For Bo Nix, historic crowning as QB1 is 'dream come true'

By Bo Nix's demeanor, it wasn't apparent he's a true freshman about to start in the SEC.

Nix, Auburn's 19-year-old starting quarterback, was poised and confident with every response in his first moments in the spotlight as Auburn's QB1, providing insight about his preparation, his fall camp, his win in the QB battle over Joey Gatewood and his legacy as the son of Auburn great Patrick Nix.

By all accounts, Nix's crowning is momentous. He's the first true freshman set to start a season opener for the orange and blue in 73 years.

But he's been ready for this moment for as long as he can remember.

“Well, obviously, it’s a dream come true," Nix told reporters Tuesday. "I’ve always wanted to play quarterback at Auburn. It’s a goal of mine that I’ve had for a long, long time; as far as I can remember. All the way back to throwing the football in the backyard with my dad, I wanted to play quarterback at Auburn. So it was just an awesome moment. You honestly couldn’t write it any better.”

A former 5-star prospect and the top quarterback signee of the Gus Malzahn era, Nix was specially groomed for this role since his childhood. 2018's Mr. Football in the state, he was coached by his father in high school as he broke Alabama state records for total yards and total touchdowns.

As a result Nix's mechanics and approach to the game were well beyond his years from the get-go. Tigers offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham said as much last week. Teammates raved all fall about how Nix looks like everything but a rookie when he gets the ball in his right hand.

"It was a good situation," Nix said. "I came in at a good situation, and our coaches, Coach Malzahn and Coach Dillingham, they did a really good job of getting me prepared quickly.”

Though the rest of the team has been beaming with confidence this fall that either of the quarterbacks are capable of making the offense successful, Nix admittedly has a tough task of being an off-the-field leader for a mostly veteran squad as a true freshman.

His planned approach? Focusing on the "little things."

"If you’re the leader of your team, if you’re the quarterback, then they expect a whole lot out of you," Nix said. "And so if you’re not necessarily having a great day, you have to find ways to lead that’ll allow them to listen, and if you’re not having a good day then you can’t really harp on them about getting the little things done.

"You kind of just have to encourage them and say, ‘Hey guys, I’ll fix my problems, and just keep going, and let’s just try to fix it as a whole.’ ... Just finding little, sudden ways to lead, if that’s just an individual person, or the whole group, whenever somebody needs a leader, just be there for him."

Nix and the new-look Auburn offense will battle Oregon in the season opener on the last day of the month.

College GameDay will get Dallas-Fort Worth buzzing in the morning. Nix will take his first snap in a monster NFL stadium in a prime-time, nationally televised matchup, with a Heisman hopeful QB on the other sideline.

Nix doesn't want it any other way.

“I guess it’s as good as you can write up," Nix said. "But College GameDay for a freshman walking in, it’s your first game — some people view that as tough, but I kind of see it as fun just because it’s what you prepare for. I mean, why else would you play if you can’t play at the highest atmosphere, environment and all that stuff? It will be fun, and we’ll be ready to go.”