Bo Nix evaluates his comfort level entering second season at Oregon

The Oregon football team is looking toward Bo Nix for even greater leadership this season. After having the most impressive season of his college career in his first year with Oregon, 2023 is set to be even more special for Nix and company out on the west coast.

Once he found his footing behind the scenes after transferring into the program from Auburn, Nix settled into his role as a leader on and off the field and his stellar season is a testiment to that.

“I feel a lot more comfortable, just because I’ve been here for a year,” Nix said after Oregon’s spring game. “I know everyone much better, I know where everything is, I know the schedule. … Now, everybody’s looking at me now, so it’s important that I take being comfortable and use it in a good way.”

That comfortability has seen Nix become more of a vocal leader behind the scenes, according to Ducks head coach Dan Lanning. Last year he was earning the respect of everyone, and now that he’s done just that, Lanning expects those leadership qualities to carry over onto the field.

“The ability to be vocal and know that he doesn’t have to wait for somebody to say ‘Hey, go ahead and say it.’ [Nix] is willing to do that,” Lanning said. “And he’s done a good job of that.”

If last season is any indication, the Pac-12 better watch out for the Ducks this season. In 2022, Nix set career highs across the board in his first season at Oregon to finish with a passer rating of 165.7. His completion percentage of 71.9% was more than 10% higher than any other season in his career to rank second in the country. On the year, passed for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

He led the Ducks to an 8-1 start to the season and had them receiving College Football Playoff consideration in early November as they climbed as high as No. 6 in the rankings. However, they went 1-2 in their final three games of the regular season, dropping contests to Washington and Oregon State to fall out of the Pac-12 title race.

Nix will look to avenge those tough losses during the 2023 season and take the Ducks back to the Pac-12 Championship game for the fourth time in five years. Oregon will kick the new season off on Sept. 2 at home against Portland State.