USC has officially signed its quarterback of the future. Malachi Nelson is finally a Trojan.

The 5-star quarterback and longtime Trojan commit officially signed his binding National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, the first day of the Early Signing Period. The Los Alamitos (Calif.) star will enroll early at USC and join the program for camp next spring, where he’ll work with reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.

Nelson took a winding road to USC. He was on the board for the previous Trojan coaching staff, but Lincoln Riley’s pedigree lured him to Oklahoma. When Riley left the Sooners last December, Nelson decommitted from the class and then followed Riley to Los Angeles.

There was some buzz during his senior season that Texas A&M could swoop in to steal Nelson away, but he held firm with the Trojans throughout.

Nelson paved ground as a high school prospect, becoming the first high schooler to sign with the Klutch Sports agency to represent him in the pursuit of NIL deals. He was a star for Los Alamitos on the field, too, and ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2023 class in the industry-generated 247 Composite.

With Williams set to return in 2023, Nelson will compete for the primary backup job. Assuming Williams jumps to the NFL after his junior season, Nelson would take the reins in his second year as the Trojans begin play in the Big Ten.

USC will leave the Pac-12 in 2024 and join the Big Ten, a move announced this past summer that sent shockwaves through the sport. When the Trojans — and UCLA Bruins — join the Big Ten, it’ll mark the start of a new era for both the league and the Trojans. And what better way to usher that new era in than by passing the torch from USC’s eighth Heisman winner to a quarterback who looks to have the same kind of potential?

“I love the competition,” Nelson said this summer when asked about the Big Ten move. “If it means better competition, you’ve gotta play against the best to be the best. Being at that high level and showing what we think USC can get back to, it’s gonna be exciting.”