AUBURN, Ala. – As a student of the game and aspiring coach, junior quarterback Bo Nix embraces the opportunity to learn from Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
"I really enjoy learning anything I can about football," Nix said. "I've had four coaches but they've also taught me completely different things which has been great for my development."
Nix, the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2019 and one of Auburn's team captains as a sophomore in 2020, has totaled 28 touchdown passes and 14 rushing touchdowns in 24 games in his first two seasons.
"Every part of my game I want to get better," said Nix, who enters his junior season with 4,957 career passing yards. "I want to be consistent, especially from the pocket. This spring is going to be really good because last year we didn't have one.
"What I'm really focusing on is my technique and my attention to detail, making every rep and every play count."
Auburn returns its entire offensive line and running backs Tank Bigsby, the 2020 SEC Freshman of the Year, and fellow 2020 offensive captain Shaun Shivers. The Tigers will replace most of their production at receiver, with the trio of Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove embarking on pro careers.
"They had good reps last year," Nix said of his new receiving corps. "They learned from the guys ahead of them. They're ready to go and they're excited for their opportunity. Those guys are extremely competitive like I am so they're going to do whatever it takes to be ready so they can compete at a high level.
"I'm working on focusing on myself, making sure I'm transitioning well with the new offense and I know what I'm supposed to do so eventually I can start helping those guys. This spring, it's their time to grow, too. I've got to be there for them and be consistent on my end and put the ball where it needs to be and help those guys grow."
Change, Nix says, brings opportunity. He's putting in the work to earn the trust of his new coaches and the opportunity to continue leading the program he's rooted for from boyhood.
"Very passionate, very relentless, very attentive to detail," said Nix, sharing his observations of Auburn's first-year head coach. "All of those little things, to build a culture, are extremely important. I feel like we've done a good job of that."
Auburn fans will have two chances to see Nix and the Tigers this spring, first with Saturday's 11:30 a.m. CT open practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium, then on A-Day on April 17 at 1 p.m. CT.
"At the end of the day, they'll put me in a great situation," Nix said. "I'm confident of that."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer