EUGENE, Ore. — When Auburn quarterback Bo Nix transferred out west to Eugene to join the Oregon Ducks ahead of the 2022 college football season, his arrival was met with trepidation by the fan base.
But after a tremendous campaign, where he led the Ducks to a 10-3 record and a Holiday Bowl victory, everyone was thrilled to see Nix return for a final go round in 2023.
Nix was given the fifth highest odds to win the Heisman Trophy this upcoming season, per FanDuel, and Locked on Ducks host Spencer McLaughlin laid out his path to doing so on the latest episode of the podcast.
"Winning the Heisman Trophy is about more than just having a great season individually," McLaughlin said. "You have to have the right confluence of events, you have to have the right momentum, and you have to have the right story to tell."
Nix will have plenty of competition for college football's highest honor, including from his own conference. Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, returns to man the quarterback position for Lincoln Riley and USC, while UW's Michael Penix Jr. and Utah's Cam Rising will be in the conversation as well.
Nix will not only have to put up absolutely elite numbers to outlast Williams, Penix and the rest, but the Ducks likely need to secure a spot in the CFP for Nix to garner any serious consideration, much like they did in 2014 the last time an Oregon quarterback, Marcus Mariota, took home the hardware.
Oregon's season will kick off in Eugene on September 2 against Portland State.