Oregon
Bo Nix realized a dream going to Auburn, but Oregon prepared him for Broncos’ spotlight
There was always a football field where Bo Nix allowed himself to dream.
Nix watched the games, and then carried his passion into the grass behind his house in South Carolina and Alabama, mimicking the plays, running and throwing, his goals gently coming into focus without him really knowing it.
“It was always Auburn. No matter where our dad was coaching, it was always Auburn. It was us pretending to be Auburn vs. whoever they played the day before,” said Caleb Nix, Bo’s younger brother. “It was an imaginary game.”
As the Nix family watched Bo pose for pictures inside the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse on Friday, holding an orange jersey, reality clobbered them over the head. The son, the brother, the husband, the kid who once worked as a ball boy at Charleston Southern was a Denver Bronco.
The last time Nix was in Colorado, he and his father spoke at a local church over the summer. Now, their prayers were answered.
“It’s surreal. It’s one of those special moments for him. He grew up playing football, and when you do that, you dream of playing in the NFL. As a dad, you want to see your kids reach their dreams, so now here it is,” father, Patrick Nix, told The Denver Post. “For the longest time, you go through the mock drafts and the speculation; it’s real now.”
Patrick provided the script for his son’s goals through his profession, through old highlights. Dad played quarterback at Auburn from 1992 to ’95, helping the Tigers go 11-0 in 1993. Bo followed, playing for Auburn. If Disney was writing the script, this is where the story would show him getting carried off the field, holding a trophy in The Plains as credits rolled.
Instead, Auburn was a layover, a lesson. What happened there made Bo stronger and turned him into a legend at Oregon, about as far away culturally and geographically from his roots as imaginable.
As such, Nix, drafted 12th overall by the Broncos on Thursday night, arrived in Denver with purpose and focus. For months identified as a cerebral and athletic fit for coach Sean Payton’s offense, Nix is ready to compete for the starting job for a franchise that has been yearning for success since Peyton Manning retired.
“I think experience is one of the best teachers, really in anything. The more you do something, the better you should get at it. Whatever happens, I know that I’m around a great support staff; I’m around great coaches who have been doing this at a high level for a very long time,” Nix said. “I’m going to be able to take it all in, learn as much as I possibly can, grow as much as I possibly can, so I can give that to my teammates, and I can give that to this organization.”
Growing up as QB
Pressure is nothing new for Nix. By the time he reached eighth grade, he was a star waiting for a uniform. He made the varsity team. After his sophomore year, he followed his father to Pinson Valley High School and became the top dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He won back-to-back state titles and was named Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year.
There was no question where he would go. At Auburn, he was embraced, viewed as the Tigers’ version of Tim Tebow. He rallied Auburn to a victory over Oregon in his first game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That might have been his most memorable game for Auburn, certainly his most memorable season.
Over the next three years, Nix posted 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He was inconsistent. He was benched. He was hurt. He graduated. And then, in a decision that tested his mental strength, he left. To Eugene, Ore., roughly 2,600 miles away from Auburn — a 40-hour drive that took four days to navigate.
“It’s not about when adversity comes, because it is coming. It’s how you handle it. I was very proud of how he responded. He had a chance to toughen up and mature at Auburn, and when he went to Oregon he was a little bit more mature, more experienced, maybe not as naive as when he first walked into Auburn of how the real world is,” said Patrick, who was joined at Friday’s presser by his wife and Bo’s mother Krista. “He was able to grow a lot, and that was rewarding to see how much he learned from his experience and not be bitter about it.”
Nix was ready for a fresh start. It was time to learn how to become comfortable being uncomfortable. When he went to Auburn, his older sister was already a student there. His family home was a few hours away.
Oregon offered an opportunity to blossom in a new environment. He got married around the same time to Izzy, a former Auburn cheerleader. The easiest thing would have been to stay in the South. Not only was Oregon a different planet, but the Ducks had a five-star recruit on the depth chart, leaving no guarantee Nix would even start.
“I just wanted a chance to play for a championship and compete, and that’s what Oregon presented me with,” Nix said. “The transition was actually very smooth. (Oregon) Coach (Dan) Lanning and (former) Oregon offensive coordinator (Kenny) Dillingham gave me the opportunity, and the players welcomed me with open arms. I was able to have two great years with great teammates, great coaches. We learned a lot, and that got us to where we are today.”
Validating coach’s trust
Even in a new place, Nix found comfort in an old face.
Dillingham coached Nix as a freshman at Auburn, his best in the SEC. Reconnecting changed the trajectory of Nix’s career. Dillingham appreciated Nix’s tools but needed to create a path to production. Dillingham’s work with Nix is why he has earned the quarterback whisperer moniker — he also helped revive Jordan Travis’ career at Florida State.
At Auburn, Nix was maddening, often trying to do too much, leading to ill-advised mistakes and turnovers.
On the surface, it screamed he needed guardrails. Dillingham did the opposite, giving Nix more responsibility. He had the freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage, morphing into a coach in the huddle. Empowering Nix led him to take ownership of the offense. It became his baby, and he treated it with respect and reverence.
“You want to see an example of that? Turn on the USC game,” said CBS NFL and college football analyst Ryan Harris.
Nix completed 23 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns. It was not an aberration. His entire 2023 season looks like a video game — 45 touchdowns, three interceptions. He was more accurate than a DNA test, completing an NCAA record 77.4% of his passes.
“When he moved to Oregon, he really mastered pass protections. When he practiced pass protections, they really trained on it, and it became second nature to him,” Dillingham, now the head coach at Arizona State, told The Post. “He became so comfortable. He was just in complete control of the game.”
“Are you kidding me?”
When the Broncos traveled to Eugene for a private workout on March 18, their first for any of the quarterbacks, Nix was more impressive than his film. He was bigger than Payton imagined. Had more arm strength.
Not long after Payton left the session, he uttered the phrase, “Are you kidding me?”
The Broncos ranked Nix on their quarterback board higher than J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr., per a source with knowledge of the team’s decision-making process. When five went before him, the Broncos could not risk moving back. They took the safe route, selecting Nix at No. 12, hoping he will someday soon be better than the previous 13 starters since Manning.
It’s unfair to compare Nix to Drew Brees, a future Hall of Famer, who won a Super Bowl with Payton in New Orleans. But he boasts similar characteristics that pulled Payton in his direction — negating sacks, ball protection, excellence on third down, leadership when it matters most.
“When you watch him, it’s pretty calming,” Payton said. “He’s very efficient, and it’s not just because of the (underneath throws). You see a ton of NFL throws in their offense. His accuracy, he set an NCAA record. I think the one thing over the years, if you study it closely, guys that get sacked a lot in college tend to get sacked a lot in the NFL. Sometimes, that might be processing. Oftentimes, we’ll look at the offensive line, the ball comes out and it comes out sometimes in funny body positions. He has a quick stroke.”
Payton has no record of developing a rookie quarterback as a head coach — he worked with Quincy Carter and Tony Romo as an assistant in Dallas. And he is known for pushing buttons, for establishing high expectations for the position. Nix must develop a thick skin.
“He’ll be able to take it. The kid’s been through it all. The kid loves to be coached. He loves to learn. He’s obsessed with the game,” Dillingham said. “As long as he’s learning, as long as he’s being (taught), he’ll embrace it. I think it’s a perfect fit. … I truly think it’s a perfect fit for those two guys.”
Dillingham took a special interest in developing Nix the player, while caring for the person. It unlocked his potential.
“His arm strength, his intelligence, he just kept getting better and better,” said former Broncos Pro Bowl safety and Oregon star T.J. Ward. “I watched him at Auburn. And obviously, I watched his games at Oregon. He looked like a completely different guy. He looked like an NFL quarterback.”
From backyard to Broncos
Beyond the pictures, handshakes, and smiles, there was a glimpse Friday of why this just might work.
Dave Logan, 850 KOA’s longtime Broncos gameday voice, put Nix on the spot, asking him to call one of his favorite plays. Nix did not hesitate, setting it up at the goal line like he had a helmet on.
“Zero, triple right tight, Z short, burn Nola, Y pop, Z Fargo,” blurted Nix, who had a different play-caller in each of his five college seasons. “It was play-action. Slip Y into the flat. Fake reverse with Z off the motion. It was one of our touchdowns in the Fiesta Bowl.”
As Logan replayed the scene, he nodded his head. This type of intelligence hints at what Nix might do at the next level.
“You have to have so many different attributes to be successful in the NFL and at the toughest position to play. Eventually, if you are going to become a good player, the moment can’t be too big for you,” Logan said. “He’s got a chance early on for this situation not to be too big.”
It brings us back to the present. Patrick Nix is watching, walking, reflecting.
He knows there is no singular path for success. Sometimes dreams that begin in the backyard require a sharp turn left to be realized.
“Bo is extremely competitive. He’s very dedicated and disciplined, and he wants to be the best version of himself,” Patrick said. “To be somewhere like Denver, I was a John Elway fan growing up. I absolutely loved him. So for Bo to be following in his footsteps by being in Denver, and just knowing the city, knowing the organization, knowing the fan base, you couldn’t have picked a better place. As a dad and his former coach, it’s really incredible.”
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BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.
With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.
Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools
One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.
Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.
More About Darius Johnson
Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.
The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.
What If He Committed to Oregon Today?
If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.
Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.
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Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson, after an impressive 2025 season with the Ducks, now becomes the leader at his position following the departure of star Kenyon Sadiq to the NFL.
With an Oregon offense set to return several top stars and bring in two talents at the tight end position, Johnson looks to not only improve as a leader but build off his impressive 2025 season, in which he recorded 32 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns.
Here’s everything Johnson had to say during his media appearance following Oregon’s scrimmage on Saturday, with the spring game on the horizon.
Everything Tight End Jamari Johnson Said After Spring Scrimmage
What He Learned From Playing With Tight End Kenyon Sadiq:
“So many, but one is training. Everybody in this facility harps on it, and it’s just a standard here. It’s like him from last year, that man strained his guts out almost every play. I just feel like I got to do the exact same thing or even more to uphold the standard.”
Stepping Up At Tight End:
“It just changed because obviously Kenyon leaving somebody has to step up and be a leader in the room, and me being one of the older guys, it just happens to be me. I just accepted that role, and I actually kind of like it, getting these young guys going, getting them in the playbook and getting them used to college football.”
Participating Again In Spring Practice:
“It feels good coming back. Feels like I have something to prove for me personally, I feel like I haven’t really done anything in college football. I feel like this year is that year for me to show everybody what I’m about.”
On Tight Ends Kendre Harrison and Andrew Olesh:
“Both good dudes, they both got that dog in them. Andrew, he came from Penn State. He’s been coming along well, getting in the playbook. Kendre, he’s a big, tall guy, getting in the playbook too. They’ve been getting after it, man. It’s been good taking them under my wing. Hopefully, we just get going this year.”
Goals and Expectations Ahead of Spring Game:
“I’ll say one expectation that we really try to harp on in the room is just going 100 percent. That’s with your effort, that’s with knowing the plays and just giving it your all. A goal is just to get in that endzone. That’s one of the goals for the tight end room right there.”
Why He Returned to Oregon:
“Like I said earlier, to me, I felt like I haven’t really done anything in college football. That was one of the reasons, and another is I wouldn’t say I’m not ready for the NFL, but like that’s pretty much what I’m getting at, is just like I have a lot of stuff to work on that’s within footwork and hand placement, block in the run game, and route details. Getting to the right depth and just touching up everything I can so when I get to the NFL, there’s none of those problems, it’s just the big problems I have to fix.”
How Reps Helped Him Improve:
“It really helped me. Last year, we ran a lot of twelve personnel at the end of the season because we had a couple of injuries, but that really helped me. This year, I feel like I’m coming in rolling off the ground. It’s just so much more fluent, and those reps really helped me with the playbook. Playbook is way easier now, and I’m getting a good feel for it.”
His Leadership Traits:
“I like to get the guys going. I have a real voice on the field, and if y’all hear me on the field, I get the guys going. I wouldn’t say I’m a vocal leader, but I lead by example. Vocal leader, probably something I need to work on.”
On New Offensive Coordinator Drew Mehringer:
“It’s been different. They’re two different people, coach (Will) Stein and coach Drew. My guy’s getting us going. I’m excited for this season.”
Supporting Dakorien Moore At Track Meet:
“Yesterday, that touched my heart, man. Just all of us going out there, and it wasn’t even just for Dakorien. It was really for Oregon. It was just more for Dakorien because we see him every day. That really touched my heart, and the connection is just unbelievable. I don’t think many people are doing that for their teammates.”
Quarterback Dante Moore’s Growth:
“That guy has his head on his shoulders at all times. He’s been growing consistently, but it’s a couple of different things. I probably can’t name them right now, but he’s been having his head on his shoulders. He’s just been on the climb.”
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