Analyst: Ex-Auburn QB’s Heisman chances just went up in smoke
Former Auburn football quarterback Bo Nix may have just seen his 2023 Heisman odds go up in smoke based on a superstition according to OutKick’s Grayson Weir — who believes the Oregon star is going to go the way of Joey Harrington, who also had a billboard put up ahead of the 2000 season only to end up in fourth place.
“Despite such a strong year, Harrington finished fourth in Heisman voting behind Ken Dorsey, Rex Grossman and Eric Crouch,” Weir prefaced before saying, “That was after Oregon put up a billboard in New York prior to the season. Harrington credits his invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony to the billboard. But he didn’t win.
“Nix is now in the same position. The PR move is great, and an 11-win season that leads Nix to become the No. 4 overall draft pick like Harrington would be even better. However, if history is to repeat itself, the Nix-focused billboard does not bode well for him winning.”
The billboard is one that should get Nix a plethora of extra publicity per a report from AL.com’s Mark Heim.
“OUTFRONT, the advertising firm that controls the billboard, claims the billboard is ‘the largest outdoor advertisement of its kind in the area’ and that it generates nearly 600,000 weekly impressions,” Heim wrote.
Ex-Auburn football star Bo Nix speaks on transfer to Oregon
In July, Nix spoke about his decision to transfer from the Auburn football program to Oregon; calling it a “blessing.”
“Being a graduate transfer really set my career up for success,” Nix prefaced before saying, “And I was able to choose a place like Oregon and go and be a fit to them and be that extra piece that they were needing for their puzzle. I think NIL because there are so many people that have done it before me, I really take pride in what I’ve had the opportunity to do. Being a quarterback, not only at Auburn but at Oregon, is a valuable thing. It really is nothing to be taken for granted. It’s a blessing to be a part of.”
That blessing has resulted in a renaissance season in 2022, a billboard, and whatever comes next. It all most likely ends up in a 2024 NFL draft selection.