Bo Nix staring down pressure

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1. Auburn Football

Bo Nix staring down pressure as he tries to take next step at QB for Auburn

Published: 7:00 a.m.

Auburn quarterback Bo Nix (10) passes the ball during the A-Day spring NCAA college football game, Saturday, April 17, 2021, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Julie Bennett)AP

 

 

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By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Bo Nix’s first two seasons at Auburn have been dotted with criticism — at times warranted and at others a stretch.

 

Nix, a starter for all 24 of his career games, has heard it all and has always tried to drown it out. But he knows it’s there, and it likely always will be, to some extent, regardless of how he performs on the field.

 

“In college, I feel like no matter what side you’re on, you could get bad-mouthed and criticized,” Nix said. “It goes with the territory. I knew coming to Auburn what I was going to face. I knew it was going to be difficult… So, each and every time, every moment of criticism, you’ve just got to reflect on where you are and what you’re doing.”

 

For Nix, the where is simple: He’s entering his junior year at Auburn, his third season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback — and with a third different offensive coordinator (Mike Bobo), a new head coach (Bryan Harsin) and a considerably different offensive system. As for what he’s doing? The former five-star is aiming to put two seasons of inconsistency behind him and take that next step forward at quarterback.

 

 

Since being named Auburn’s starting quarterback as a true freshman in 2019, beating out Malik Willis and Joey Gatewood over the course of spring and fall practices that year, Nix’s time as QB1 has been a rollercoaster ride. He has delivered some indelible highs, like his game-winning touchdown pass against Oregon in his first career game, as well as one last season against Ole Miss. There have also been the frustrating lows, like his three-interception performances in road losses to Florida and South Carolina the last two seasons.

 

His performance has often oscillated between good-to-great and mediocre, as he has completed 58.7 percent of his career passes — yet to eclipse the 60 percent mark in a season — for 4,957 yards, 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has, at times, forced throws that weren’t there or not put enough trust in his offensive line.

 

 

“Bo has always been a great quarterback,” running back Shaun Shivers said. “I can tell that he’s more locked in, he’s more focused. And even the people around him, Coach Harsin and Coach Bobo have coached him hard. They’re on him every play, and you can just see that each and every day, he progresses.”

 

 

Harsin and Bobo have their share of success stories at quarterback throughout their careers. Harsin developed the likes of Kellen Moore and Brett Rypien during his time at Boise State, while Bobo’s tenure at Georgia saw him mentor David Greene, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray.

 

 

The two hope to make Nix their next star pupil, a process that began in earnest during spring practices. Though Bobo is Auburn’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Harsin has been hands-on with the position this offseason. The two have worked closely with Nix on improving his fundamentals, from drops and footwork, to mechanics as a passer. They’ve harped on his attention to detail — from meetings and preparation to pre-snap reads — and his consistency on a snap-to-snap basis, as well as the need to be vulnerable in how he accepts coaching.

 

 

Nix has welcomed the challenge and the instruction from the new staff, and he is feeling more comfortable in the offense this fall than he did in the spring. He knows where to go with the ball and believes the offense has answers for just about anything that may arise. Everything is becoming second-nature to him at this point, like muscle memory.

 

“He leaves no stone unturned,” Bobo said. “…I’ve been impressed with Bo. He’s hungry. He wants to win. He loves Auburn University. And I think all those things are important, and this is a guy who’s started two years here but is still being vulnerable and understanding that he still has a lot he has to work on.”

 

 

That comes down to repetition, that attention to detail and understanding both the fundamentals and nuances of the position and the offense. So, while Nix has progressed in Bobo’s eyes, only time will tell how far he can come in Year 1 of this new era on the Plains.

 

 

“The number one thing for me, you never get away from talking fundamentals,” Bobo said. “You’ve never arrived. You’re always looking at the fundamentals of each play, your drop and where your eyes are and how you set your hips. All those little things we talk about. A scheme is a scheme but doing the fundamentals over and over is the main thing with him and I like where he’s at. There’s a lot of improvement to be made, but he’s made a lot of improvement the short time we’ve been here.”

 

Now the pressure is on Nix to take that next step this season, but he isn’t flinching in the face of it. Rather, he’s confident he can meet it head-on.

 

 

“I think pressure is a privilege, so all the added pressure is just more of an honor to be at Auburn playing quarterback,” Nix said. “…I grew up kind of understanding that being Auburn’s quarterback would have a lot of pressure and would come with a lot of pressure, but I’m excited.”

 

 

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

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Think our beat writers are getting a little starved for material. This article is just regurgitating weeks old quotes.