Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix Named a Finalist For the Heisman Trophy

750 THE GAME STAFF

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix is headed to New York as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most prestigious individual award and one of the most honored trophies in sports.

Nix is accompanied by Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix, Jr., whose team just defeated Nix and the Ducks for a second time this season and third time in a row, in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Huskies are the No. 2 team in the CFP Rankings and will face No. 3 Texas in the playoff semifinals at the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Nix and Oregon finished No. 8 in the rankings and will face No. 25 Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona on Jan. 1st.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. He joins Nix and Penix Jr. in New York, as does Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Nix becomes the fourth Oregon Ducks player to be named a finalist for the trophy, joining Joey Harrington (2001), LaMichael James (2010), and Marcus Mariota who became the only Duck to ever win the Heisman in the 2014 season.

More from the University of Oregon athletics press release:

Nix Named Heisman Trophy Finalist After Historic Season

NEW YORK — Bo Nix is officially a finalist for the 2023 Heisman Memorial Trophy.

On the strength of one of the greatest seasons in program history, Oregon’s quarterback will be one of four student-athletes in New York City this Saturday when college football’s most prestigious award crowns its 87th winner.

Nix will be joined in New York by LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Nix and Penix Jr. give the Pac-12 Conference two Heisman finalists in the same year for the first time since 2010.

Nix becomes the fourth Heisman Trophy finalist in program history, and will look to join Marcus Mariota (2014) as the only Ducks ever to win the award. Joey Harrington was the program’s first-ever finalist in 2001, and LaMichael James was a finalist in 2010.

In his fifth and final season of eligibility, Nix has been phenomenal while guiding the No. 8 Ducks to an 11-2 overall record and a berth in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Nix leads the nation with an incredible 77.2 completion percentage (336-of-435), giving him a chance to break the NCAA single-season record of 77.4 set by Mac Jones (Alabama, 2020) when Oregon faces Liberty on Jan. 1 in Glendale, Ariz.

Nix’s 336 completions also lead the nation and are the most in UO single-season history, and he is tied for the FBS lead with 40 touchdown passes. Nix ranks second nationally in passing yards per game (318.8), passing yards (4,145), passer rating (186.24) and total touchdowns (46), and is third in total yards per game (336.4).

With 40 touchdown passes and just three interceptions, Nix joins Justin Fields (Ohio State, 2019) as the only FBS quarterbacks since at least 2000 to have 40-or-more passing touchdowns and no more than three picks through 13 games. He is the only player in the nation this season to account for at least six total touchdowns multiple times, and has thrown for multiple touchdowns in all 13 games with eight games of three-plus TD passes.

Nix matched the UO single-game record with a career-high six touchdown passes in Oregon’s win at Arizona State, and he tied his career-high with six total TDs (four passing, two rushing) in a win over California. The Pinson, Ala., native also became the first Duck ever to throw for 400 yards in back-to-back games with 412 against USC and 404 at Arizona State.

Nix was especially good in the second half of the season, leading the nation since Week 7 in total touchdowns (28), total yards (2,476), passing touchdowns (23), passing yards per game (335.6) and completion percentage (75.4). During the month of November, Nix led the country in passing touchdowns (16), passing yards per game (392.3) and completion percentage (79.0).

Despite playing just two seasons at Oregon, Nix has made his mark on the program’s all-time record book. He ranks third in career passing touchdowns (69), third in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (20), fifth in passing yards (7,738), fifth in completions (630) and tied for seventh in wins (21). Nix’s 74.6 career completion percentage as a Duck will shatter Mariota’s current all-time record of 66.8.

The most experienced starting quarterback in NCAA history with 60 career starts, Nix ranks fourth all-time in total yards (16,596), tied for sixth in total touchdowns (147), seventh in completions (1,258), seventh in passing yards (14,989) and 21st in passing touchdowns (108). He is the first player in FBS history to account for at least 55 total touchdowns at two different schools, recording 39 touchdowns passing and 18 rushing over three seasons at Auburn before coming to Oregon.

Nix will be in Las Vegas on Tuesday as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy before heading to New York for the Heisman Trophy festivities. The winner of the 2023 Heisman Memorial Trophy will be announced live on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN