Ty Thompson says Bo Nix's arrival at Oregon has been "a blessing"
When Bo Nix announced in December that he had opted to transfer to Oregon, it created a rift among some supporters of the program.
On one hand, the Ducks had just acquired a three-year SEC starter, and one who experienced his most successful season under Oregon’s newly-hired offensive coordinator, Kenny Dillingham.
On the other hand, Oregon has its potential quarterback of the future waiting in the wings with Ty Thompson. A former four-star signee and the top quarterback recruit in program history, Thompson was in the mix for the starting job last year before ultimately serving as Anthony Brown’s backup.
The fear among some Duck fans is that the arrival of Nix could potentially stunt Thompson’s development, or prompt him to seek playing time elsewhere.
According to Thompson, though, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Thompson met with reporters Thursday for the first time this spring on Saturday and went into detail about his growth as a player since last season ended, how he has gelled with Oregon’s new coaching staff thus far, and his reaction to Nix’s arrival.
“I think the main goal is being successful as a team,” Thompson said. “So, whether it’s me giving Bo a tip or asking him a question, or him helping me out — because he’s played a whole lot at a high level — so using Bo, and (Jay Butterfield) or coach Dillingham as resources is the best thing I could possibly do.
“I feel like being negative to your teammates, especially in the same position group can do nothing but hurt the team. That’s not what we want.”
Thompson was asked specifically what he has learned from Nix during their time working together.
“He does a great job of making things relatable to how I think. We think very similarly,” Thompson said. “I really like Bo — he’s been a blessing to me these past couple months… I’m very grateful for everything he’s done for this team and myself. Everybody likes to pin the quarterbacks against each other, especially if we’re competing. It will never be like that with me and Bo.”
Thompson was complimentary of the “humble” approach that Nix has taken since his arrival in Eugene and said the two of them are in frequent communication on a play-to-play basis during practice as they both aim to improve.
As for whether the arrival of Nix ever caused Thompson to waiver on his commitment to Oregon, he said he isn’t concerned about who he is competing with for the starting job. His primary goal is to be the best player he can be and let the cards fall where they may.
“I mean, that really doesn’t have any effect on my mentality,” Thompson said. “I’m trying to learn the offense as best I can, just execute as best I can, and let the coach’s decisions take care of themselves. I’ll do my best to put myself in the best situation, and then whatever they see fit to help the team they’ll do.”
