Bo Nix's path to Heisman finalist: from tough times at Auburn to Oregon stardom

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix’s outstanding 2023 season has propelled him not only as a Heisman Trophy finalist but also has him shooting up NFL mock draft boards.

Nix already has won the Pac-12’s Offensive Player of the Year and the Campbell Trophy, or the “academic Heisman,” as the nation’s best scholar-athlete, He hopes to add more hardware when the Heisman Trophy is handed out Saturday night in New York City.  He is the school’s fourth finalist and hopes to become its first winner since Marcus Mariota in 2014.

Here are a few things to know about Oregon quarterback Bo Nix:

High school stud

Bo Nix won back-to-back Class 6A state championships at Pinson Valley in Alabama. He received Mr. Football honors as a senior in 2018 after racking up more than 12,000 yards in total offense and accounting for 161 touchdowns during his prep career. He was also named Gatorade’s Alabama Player of the Year. He signed with Auburn that December and enrolled in classes in January.

Rough times on the Plains

Nix was named Auburn's starting quarterback in 2019 after enrolling early and beating out two others for the job. His first start coincidentally was against Oregon and he threw a 26-yard touchdown pass with 9 seconds remaining to complete the 27-21 win. He capped off the regular season by leading the Tigers to a victory over rival Alabama.

The Tigers went 6-5 during the 2020 COVID season, which led to the firing of coach Gus Malzahn. Nix's final season at Auburn led to a benching and ended when he broke his ankle in a November game against Mississippi State.

Nix was booed by home fans and explained how he tried to win over the tough Auburn faithful.

Impressive 2023 season

The 23-year-old Nix came into the 2023 season, his second with Oregon, with high expectations. The Ducks were ranked 15th in the US LBM Coaches Poll and won their first five games before losing 36-33 to Washington on Oct. 14. The Ducks' only other loss was to the Huskies in last week's Pac-12 Championship.

Nix completed a nation-leading 77.2 percent of his passes for 4,145 yards with 40 touchdowns and three interceptions, while also topping the FBS in completions and tied for the lead in touchdown passes.

Nix has played in 60 games during his college career and even though many players opt of a postseason bowl to prepare for the NFL draft, Oregon coach Dan Lanning says the quarterback will play in the Fiesta Bowl against Liberty to close out his career.

“I had to do this or I had to do that for the whole, entire university and do it for all the fans. I just wanted to do it all and I tried to be Superman at times,” Nix told ESPN earlier this season.

His father played at Auburn

Nix’s father, Patrick, played at Auburn from 1992-95, appearing in 32 games. He was the starting quarterback during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He delivered one of the most iconic moments in Auburn history in 1994 when he led the Tigers to a comeback victory over top-ranked Florida, throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Frank Sanders with 30 seconds left. 

The elder Nix finished his Auburn career as a 59 percent passer, throwing for 4,957 yards with 31 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He is currently the head coach at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama.