Quarterback Bo Nix arrived at Auburn with high expectations, and while he flashed next-level potential, his lack of consistency left many Tigers’ fans wanting more. Despite these inconsistencies, in three seasons as the starter with Auburn he did pass for 7,251 yards and 39 touchdowns while rushing for 869 yards and 18 touchdowns. After the 2021 season Nix decided he needed a fresh start, with an eventual commitment to Oregon over Ole Miss.
But what would have happened if he signed with Ole Miss instead of the Ducks?
Coming into the 2022 season, there was mostly curiosity regarding Nix and his potential at Oregon. However, that curiosity quickly turned into excitement in Eugene as he put together his best collegiate season to date. Leading the Ducks to a 10-3 season, while dealing with an injury during the last couple of games of the season, he still passed for 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns. Both of these were career highs, as well as his 71.9% completion rate. On top of that, Nix also rushed for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns, also career highs.
At Ole Miss, the Rebels signed Jaxson Dart (USC) after missing out on Nix. He had a productive season in Oxford, passing for 2,974 yards and 20 touchdowns, while rushing for 614 yards and one touchdown.
Nix did not seem like a big miss for the Rebels at first, but looking back at how everything turned out it is hard to argue that he would not have made a bigger impact at Ole Miss than Dart. While Nix’s numbers were likely inflated by playing against PAC-12 defenses on a weekly basis, his improvement and overall play was dynamic enough that he would’ve added an extra dimension to the Ole Miss offense. It is also worth noting that since the conclusion of the 2022 season, the Rebels have added two additional notable transfer quarterbacks to the roster, Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU), so Dart’s future as a starter is already being challenged.
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