00a0 Nelson seems to have been born with it.<\/p>\n

Pocket Awareness<\/strong><\/p>\n

With all of the focus on defense these days being on rushing the passer,\u00a0 it is key to have a QB that can feel the rush,\u00a0 get to an open area and get the ball downfield.\u00a0 What is typical for high school quarterbacks when pressured is to abandon the play and look to run for as many yards as they can.\u00a0 That’s not the case with this prospect.\u00a0 Nelson knows when to step out,\u00a0 under or pedal out of trouble.\u00a0 This often comes with him staying behind the line of scrimmage with his eyes downfield so that he can locate one of his playermakers in the open.\u00a0 Wide receivers love this as they know that the pocket collapsing doesn’t automatically mean that they are now running a dummy route.\u00a0 Nelson makes a ton of big plays by extending plays with his pocket mobility.\u00a0 That’s going to be a plus at the next level.<\/p>\n

Athleticism<\/strong><\/p>\n

When all else fails and it’s time to take matters into this own hands,\u00a0 Nelson can do that too.\u00a0 We have all seen how athletic the quarterback position has become over the years.\u00a0 Nelson fits right into this trend.\u00a0 As such,\u00a0 the playbook does not become limited with him calling the signals.\u00a0 The RPOs and QB designed runs are still on the table as Nelson can execute them for big yardage.\u00a0 Is he Michael Vick or Lamar Jackson,\u00a0 no but he’s athletic enough.\u00a0 Combine that with his throwing ability and he’s a bonafide problem on every play on every Friday Night.<\/p>\n

Polished<\/strong><\/p>\n

While I am expounding on his athletic gifts,\u00a0 I would be remised if I did not point out that it seems Nelson has received some pretty solid coaching and or training as he has come up in the ranks.\u00a0 He shows a solid mastery of the necessary skills to be at the top of the high school football game.\u00a0 To get there he had to be coachable by somebody.\u00a0 This is a comfort to schools that are interested in him because a player’s true attitude is hard to forecast.\u00a0 Watching Nelson’s skill level and attention to detail shows that he’s capable of watching and learning from somebody.\u00a0 Few things are more important than that for a college football player and most notably quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

So as I tour through the class of 2023 wondering about the 5-stars,\u00a0 I need not do that about this prospect anymore.\u00a0 Turn the tape on and you’ll realize quickly why Nelson is highly regarded, committed to USC and being pursued by a host of others from coast to coast.<\/p>\n

Check out Malachi Nelson’s junior year highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n