Bo Nix can see his rollercoaster college career end on a high during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nix, a former five-star quarterback, has seen starting time in each of his five college seasons, starting at Auburn — where his father Patrick Nix was a legend — and ending with a season that earned him a nod as a Heisman Trophy finalist at Oregon. Now the talented slinger could hear his name heard as soon as the first round, in a deep quarterback class.
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Nix is a name college football fans know well, as he has played in the NCAA for six seasons. He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 after throwing for 4,508 yards with 45 touchdowns and adding 234 yards and six touchdowns rushing.
In a mock draft on April 16, NFL.com’s Peter Schrager had Nix going No. 23 overall to the Minnesota Vikings. Schrager had Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy as the top four picks in the draft, making Nix the fifth quarterback off the board in the first round — ahead of former Pac-12 rival Michael Penix Jr.
Here’s what you need to know about Nix, including his age, who his father is, his high school career, recruitment and why he transferred to Oregon.
Bo Nix age
If Nix is selected in the first round, he will become the second-oldest QB taken in the first round since Brandon Weeden went 22nd overall to the Cleveland Browns in the 2012 NFL Draft. Weeden was 28 years, 6 months and 13 day old when he was selected; Nix, whose birthday was on Feb. 25, will be 24 years, 2 months, and a day old.
Curiously, Penix has the chance to be the second-oldest quarterback drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since Weeden: He will be 23 years, 11 months and 18 days old on Thursday.
The Washington quarterback was a part of the 2018 recruiting class that had current NFL players in Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. He played seven total years of college football, gaining an extra year for COVID-19 and another due to injuries. Nix was in the 2019 recruiting class and started his career at Auburn before transferring to Oregon.
Here’s a list of the oldest QBs selected in the first round since 2010:
Why did Bo Nix transfer to Oregon?
Nix had a decent career with Auburn, throwing for 7,251 yards with 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in three seasons, completing 59% of his passes. However, his 2021 season ended early following an ankle injury, which cost him the final two games.
The three-year starter grew up as an Auburn fan, with his father playing quarterback for the Tigers from 1992-95. But Nix felt tremendous pressure to follow in his father’s footsteps and a disconnect with then-head coach Bryan Harsin. Nix himself characterized himself as “miserable.”
“Last year, I was just kind of over it. Each week it was something else,” he said, via CBS Sports. “There was, quite frankly, nothing I could do about it. I just remember kind of being miserable. It wasn’t fun anymore.”
When Nix entered the transfer portal in December 2021, Oregon became a viable option, as offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham was his offensive coordinator during his freshman season in 2019.
Bo Nix high school
Nix attended his first two seasons of high school at Scottsboro High in Scottsboro, Alabama. He transferred to Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Alabama, when his father, Patrick Nix, took the job there.
Nix threw for 2,872 yards and 35 touchdowns despite missing four games during his senior season. He led Pinson Valley to the Class 6A state championship, and completed 31 of 39 passes for seven touchdowns in the state semifinal. He completed 13 of 25 passes for 223 yards and three total touchdowns in the championship.
Over his high school career, he amassed 10,393 passing yards, 127 passing touchdowns, 2,112 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns. Nix earned the 2018-19 Alabama Football Gatorade Player of the Year.
Who is Bo Nix’s father?
Bo Nix’s father, Patrick, was also his high school football coach. Before that, he was a standout at Etowah High School in Attalla, Alabama. Nix went on to play at Auburn, where he played 32 games and scored 40 touchdowns and generated 5,081 yards in total offense.
Following his playing career, Patrick Nix spent a stint as an assistant coach at Jacksonville State before becoming the head coach at Henderson State from 1999-2000. He later held roles at Samford, Georgia Tech, Miami and Charleston Southern. He then coached high school in Alabama at Scottsboro High and Pinson Valley High and is now the coach at Phenix City Central High. Patrick coached Bo Nix at both Scottsboro and Pinson Valley.
Bo Nix recruiting ranking
Nix was the No. 33 overall recruit in the 2019 class, ranking as the top-dual threat QB in the class and the No. 3-ranked prospect in the state of Alabama behind Georgia signees receiver George Pickens (now on the Pittsburgh Steelers) and center Clay Webb. Nix received a five-star rating by 247Sports Composite rankings.
He picked the Tigers over offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, Clemson, and Georgia, allowing him to follow in his father’s footsteps in attending Auburn. His commitment was the first for the Tigers for the state’s top quarterback prospect since five-star Jeremy Johnson signed in the 2013 class out of G.W. Carver High School in Montgomery.
Bo Nix combine results, measurables
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 214 pounds
- Hand size: 10 1/8 inches
- Arm span: 31 7/8 inches
- 40-yard dash: Did not attempt
- Vertical jump: Did not attempt
- Broad jump: Did not attempt
- 3-cone drill: Did not attempt
- Shuttle run: Did not attempt
Bo Nix stats
Here is a year-by-year look at Nix’s stats at Auburn and with Oregon.
- Career: 1,286-for-1,936 (66.4%) passing, 15,352 career passing yards, 113 career passing touchdowns, 26 career interceptions, 149.6 career passer rating; 1,613 career rushing yards and 38 career rushing touchdowns
- 2019: 217-for-377 (57.6%) passing, 2,542 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 125.0 passer rating; 313 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns
- 2020: 214-for-357 (59.9%) passing, 2,415 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 123.9 passer rating; 388 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns
- 2021: 197-for-223 (61.0%) passing, 2,294 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 130.0 passer rating; 168 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns
- 2022: 294-for-409 (71.9%) passing, 3,593 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 165.7 passer rating; 510 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns
- 2023: 364-for-470 (77.4%) passing, 4,508 passing yards, 45 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 188.3 passer rating; 234 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns
Bo Nix scouting report
NFL.com gives Nix a 6.39 prospect grade, which means he will eventually become an average starter. Draft analyst Lance Zierlein gives him an NFL comparable to former Dallas Cowboys quarterback turned CBS broadcaster Tony Romo. Here’s what NFL.com says about his scouting report:
“Rare five-year starting quarterback whose play has matured in front of our eyes. Nix displays the accuracy, arm talent and athleticism consistent with today’s brand of pro quarterback. He can be punctual in getting the ball out at the top of his drop or he can work through progressions and beat defenses with second-reaction plays. He throws with good velocity and puts the ball on the money when throwing on the move. Nix has shown great improvement with his pocket poise. He’s capable of moving the sticks as a scrambler or as part of the running game. Some of his gaudy production has been driven by the Oregon offense’s design, but his talent clearly stands out. I’ve harbored bias from watching the overwhelmed version of Nix during his Auburn days, but as the saying goes, ‘tape don’t lie.’ Nix appears more than ready to attack the league with an NFL-caliber skill set.”
