With Jarrett Stidham gone to the NFL, head coach Gus Malzahn was in a pickle. For the first time in two years, the Auburn Tigers entered spring practice without a front-runner at quarterback, and with Malzahn's job about as safe as this guy surfing on a motorcycle, the right decision needed to be made.
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Ultimately, Auburn University's starting quarterback race would come down to two people. It would either be redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood or true freshman Bo Nix leading the Tigers against the Oregon Ducks in Week 1. With a massive ESPN College GameDay showdown looming, Malzahn has made his decision.
Bo Nix was officially named starting quarterback of the Auburn Tigers to begin the 2019 season. When the Tigers face Oregon at AT&T Stadium, Bo Nix will become the first true freshman to start Auburn's season opener since 1946.
Who is Bo Nix?
Hailing from Pinson Valley High School in Alabama, Bo Nix is the son of an Auburn legend. From 1992-95, Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix appeared in 32 games, throwing for 4,957 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, as well as leading Terry Bowden's team to a 9-1-1 record and top-10 finish in 1994. He's now the head football coach at Pinson Valley, where his son grew into one of the most coveted high school quarterbacks in the country.
As a senior, Nix led the Pinson Valley Indians to its second-straight Class 6A state championship while throwing for nearly 3,500 yards and 48 touchdowns. Nix broke the Alabama high school state record for career touchdowns (161), became the state's first player ever to throw more than 12,000 career yards, was named a five-star recruit, and finished as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite Score.
He was named a MaxPreps All-American and looks to prove he's the real deal as a true freshman star.
Auburn begins the college football season with a bang, and their SEC schedule will be as tough as ever with road games against Texas A&M, Florida and LSU, plus they host both Georgia and Alabama at Jordan-Hare stadium in two of the final three weeks.
Alabama's Mr. Football 2018 has officially arrived on the national stage, and his 16th-ranked team is ready for the next chapter of Auburn football.
