Why did Bo Nix transfer to Oregon?

Now quarterbacking the Oregon Ducks is former Auburn football player Bo Nix.

After three years of being the quarterback of the Auburn football team, Bo Nix now plays for the Oregon Ducks.

For an Auburn legacy player, it was strange to see Nix leave the Tigers after only three seasons down on The Plains. While they did not achieve the same level of success as they did when Patrick Nix quarterbacked the team, his son would have been the undisputed starter had he just stayed put. While he may have a better shot at a conference title in Oregon, why did Nix leave Auburn?

There is a lot more that went into his controversial decision to transfer than you would expect…

Why Bo Nix decided to transfer from Auburn to Oregon this offseason

A few factors went into this decision. The first would have to be coaching turmoil in Auburn. Gus Malzahn was not the Tigers’ head coach in 2021. Bryan Harsin did not recruit Nix, and they seemed to butt heads quite a lot last year. With both coordinators from a year ago gone at Auburn, it made sense for Nix to leave the only school he probably ever wanted to play for after graduation.

As far as Oregon is concerned, Nix competed against new head coach Dan Lanning’s defense for years when he was at Georgia. Not only that, but Lanning tabbed Kenny Dillingham as his first offensive coordinator in Eugene, a guy Nix had a previous working relationship from their time together on the 2019 Auburn team. This was a reason why heading to Oregon was so appealing.

Another factor is Oregon is infinitely more likely to win a conference championship than Auburn at this stage of the game. Even if the Ducks fall to Georgia in Atlanta on Labor Day Weekend, they are still widely seen as one of three teams who can realistically win the Pac-12, along with Utah and USC, four if you include UCLA. Auburn went 6-7 in 2021 and could finish in last in the SEC West.

Lastly, Nix needed a change of scenery. He gave his all for Auburn, but even that wasn’t enough. Nix can go to a place in need of a starting quarterback and play for championships, too. It may not hit the same as dominating in the SEC could have, but few programs in the country are as strong as Oregon is. He can help Lanning and Dillingham build on what Mario Cristobal did before them.

Ultimately, Nix has two years if he wants them at Oregon, as the 2020 COVID year does not have to count if he so chooses. Nix is playing for a big program now and one that does send players to the pros. Though Nix still has a long way to go before anybody even thinks about drafting him, there are few places better for him to land than at Oregon. Auburn may be in for a rough year, too.

From coaching changes to needing a change of scenery, that is why Nix now plays for Oregon.

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