Quarterback Bo Nix is onto the next step of his football journey after three years at Auburn. Nix announced on social media Sunday that he is transferring to Oregon as a grad student.
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The move reunites him with Kenny Dillingham, who was Auburn’s offensive coordinator when Nix won SEC Rookie of the Year in 2019. Dillingham was hired to the same position by new Ducks head coach Dan Lanning last week.
Coast to Coast. It’s official!🦆 #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/XozWIW7wMi
— Bo Nix (@BoNix10) December 19, 2021
Nix earned the starting job at Auburn as a true freshman and ended up playing in 34 career games for the Tigers, throwing for 7,251 yards and 39 touchdowns.
He pointed to his trust in God’s plan when announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal in a video posted to social media on Dec. 12.
“I don’t know what the next chapter of my life looks like, but I do know that whatever it is, God has ordered my steps and He has a plan for me like He does for everyone else,” he said.
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Nix, whose father Patrick also played at Auburn, called the decision to leave the program he grew up dreaming of playing for “the toughest I’ve ever made.”
A five-star recruit coming out of Pinson Valley High School in Alabama, Nix was the first true freshman to start a season opener for Auburn since 1946. His game-winning pass in that game — against Oregon, of all teams — with nine seconds left immediately catapulted him into the national spotlight.
Nix was on pace for the best season of his career in 2021 until an ankle injury sidelined him prematurely. He completed 61 percent of his passes while throwing 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Following the injury, Nix took to social media to praise God’s timing and faithfulness even in the midst of adversity.
“Bones break and things change, but God is always the same,” he wrote. “One of my favorite verses is John 13:7, ‘Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”‘ The Lord’s timing is our schedule.”
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Nix’s favorite verse, however, is Colossians 3:23, which reads, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” It is the first thing listed in his Twitter and Instagram bios.
Nix arrives in Eugene as a replacement for Anthony Brown, who led the Ducks to a 10-3 record in his sixth and final year of eligibility.
The Ducks’ new signal caller does not shy away from the responsibilities that come with being an outspoken Christian playing the most scrutinized position in sports. He says using his position as a team leader to positively impact his teammates is a priority.
“Whether it’s leading them on the field or off the field, just setting that example, being that role model that they would look up to,” Nix said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2018. “Trying to do the right thing all the time when I’m around them and help them to know that it’s not weird or different to be different and do what’s right and be a Christ-follower.”
His first game with the Ducks will be against perennial power Georgia on Sept. 3.
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