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, reached the Pac-12 Championship Game, and left as a first-round NFL Draft pick. No player in Oregon history compressed more winning into fewer years.
Oregon record. NCAA completion percentage record (77.45%). Just 3 interceptions.
thequackreport.com
2024
Thank You Bo Nix
The farewell. What Nix meant to Oregon in two years cannot be overstated.
Via YouTube
2013-2023
Oregon Ducks Greatest Plays 2013-2023
A decade of Oregon football at its best. Nix, Mariota, Herbert, and more.
Via YouTube
The Legacy
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 Game appearance and Fiesta Bowl win, 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. 74 passing TDs. 10 interceptions total. Pac-12 CG appearance (2023, lost to Washington 34-31). 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
Regular season blowout. Nix threw for 4 TDs in a 29-point demolition. Oregon's most dominant conference win of the 2023 season.
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.
In His Own Words
On transferring to Oregon: 'It has been one of the best decisions I could have ever made. The Lord ordered my steps and all I had to do was just follow. He has been so good to me, probably too good to be honest with you, but I would not trade the last two years for anything.' That is Nix. Grateful, competitive, deeply faith-driven. He came from Auburn where things had gone sideways and found a home in Eugene. 45 touchdowns. 3 interceptions. A Fiesta Bowl win. And then he hugged Marcus Mariota on an NFL field after a Broncos game, two Oregon QBs from different eras connected by the same program. The photo went viral. The pipeline is not just talent. It is family.
Nix and Mariota after an NFL game. Two Oregon QBs. Different eras. Same family.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Bo Nix threw 74 passing touchdowns in two seasons at Oregon (2022-2023). His 2023 season set the Oregon single-season record with 45 touchdown passes and just 3 interceptions. He also rushed for 20 touchdowns across both seasons.
The Denver Broncos selected Bo Nix with the #12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was the second quarterback taken after Caleb Williams. Nix became the highest-drafted Oregon QB since Marcus Mariota went #2 overall in 2015.
Bo Nix went 22-5 as starting quarterback at Oregon across two seasons (2022-2023). He reached the Pac-12 Championship Game in the conference's final season (lost to Washington 34-31) and led the Ducks to a Holiday Bowl win and a Fiesta Bowl win.
No. Despite setting the Oregon single-season record with 45 TDs in 2023 and leading the highest-scoring offense in Pac-12 history, Nix finished 3rd in Heisman voting behind Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. He held the NCAA completion percentage record (77.45%) during his time at Oregon.
