If Bo Nix actually does end up transferring from the Auburn football program, a large swath of Tiger fans ought to be ashamed of their behavior that led to that.
Nix has been a lightning rod all season and has caught the blame for the team’s early-season loss to Penn State–which could alternatively be contributed to play-calling gaffes by Mike Bobo and a phantom Zakoby McClain targeting call on fourth and goal that would have given AU the ball back down one with over 12 minutes left to go–and the team’s near-loss to Georgia State a week later that required TJ Finley to come in and save the day in the fourth quarter.
That GA State game lost goodwill with many fans, but Nix’s performances against LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss in wins, and even against Mississippi State in a loss, where he threw for a career-high 377 passing yards, should have won it back.
But some look at the legacy QB, son of Patrick Nix, and don’t want him to succeed. And that treatment actually has Nix considering the unthinkable:
A quick update on Bo Nix, as he’s weighing his options on returning to Auburn next season or exploring other options —
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) November 28, 2021
For our subscribers (On3+) @AuburnLiveOn3 https://t.co/1eldmfg1MB
If Nix decides that he doesn’t want to continue being treated the way he has, and decides the pressure of playing on the Plains isn’t worth the slander he sees on a constant basis, these 5 schools that previously registered interest in the former 5-star dual-threat could be potential transfer portal landing spots:
Auburn football QB Bo Nix transfer option #1: Florida
Dan Mullen is now out as the Florida head coach, but he wasn’t the one who initially discussed brining Bo Nix down to the ‘Swamp’ to begin with.
It was Jim McElwain who offered Nix after an unofficial visit to Gainesville. Billy Napier is the man in charge now, and with no clear #1 option for the Gators under center after so-so years for Anthony Richards and Emory Jones, Nix could mark the beginning of a new era for historical powerhouse Florida.
Auburn football QB Bo Nix transfer option #2: LSU
We don’t even know who is going to replace ‘Coach O’ on the Bayou, but we know that LSU has the benefit of a recent National Championship and one of the most ready-made recruiting pitches for a program stocked with resources.
Nix has lauded Tiger Stadium for how tough of a place it is to play in with its deafening noise, and given his criticism of Tiger fans’ poor showing against Mississippi State–where the student section was almost empty at halftime–perhaps Nix could revisit LSU as an option even with uncertainty as to who will be calling the plays in Death Valley.
Auburn football QB Bo Nix transfer option #3: Oklahoma
The other two coaching changes truly pale in comparison to what happened in Norman, Oklahoma over the weekend.
Lincoln Riley promised his Oklahoma Sooners and future commits that he wasn’t going anywhere. He assured the media he wasn’t going to take the LSU job…and then he turned around and took a fat check from USC’s boosters.
Brent Venables appears poised to replace him, but current starter Caleb Williams reportedly always wanted to play for Riley and Spencer Rattler has already entered the transfer portal.
There could be an opening at one of the premier pillar programs in the country, and Nix could escape the SEC, given his final years of eligibility would be before OU makes the jump to the nation’s toughest conference.
Auburn football QB Bo Nix transfer option #4: Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin has successfully turned the Ole Miss program around and transformed it into one of the top teams in the entire SEC. In just two years, no less.
Fresh off their first 10-win season in school history, the Rebels will need to figure out how to replace the potentially NFL-bound senior Matt Corral, who put his name into the running for the Heisman trophy with 3,334 passing yards, 597 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 20 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Bo Nix would be in a good spot under Lane Kiffin’s tutelage. If the NFL is his ultimate goal, Kiffin’s high-octane offense could be the best way to pump up his stats to get there.
Auburn football QB Bo Nix transfer option #5: Cincinnati
With Desmond Ridder likely NFL-bound himself, Cincinnati could be due for a drop-off in the coming years with no immediate star replacement waiting in the wings.
Of course, their undefeated 2021 season heading into the AAC Championship against Houston is a major pull for any prospective transfer targets/recruits, and if Luke Fickell can resist jumping ship to a current Power Five program, the Bearcats figure to be one of the best landing spots for a QB looking to dominate a Group of Five conference en route to the pros.
Nix would escape all of the scrutiny of the SEC and join a program that would simply be happy to have him…unlike much of his current fanbase on the Plains.