Bo Nix Opens Up on Marcus Mariota & Their Unique College Connection

Bo Nix will face Marcus Mariota as an opponent for the first time in Week 13, after following in his footsteps at the University of Oregon.

Nov 16, 2025; Madrid, Spain; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) looks to pass the ball against the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter during the 2025 NFL Madrid Game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

When Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy, Bo Nix was in junior high. Eight years later, Nix would follow in Mariota's footsteps at the University of Oregon, playing his final two collegiate seasons with the Ducks.

Nix didn't bring home the Heisman Trophy, but he was a finalist in 2023. The award went to LSU's Jayden Daniels.

Fast forward to 2025, and all three quarterbacks are playing in the NFL. Nix is in Year 2 with the Denver Broncos, while Mariota is in his 11th season.

This season, Mariota and Daniels have shared the Washington Commanders' starting quarterback job due to the latter's unfortunate injury to his non-throwing elbow. With Daniels being ruled out of Week 13's action, the Broncos will travel to take on Mariota and the Commanders on Sunday Night Football.

Nix dished on the respect he has for his fellow former Duck.

“Yes, he’s a great guy. When he was at Oregon, I was back in elementary grade school, [and] loved watching him play. He was one of the best quarterbacks of his time, of his generation, definitely of mine," Nix said of Mariota on Wednesday. "I knew of him, and that’s really about when Oregon was put on the map for a lot of us back on the other side of the country. I knew Oregon football was big and knew it was a great destination because of guys like that, because of Marcus."

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Two Paths Converge on Eugene, OR

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix throws out a pass during the first half as the No. 13 Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. Ncaa Football Oregon Stanford Football Stanford At Oregon | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nix's first three years in college were, of course, spent with the school he always dreamed of playing for: the Auburn Tigers. After an impressive first season with the Tigers, in which he was named SEC Freshman of the Year, things began to go sideways for him as Auburn underwent a sea change in the coaching regime.

After the 2021 college season, Nix entered the transfer portal, and ultimately opted to take his talents to Oregon. As Nix settled into his new football environs, he began to cross paths with Mariota.

"When I got there, he was out there for a few weeks at a time, training in the offseason. I got to talk with him and just catch up," Nix said of Mariota. "He’s a great guy, always asking about life, how it’s going, and all that kind of stuff. Just very humble for all that he’s done. He’s very humble and just a great player. One that a lot of us have admired watching over the course of time."

As the Broncos prepared this past week to face the dual-threat that Mariota presents, the onus fell on backup quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger to replicate the looks Washington will present on Sunday night. The two quarterbacks had to make the effort on behalf of their defense, but in Nix's estimation, it's not even a rough facsimile of Mariota, the real thing.

"We talk about this week when we get to play them, guys like Sam and ‘Stiddy’ out there running the zone read, and they don’t quite do it justice [for] a guy like that," Nix said. "But it would be fun to compete against him on Sunday.”

Mariota was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, selected by the Tennessee Titans. After five seasons, it didn't quite pan out for him in Tennessee, as the former Heisman winner was supplanted with Ryan Tannehill.

The Commanders are Mariota's fifth NFL team. Nix followed in Mariota's footsteps in many ways, but that's one path he'll surely hope to pass up, and remain with the Broncos as the franchise quarterback for years to come.

Still, it'll be a fun reunion of sorts for these two former Oregon stars. After Nix lost the Offensive Rookie of the Year award to Daniels, many Broncos fans were looking forward to a head-to-head showdown between the two 2024 first-round picks, but the injury bug had different designs.

Which former Ducks quarterback will prevail? We'll find out on Sunday night.