Auburn Football: Can Tigers be SEC’s surprise team in 2020?

Can Bo Nix make the jump in year two?

Head coach Guz Malzahn threw Bo Nix into the starting quarterback role in game one of 2019 and while he showed flashed of his talent, he struggled for most of last season. Nix threw for over 2,500 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, four of which were against LSU and Florida, two losses that were by a combined point total of 14 points. Luckily for Nix, he has the ability to make plays with his feet, rushing for over 300 yards and seven scores last season.

But the biggest areas of improvement for the young quarterback are accuracy and consistency. Nix completed just 58 percent of his passes and as stated before, Nix showed his skillset and talented arm from time-to-time but seemed to be overwhelmed at time in the Tigers biggest games. But Nix now has a full season of SEC football under his belt and knows what is going to be throw at him. Expect a big jump from Nix in year two.

As for the rest of the offense, their leading rusher in 2019, JaTarvious Whitlow, transferred to Western Illinois, but that should be no issue as sophomore, D.J. Williams, should step up after rushing for an average of just under five yards a carry in a limited role in 2019. At the other skill position, Bo Nix has both of his top receivers from last season returning.

But none of this matters if Auburn cannot figure out their offensive line issues. The Tigers’ offensive will have a new face starting in every spot along the line and the last thing you need is poor offensive line play with a quarterback who is trying to improve his game. Nix may show sign of regression but the blame could solely be on the lack of experience on the line.