Bo Nix: The Beginning
By Xavier Chavez
His story starts before he was born.
Bo Nix was destined for football as the son of Patrick Nix. His father played quarterback (QB) for the University of Auburn from 1992 to 1995, and holds the record for most completions in a game for the Tigers with 34. Accumulating 4,957 yards and 31 touchdowns over the course of his playing days in Jordan-Hare, Patrick is a local great.
So when his son was lighting it up at Pinson Valley -- leading them to two state championships -- it felt like destiny for where he would end up in the future after high school.
With the 2018 “Mr. Alabama” -- an award reserved for the best football player in the state -- Nix was recruited and committed to his father’s alma mater at Auburn. There was no question about whether he would continue the legacy of his dad or go to the cross-town rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide, despite being offered by both.
In Aug. 2025, he proudly proclaimed in an interview with Eli Manning that,
“It's the best rivalry, really, in sports. It's just from the end state, the hatred and dislike that you have for the other team. I think sometimes I hate Alabama more than I like Auburn, but that's OK too, and it makes them mad, which is why I think I like it. ”
During his 2019 true freshman year, he led the 15th-ranked Tigers squad in a win over the fifth-ranked Nick Saban-coached Alabama Crimson Tide team in a 48-45 lead at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was the highest polled team Auburn had defeated so far in a season, with wins over 11th-ranked Oregon and 17th-ranked Texas A&M as well.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock: Bo Nix high-fiving then head coach, Nick Saban.
Hope and a bright future were on the horizon for Auburn. Bo Nix totaled 2,542 passing yards, thrown for 16 touchdowns, running for seven and had only thrown six interceptions throughout the year. He was also named the 2019 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year and was first-team SEC All-Freshman team.
But just as quickly as the hope arrived, it started to crumble.
Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham had left for the same job in Eugene, Ore. during the summer. He was then replaced by Chad Morris, who served as the team’s QB coach beforehand. He had full control of play-calling during the 2020 season and decided to change the offensive playbook to a spread scheme, rather than the run and pass option style that worked the previous year.
The 2020 season was not kind to the Tigers, as they regressed to a record of 6-5 and lost to four of their five ranked opponents. Nix slightly regressed in his stat-line as well, throwing four less touchdowns than last season while also tossing one more pick. After a mediocre sophomore season, head coach Guz Malzahn was fired and replaced with an incompetent coach, Bryan Harsin, for the 2021 season.
Things continued to get worse for the Tigers QB.
The 2021 season turned into a 6-7 record filled with benchings, injuries and subpar plays from Nix; the potential of being Auburn’s savior had long been thrown away. After beating only two ranked opponents out of five, and Nix regressing once more in terms of passing yards (2,293) and passing touchdowns (11), it seemed like Nix’s time was up.
With two years of eligibility left, Nix needed a new home.
This article will be told in three parts. Make sure to keep up with The Breeze Sports Desk for the continued story on the rises and falls of Bo Nix.