Auburn football quarterback Bo Nix enters transfer portal
AUBURN — Bo Nix, a legacy Auburn football player and three-year starting quarterback, has entered the transfer portal as of Sunday night, he announced on Instagram.
"I have loved Auburn from the moment I knew Auburn," he said in a video. "All I ever wanted to do was win a championship for Auburn. I can truthfully say that I've given everything that I have for that goal and have played in so many games because of it. Auburn has allowed me to fulfill my lifelong dream of playing in Jordan-Hare and wearing the 'AU' on my helmet. It has allowed me to compete in the SEC and be in some historical atmospheres."
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Nix finishes his Auburn career third in school history with 7,251 passing yards and sixth all-time with 39 touchdowns.
On a radio appearance in November, Nix said "I’m not sure what next year looks like" and that he had not made a decision yet to stay or leave. In his video, he indicated that his entrance into the transfer portal means he will not be returning to Auburn for his senior season. Nix graduated in December.
"When I came to Auburn, I planned on doing two things: I wanted to play football and graduate," he said in the video. "I was fortunate enough to do both. I didn't truly understand how to appreciate my degree from Auburn until I received it. And I realized it was one of the most special honors I could have gotten.
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"Because of that, this decision has been the toughest that I've ever made. I've made so many decisions for Auburn, and now it's time to do what's best for me. It's time that I move on to the next chapter in my life. To reach further goals, I've decided that it's best to be a grad transfer and find a new start somewhere else. I make this decision with a heavy heart and a lot of growing pain. A wise man once told me that in order to be great, we have to take risks. I don't know what the next chapter of my life looks like, but I do know that whatever it is, God has ordered my steps and he has a plan for me like he does for everyone else."
Nix also had the option to try playing professionally next year. He has said that reaching in the NFL is his ultimate goal that guides his decision-making process.
If he had returned to Auburn, he would have been working with his fourth offensive coordinator in as many years after the firing of Mike Bobo. Nix stayed at Auburn for the 2021 season after the school fired Gus Malzahn, the head coach who recruited Nix.
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His junior season ended with a broken ankle in the second half of Auburn's 43-34 loss to Mississippi State on Nov. 13. This was his best year in completion percentage (61%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (11-to-3) and ESPN quarterback rating (130.0).
Nix is the son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, who also coached his son at Pinson Valley High School.
"I'm going to miss the moments I've had as an Auburn Tiger," Nix said in the video. "To my teammates, my coaches and my friends who have been a part of this journey and who have been with me along the way, thank you. I got the experience of a lifetime, and I have accomplished my goal."
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football quarterback Bo Nix enters transfer portal
