Bo Nix: Two Conferences, Two Championships
The transfer who changed the trajectory of Oregon football.
Bo Nix transferred from Auburn to Oregon in 2022 and immediately became the most important player on the roster. In two seasons, he threw 72 touchdowns, won two conference championships in two different conferences, and left as a first-round NFL Draft pick. No player in Oregon history compressed more winning into fewer years.
Season by Season
YearRecordPass YdsPass TDsINTsRush YdsRush TDs
202210-33,38829751014
202312-24,1434532406
72
Passing TDs
2 seasons at Oregon
45
TDs in 2023
Oregon single-season record
22-5
Record as Starter
#12
NFL Draft Pick
Denver Broncos, 2024
Why He Mattered
When Nix transferred from Auburn, Oregon was coming off a humbling 49-3 loss to Georgia in the 2022 opener. Lanning needed a proven quarterback to stabilize the program. Nix gave him that and more. The 2023 season, with its 45-TD campaign and Pac-12 championship, is the bridge between the old Oregon and the current one. Without Nix, the recruiting momentum that followed does not happen.
The Washington Game
The defining loss of the Nix era. 2023 regular season finale. Washington 36, Oregon 33. Bo Nix had 45 TDs that season. Michael Penix Jr. was just better that day. Washington went to the national title game. Oregon went to the Fiesta Bowl. It was Lanning's first real taste of 'almost.' The pattern of close-but-not-quite that defines modern Oregon starts here.
Career at Oregon
Two years. 22-5 record. 72 passing TDs. 10 interceptions total. Pac-12 champion (2023). Big Ten transition year (implicitly, he helped bridge the gap). 45 TDs in 2023 is tied for the most in a single season in Oregon history. He left Oregon as a first-round pick, starting for the Denver Broncos as a rookie.
Key Games
2022
Georgia 49, Oregon 3
Lanning's first game as head coach. Nix's Oregon debut. Humbling opener in Atlanta against the defending national champions. Oregon went 10-1 the rest of the way.
2023
Oregon 35, Utah 6
Pac-12 Championship. Nix dominated. Oregon clinched the conference title and a Fiesta Bowl berth.
2023
Oregon 45, Liberty 6
Fiesta Bowl. Oregon crushed Liberty to cap the 12-2 season. Nix's final college game.
2023
Washington 36, Oregon 33
Regular season finale. The game that kept Oregon out of the CFP. Nix had 45 TDs that season but Michael Penix Jr. was better that day.
2022
Oregon 28, UNC 27
Holiday Bowl. Nix's first bowl win at Oregon. A 1-point thriller to cap the 10-3 debut season.
Career Highlights
Record
NCAA Single-Season Completion % Record (2023)
Completed 77.45% of his passes in 2023, breaking Mac Jones's NCAA single-season record. 4,508 passing yards (Oregon record). 45 TDs (Oregon record). Just 3 INTs.
Record
3rd in Heisman Voting (2023)
Finished behind Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. Named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. 51 total TDs led the nation.
Game
Fiesta Bowl: 28-of-35, 363 Yards, 5 TDs
His final college game. Oregon crushed Liberty 45-6, the most lopsided result in Fiesta Bowl history. Chose not to skip the bowl game despite being a projected first-round pick.
Game
412 Yards and 4 TDs vs USC (2023)
ESPN called it a 'Heisman-worthy performance.' One of the signature games of his 45-TD season.
Game
Career-High 6 TDs in a Single Game
Completed 24-of-29 for 404 yards and 6 TDs, tying the Oregon all-time single-game record.
Game
Georgia 49, Oregon 3: The Beginning
Nix's Oregon debut. 21-of-37 for 173 yards and 2 INTs. The most humbling start imaginable. Oregon went 10-1 the rest of the season.
Game
Holiday Bowl: Fourth-Down Game-Winner
Oregon 28, UNC 27. Threw a 6-yard TD to Chase Cota on fourth down with 19 seconds left. The game-winning drive covered 79 yards in 8 plays.
NFL
Broncos Franchise QB as a Rookie
Started all 17 games plus 1 playoff game. 3,775 yards, 29 TDs, 12 INTs. Set Broncos rookie records for completions, passing yards, and passing TDs. Led Denver to the postseason.
The Person
Born February 25, 2000, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Son of Patrick Nix, who quarterbacked Auburn from 1992-1995 (graduated as Auburn's career leader in passing efficiency). Grandfather Conrad Nix was a longtime high school football coach. Bo played under his father as head coach at Pinson Valley High School (12,000+ total yards, 161 TDs in high school). Played three seasons at Auburn (2019-2021). SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019. Led the 48-45 Iron Bowl upset over Alabama. Went 11-11 as a starter. Described himself as 'miserable' under coach Bryan Harsin. Entered the transfer portal December 12, 2021.
NFL
Drafted #12 overall by the Denver Broncos in 2024. Starting QB from day one. The Broncos bet on the same thing Oregon bet on: that Nix's combination of athleticism, accuracy, and competitive fire would translate.
Sources: Sports Reference, 247Sports, GoDucks.com
What's your favorite Bo Nix moment at Oregon?
you hear it building...
end of the third quarter...
54,000 on their feet
AUTZEN IS SHAKING
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