Oregon QB Bo Nix is having the best season of his college career and looks to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. It feels, however, like Nix has been in college forever.
Nix has finally achieved his promise in 2023, but his college career hasn’t always been so promising.
Bo Nix’s College Career
Nix has been playing college football since 2019 and holds the record for the most college football career starts by a quarterback. The previous record was 53, and Nix started his 54th career game against Washington during the 2023 season, only extending his record since.
Nix has played so long due to the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to college players because of COVID-19. Nix is, however, playing his final season of college football in 2023. At 23, he is one of the oldest starting quarterbacks in college football.
Auburn Tigers — 2019-2021
Despite starting off promising, Nix’s Auburn career did not go as planned.
Leaving Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Ala., Nix was a highly regarded four-star recruit, and there was little doubt regarding where Nix would commit. His father, Patrick Nix, is a former Auburn quarterback playing from 1992-1995.
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Nix was destined to be a starting QB for the Tigers and was initially named the starter in 2019 as a true freshman. He became the first freshman to start on the Plains since 1946.
Nix broke records as a freshman, throwing for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns. Auburn finished 9-4 on the season, beating Alabama to win the Iron Bowl.
In 2020, Nix returned as the starting QB and was voted a team captain.
2021, however, took a turn for Nix. Early in the season, he was sporadic. Despite wins over LSU and Ole Miss, he was benched for T.J. Finley against Georgia State. Then, against Mississippi State, Nix suffered a season-ending injury, requiring surgery on a broken ankle.
Nix finished his Auburn career with 7,251 yards, ranking third in passing yards in school history. He also started 34 consecutive games for the Tigers, the second most in Auburn history.
The time at Auburn did not end pretty for Nix. He entered the transfer portal on Dec. 12, 2021. In an interview with CBS Sports since leaving Auburn, Nix has said he “just remember[s] kind of being miserable. It wasn’t fun anymore.”
Oregon Ducks — 2022-Present
After entering the transfer portal ahead of his senior season, Nix committed to Oregon in 2022 and hasn’t looked back.
The decision made a lot of sense for Nix. Fed up at Auburn, Oregon offered a new start on the other side of the country in the Pacific Northwest, out of the media spotlight of the SEC.
The move also saw him link back up with Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, the OC at Auburn during Nix’s freshman season.
In his first season with the Ducks, Nix started all 13 games, and Oregon finished the season 10-3 and beat North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl.
After the 2022 season, Nix decided to return to Eugene, Ore., for his final season of eligibility, a decision that looks to be vindicated. Nix has had a stellar 2023 campaign and is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football.