Specific events affirm trends and patterns. They are not accidents or random occurrences. They’re part of a long-term plan and vision on both sides of the story. One such example: The USC House of Victory collective signing Malachi Nelson as its next great star college athlete earlier this month. The group and the quarterback arrived at an arrangement just over a week ago.
Nelson is projected to take over at the quarterback spot after Caleb Williams departs for the NFL after this season. He is poised for success in monetizing his publicity rights with more than 160,000 social media followers.
Represented by Klutch Sports and The Network Advisory, Nelson is prioritizing the long-term play over short-term money. His $813,000 On3 NIL Valuation ranks in the top 30 of college football.
“You want to put yourself in the right position to not look like you’re just doing it for the money,” Nelson said last July. “Last year there were some college guys that had a bad game and then they had to wake up the next morning and post this endorsement deal. It doesn’t look very good. So, my team has put me in a good position to avoid that from happening.”
He was previously committed to Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma before following the head coach to USC. The No. 5 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class was 12 of 20 in USC’s spring game, throwing for 127 yards and two interceptions.
Last year, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Nelson has already signed an NIL deal with The h.wood Group, “a Los Angeles-based global hospitality firm with more than 30 restaurants and clubs worldwide that are frequented by names like Drake and the Kardashians.”
Nelson and USC are both affirming the Quarterback U brand Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams have brought into existence. This is the new look for USC football, the stylistic change from Student Body Right in the 1960s and 1970s.
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