Oregon football: Should we buy Bo Nix Heisman hype in 2023?

Transferring to the Oregon football program from Auburn last year was the best career move Bo Nix has ever made.

Not only did Nix win the starting job for a team that went on to contend for a Pac-12 title and was a legit College Football Playoff contender, but he improved in every single major statistical category under Kenny Dillingham last season in the Ducks’ offense.

Prior to the 2022 season, Nix had never thrown for over 2,600 yards or 16 touchdowns and he finished his first season at Oregon with 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns.

It was clear that he thrived under Dillingham and he could thank the Oregon offensive coordinator for turning his career around drastically in a short period of time.

But now Dillingham is gone as he’s taken over as Arizona State’s next head coach and the veteran quarterback returns under yet another new offensive coordinator.

Will this affect his growth?

Should we buy the Oregon football star’s Heisman hype?

I’ll admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Nix before the 2022 season, but he looked like a completely different quarterback. He topped his previous career-high in passing yards by over 1,000, his previous career-high in touchdown passes by 13, and his previous completion percentage high by 10 percent. Just a wildly improved year for Nix.

But should we buy the Heisman hype he’s been getting this offseason and he’ll undoubtedly get in the preseason this summer?

Right now, I’d say hold off. He’ll be playing for his third different offensive coordinator in three years and he’s losing the coach who helped turn his game around. No, he won’t crumble without Dillingham, but that’s going to affect him at least a little bit.

Can Nix contend for the Heisman? Absolutely. If he continues to improve like he did in 2022, anything is possible. But he needs to show he can be a top-tier quarterback without Dillingham.