Sep 15: The big-time stage came for Malachi Nelson, just not the way the former five-star QB recruit once imagined

Article credit: Chris Hummer

AUSTIN, Texas — A few days before UTEP made the trip to play No. 7 Texas, Eric Nelson stated the obvious: “Ray Charles can see that we’re underdogs.”

Nelson, the father of Miners QB Malachi Nelson, knew the circumstances would be difficult for what was essentially his son’s debut on a national stage after a winding path that’s taken him from five-star recruit and future of the USC program to Boise and El Paso over a three-year span.

At Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium there were more than 100,000 fans in attendance to watch Texas do what seemed inevitable as a 40.5-point favorite. There was even a sign in the stands that read: “This isn’t the Miners league.”

Instead, UTEP’s defense confounded Texas. At one point Arch Manning — Nelson’s peer as a five-star recruit in the 2023 class — threw 10 straight incompletions. Boos rained down from the stands as college football’s most hyped player looked lost.