Bulked-up Bo: Nix satisfied with offseason conditioning
Bo Nix's summer workout plans met plenty of roadblocks.
Following Auburn's Outback Bowl loss to Minnesota on New Year's Day, Nix, who had just capped the best freshman season in AU program history, said one the top goals of his impending offseason was, simply, to get bigger and stronger. To enjoy a full spring and summer in Auburn's strength program after he earned the starting QB job as a true freshman.
“This offseason I’m really focusing in on, for myself, getting bigger, stronger, faster like everybody else, and continue to have another offseason in the development stage,” Nix said more than seven months ago.
Obviously, much has changed in Nix's world since then.
He and the rest of the Tigers' spring ball was canned altogether, and a large portion of their summer workout period was spent at home during a nation-wide, COVID-19 quarantine.
"It started off really well being on campus and doing workouts," Nix said Tuesday during a Zoom call with reporters. "But in March when we got sent home it was disrupted a little bit and I had to change the plans just a little bit."
Head strength coach Ryan Russell supplied them with drills to complete in and around their homes and with any equipment they could get their hands on.
Nix was determined to make the most of it, though. He recruited his father, veteran coach and former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, along with his younger brother, Caleb, and worked every day at fields and open spaces near his home. He said his goal was to treat the quarantine period like an "NFL offseason."
In early June, Auburn players were invited back for voluntary workouts, a welcome return for the Tigers to be back face to face with their strength coaches.
Though everything the football program has done over the past two months has been limited in some way by the team's COVID-19 restrictions and regulations, Nix doesn't feel his personal conditioning goals were knocked off course. According to Auburn's roster, Nix went from 207 pounds last season to 213 this preseason.
"I feel like I’m in a great situation moving forward," Nix said of how he felt physically returning to practice Monday. "I feel like our strength staff did a great job of getting us prepared before and when they sent us home they continued to do a good job of giving us workouts to continue to do. So I was in great physical shape.
"Going out there yesterday was great. I feel great about moving forward and continue to do workouts during the season."
Now back with a football in his hands and a helmet finally back on, Nix can settle back in as he looks to take a step forward for Auburn in Year 2 as Gus Malzahn's starting QB.
But he can't worry about himself too much just yet.
"I think first I really have to make sure I put my stuff aside and make sure our team and our offense is moving in the right direction," Nix said. "(Making sure) we’re all on the same page, we have good team chemistry, we’re communicating right, we’ve got timing with the receivers, good footwork with the running backs, things like that."
Nix obviously wants to become one of the SEC's top-tier passers. But first, he has to learn — and help install, to some degree — new coordinator Chad Morris' offense. Then he has to make sure the youngsters are catching on, that no one is being left behind leading up to the Tigers' Sept. 26 season kickoff date.
That's how much Malzahn trusts his young quarterback. And Nix has no problem putting his teammates first, and allowing his self-development to fall into place as the preseason progresses.
"As long as we’re moving in the same direction, I feel completely confident that aside, my goals will take care of themselves," Nix said.
NOT A MEMBER?
JOIN AUBURNSPORTS.COM TODAY to enjoy around-the-clock content including stories, analysis, videos, podcasts, call-in shows and The Greatest Message Board In The History of The Internet.