College Football: 5 surprise QBs who’ll contend for 2020 Heisman Trophy

2. Bo Nix, Auburn

No quarterback was more up-and-down in 2019 than Auburn’s Bo Nix. That’s not a big slight or major criticism against him, it’s just the reality of being a true freshman quarterback, with a first-year offensive coordinator, in the SEC.

There were three games in which Nix’s completion percentage was in the 40s, including that memorable season-opener against Oregon. Of course, true to the up-and-down form, he played a fantastic fourth quarter and threw a game-winning touchdown to Seth Williams in that same contest.

As the season went on, however, Nix got better. His completion percentage didn’t fall below 60 in four of the Tigers’ final five games, and his passer rating never fell below 100 once November came around.

Also, most importantly, even through those early struggles, the interception totals stayed down. He was saddled with the unfortunate nickname “Bo Picks” after one tough day at Florida, but that is far from accurate. Nix didn’t throw a pick in 10 of the Tigers’ 13 games, and he only threw one against the eventual national champs in LSU at Death Valley.

On the season, Nix’s numbers were impressive for a player that was still in high school at the beginning of the 2019 calendar year. He threw for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns with only seven interceptions, and he added 313 rushing yards and seven scores on 97 carries.

After getting through year one, and having a chance to exhale and absorb that rollercoaster year, Nix should make a huge leap in 2020. He’ll become a far more efficient passer, and he’s already displayed the athleticism to be a tremendous dual-threat quarterback.