Bo Nix is uncertain about his plans for next season, but the injured Auburn quarterback did not shoot down the possibility of not being on the Plains in 2022.
Nix, a three-year starter for the Tigers until he fractured his ankle earlier this month against Mississippi State, was asked about his intentions for next year during his weekly appearance on The Next Round radio show. Specifically, Nix was given a chance to dispel any rumors that he is considering entering the transfer portal this offseason and if he was set to return to Auburn next season.
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“Well, it’s definitely my school,” Nix said. “I’m graduating in a couple of weeks. I’m graduating in three years; that was my goal coming in, so Auburn is definitely my school. I think it will always be my school, but obviously right now, I’m just trying to get healthy. I’m not sure what next year looks like. I got to get my ankle better first. I got to make sure that I can play and get back to my normal self.”
Nix started 34 consecutive games at quarterback for Auburn dating back to the season opener during his freshman season in 2019. He has completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 7,251 yards, 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. His career as Auburn’s QB1 has been one of impressive highs and frustrating lows, as he struggled to find consistency at times -- particularly through his first two seasons.
This season, Nix showed growth while working under head coach Bryan Harsin and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, finding comfort in the Tigers’ new-look offensive scheme. He completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,294 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions in 10 games, and he also rushed for 158 yards and four scores.
His season ended during Auburn’s loss to Mississippi State two weeks ago, when he sustained an ankle injury that required surgery and apparently threw his future with the program into doubt. Though Nix did not put to rest any talk of him transferring from Auburn this offseason and remained noncommittal about his plans beyond this season, he said his focus in the coming weeks is his upcoming graduation from Auburn, helping the team with bowl game preparations as best he can and working on his rehab process.
“I think a lot of juniors are in the same boat,” Nix said. “Well, not just juniors, but guys that came back for a COVID year and still have another year of eligibility. There’s a lot of things that guys can do nowadays, and I’m not sure what that is for me, but like I said, I want to get my ankle better and worry about that in the future.”
Nix’s ultimate goal is to make it to the NFL, and he listed it as one of the factors at play when considering his future options.
“That’s got a lot to do with it moving on in the future, and then looking back, we’ll just see what’s going on, what has changed, and then make a decision from there,” Nix said. “It’s too big of a decision to make in about a week or over the phone on an interview.”
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.
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