Bo Nix has never alienated himself from Auburn. His last name doesn’t allow it. He’s made his return to Alabama for the Senior Bowl and talked about what it meant to be home. He showed up at Neville Arena this January for an Auburn basketball game.

But it was an Oregon helmet he wore at the Senior Bowl and it will be an Oregon logo attached to his name here at the NFL Combine. It was there, on a different coast and conference, that he developed into the draft prospect he’s now become.

So on Friday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Nix was asked how his transfer from Auburn to Oregon helped his career.

“I think it just put everything together,” Nix said. “It provided me with some freedoms. It provided me with some chances later in my career that maybe I didn’t have at the beginning. We were able to be very versatile. We were able to get the ball everywhere. We were multiple offensively. We were able to get under center, go from shotgun, throw play-action, quick game, RPOs, run the ball. We were able to do it all at a high level. Not only was it efficient for me, but it was great for the other guys around me. It was great for the running backs to show their versatility. Receivers, offensive linemen, you had to be a stud to play in the system. We were just really good. Had great talent and coaches put us in the right positions. I just think at the end of the day it allowed me to go out there and play with more freedoms. Just play, have fun and use my gifts to help the team.”

Nix played at Auburn from 2019-2021. He was originally recruited by former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and played two seasons under him before he was fired. He played the 2021 season under then head coach Bryan Harsin before transferring to Oregon where he played in 2022 and 2023.

Nix threw for 7,251 yards in three seasons at Auburn under the two head coaches.

In two years at Oregon, he threw for 8,101 yards. He developed into a Heisman trophy candidate and brought Oregon to the final Pac-12 championship game, where he came just short of a win that could have put Oregon into the College Football Playoff.

At the Combine, Nix said he’s met with “every” NFL team, but did not discuss details of his meetings. The former Auburn quarterback plans to throw during his on-field workout Saturday at the NFL Combine.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]