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UTEP Miners

UTEP Miners
Malachi Nelson

Malachi Nelson Appointed QB1 for UTEP Football

8/21/2025 1:37:00 PM


EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Football Head Coach Scotty Walden named Malachi Nelson as the team's starting quarterback for the season opener at Utah State on Thursday morning.
 
Nelson will take the reins of the offense when the Miners kick off the 2025 campaign against the Aggies in Logan, Utah on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 5:30 pm MT. The game will be nationally televised on CBS College Sports.
 
"Before practice [today], I announced to the team that we're rolling with Malachi Nelson as our starting quarterback headed into week one," Walden said. "I'm very excited for Malachi. I want to make a big emphasis that it was an extremely tight race. Skyler Locklear, Cade McConnell, Shay Smith, and Chad Warner — I'm very thankful to be coaching such a talented room and a great group of men. And that's the more important thing. Unfortunately, I'm in a position where I have to choose one guy. I feel like Malachi made phenomenal strides in his growth from Spring to right now. But it was a close battle, and I truly believe that we have more than one guy in the room that we can win games with." 
 
A native of Los Alamitos, Calif., Nelson joined the Miners for spring ball after transferring from Boise State. Nelson arrived in El Paso as the most decorated recruit in school history. 
 
"This means everything [to me]. I'm super excited for the opportunity and it's a huge blessing to take over the reins here. I look forward to winning some games and continuing to grow," Nelson said. "Coach Walden told me how I've grown, how I earned it and we had a great conversation this morning. I appreciate him and trust him with my life, and ready to go to war with him." 
 
He was a unanimous five-star recruit and rated the no. 1 prospect in the country by ESPN in 2022, coming out of Los Alamitos High School. The back-to-back Gatorade California Player of the Year (2021 and 2022), Nelson completed 67.1 percent (192-of-286) of his passes for 2,891 yards and 35 touchdowns with four interceptions during his senior season.

 

A 6-3, 195-pound sophomore, Nelson began his college career at USC. He spent the 2024 season at Boise State, appearing in three games for the Broncos while completing 12-of-17 passes for 128 yards.
 
Nelson was the victor in a spirited quarterback competition that began in the spring, extended deep into fall camp, and featured returning starter Skyler Locklear, rising freshman Shay Smith and returning veteran Cade McConnell.
 
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UTEP Football season tickets can be purchased by visiting www.UTEPMiners.com or by calling (915) 747-UTEP.
 
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