For two seasons, the pairing of [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag] and head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] was a great match.
Nix passed for 4,957 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 701 additional yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons under Malzahn. After a slight drop in production due to a coaching change and an ankle injury, Nix felt that he needed a change.
“Everything led to Oregon,” Nix said in an interview with Pro Football Focus. “Coaching staff, players, situation. Everything was just Oregon all the way. I kept asking myself, ‘Why not Oregon?’ and I could not find the answer. Oregon was by far the best situation for me, and it’s worked out unbelievably well, far better than what I could’ve imagined. I wanted to go somewhere and give myself a chance, and a chance I definitely got.”
The change ultimately worked out for Nix, as he got to experience his most successful season at the college level by passing for 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also had his best season on the ground by rushing for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Ducks won 10 games in 2022, including three games over top-25 opponents.
Although he has moved on from Auburn, he has not forgotten how special his time was on the Plains. He tells Pro Football Focus that he accomplished several goals during his three years at Auburn.
“My whole life, I wanted to play football at Auburn,” Nix said. “I got to accomplish my dream and do a lot of really fun things around some great people. I met my wife at Auburn and got my diploma from there.”
However, he achieved his top goal on the football field in 2019.
“One of my ultimate goals was to play football at Auburn and beat Alabama. I did that,” Nix said. “That’s what I’ll remember. We had some fun seasons and some not-so-fun ones. That’s what made me into who I am today.”
Nix passed for 173 yards and rushed for 44 more in Auburn’s 48-45 win over the Crimson Tide in 2019. Running back [autotag]Shaun Shivers[/autotag] infamously trucked Alabama’s Xavier McKinney on his way to an 11-yard touchdown rush in the 4th quarter. Nix’s two-point conversion pass to [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag] would be the deciding factor in Auburn’s win.
Heading into his fifth season of eligibility, Nix is the No. 3 quarterback in the country behind USC‘s Caleb Williams and North Carolina‘s Drake Maye. Is he focused? Absolutely. Will he have fun? you bet.
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