Less than 12 hours after Syracuse football named Sean Ryan its new quarterback coach, The Orange added UTEP sophomore QB Malachi Nelson, boosting a position which has already secured two other transfers during the offseason.
Nelson, a former 5 star + commit, redshirted at USC in 2023 before transferring to Boise State where he saw limited playing time. The 6-3 sophomore finally got his chance last season with UTEP. In 1 season starting with the Miners, Nelson threw for 1,163 yards but threw only 8 touchdowns to 9 interceptions.
Yesterday, ESPN’s Pete Thamel made it clear that Nelson will fully compete with Junior Steve Angeli for SU’s starting QB role. Angeli, a former Notre Dame backup, led the nation in passing yards last season with the Orange before suffering a season ending injury in September against Clemson.
Coming into this offseason, Angeli was supposed to be the team’s starting signal caller for 2026. But the newest addition to the Orange quarterback room makes Angeli’s starting hopes anything but secure.
