The quarterback room of USC football could get thinner, with freshman Malachi Nelson reportedly set to enter the transfer portal, according to sources of Pete Nakos of On3.

Nelson barely saw action for USC football in 2023. He only appeared in one game for the Trojans this year, which was during a 56-28 win at home over the San Jose State Spartans way back in late August. In that game, he attempted just three passes and completed just one of them for zero gain. Having seen such limited action in 2023, Nelson is eligible to utilize the redshirt tag in his first year in college. Such a move will leave him with four more years of eligibility in the college ranks.

The news of Nelson's looming transfer comes amid the expected departure of star  Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams for the pros. Williams is likely to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft after playing for two seasons with USC football.

Before committing to play for USC football, Nelson got several offers from different schools, including the likes of the Purdue Boilermakers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas A&M Aggies, Penn State Nittany Lions, NC State Wolfpack, and Texas Longhorns among others.

Nelson's expected move to test the waters of the transfer portal may have also been spurred by the recent visit of Kansas State Wildcats transfer signal-caller Will Howard to USC. Howard has the experience and resume to be a favorite to land the starting quarterbacking duties for the Trojans if ended up committing to play for Lincoln Riley's squad.