Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Season In Review: QB
01/09/24 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
Bo Nix was historically productive in leading Oregon through the Fiesta Bowl championship season of 2023.
Reviewing Oregon's 2023 season and looking ahead to spring drills.
2023 ROSTER
QB: Bo Nix, Sr.; Ty Thompson, So.; Austin Novosad, Fr.; Brock Thomas, Fr.
Starter: Because he was awarded the Heisman Trophy, Marcus Mariota's 2014 season remains the benchmark for quarterback play at Oregon. But in terms of production, leadership and character, the season Bo Nix put together in 2023 takes a backseat to none other. Nix was 364-of-470 passing for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns, all of those new UO records previously set by Mariota when he won the Heisman Trophy.
Nix's completion rate of 77.4 percent was a new NCAA record, with Nix nudging himself over that finish line with a 28-of-35 performance — for 363 yards with five touchdowns — in Oregon's Fiesta Bowl win over Liberty. The UO offense under first-year coordinator Will Stein utilized Nix as a rusher about half as often as the year before, but he still managed 234 yards for six touchdowns. His 338.7 yards of total offense per game and 9.05 yards per play both led the Pac-12 Conference, and his 310 "points responsible for" led the entire nation.
But numbers don't come close to telling the whole story of Nix's impact on the 2023 Oregon football team. His leadership helped the Ducks bounce back from each of their two losses in resounding fashion; his thoughtful reflection on the big picture beyond football provided invaluable perspective, whether it was while digesting a defeat or emphasizing the value of participating in a game as prestigious as the Fiesta Bowl, rather than opting out. Oh, and he won the Campbell Trophy as college football's top scholar-athlete in 2023, having graduated magna cum laude from Auburn before joining the Ducks for the last two seasons.
Reserves: Oregon's primary backup was Ty Thompson, whose development seemed to take a marked jump as a sophomore. Across seven appearances backing up Nix, Thompson completed 23-of-31 passes — eerily matching Nix's 77.4 completion percentage — for 297 yards and four touchdowns. The Ducks also got some collegiate experience for true freshman Austin Novosad, including in the Fiesta Bowl. He completed 9-of-11 passes for 52 yards in three appearances, few enough to preserve his redshirt status while still getting a sense for the speed of the college game.
Developmental squad: The Ducks were very encouraged by the ability of freshman Brock Thomas, who followed in the footsteps of fellow Sheldon High of Eugene grads Chris Miller and Justin Herbert by enrolling at Oregon to play quarterback. Thomas throws an accurate ball and is a solid athlete.
2024 SPRING PREVIEW
Veterans: Austin Novosad, RFr.; Brock Thomas, RFr.
Newcomers: Dillon Gabriel, Sr.; Dante Moore, So.; Luke Moga, Fr.; Ryder Hayes, Fr.
What to Watch: It's a new era at quarterback for Oregon, with Nix exhausting his eligibility and Thompson moving on to Tulane as a transfer. The portal also provided for the Ducks, beginning with Dillon Gabriel, who has started 49 games in his career at Central Florida and Oklahoma. The UO football program also welcomed as a transfer Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit who started five times as a true freshman for UCLA in 2023. The QB meeting room is further enhanced by the addition of freshmen Luke Moga, a dynamic athlete, and Ryder Hayes out of Texas. As was the case in 2022, when Nix arrived, assumptions will be made about the likely starter for the Ducks come the 2024 season opener. But as was also the case in 2022, the Ducks figure to be methodical about the process of integrating the newcomers into the system, beginning with winter workouts this month and continuing through spring drills.
2023 ROSTER
QB: Bo Nix, Sr.; Ty Thompson, So.; Austin Novosad, Fr.; Brock Thomas, Fr.
Starter: Because he was awarded the Heisman Trophy, Marcus Mariota's 2014 season remains the benchmark for quarterback play at Oregon. But in terms of production, leadership and character, the season Bo Nix put together in 2023 takes a backseat to none other. Nix was 364-of-470 passing for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns, all of those new UO records previously set by Mariota when he won the Heisman Trophy.
Nix's completion rate of 77.4 percent was a new NCAA record, with Nix nudging himself over that finish line with a 28-of-35 performance — for 363 yards with five touchdowns — in Oregon's Fiesta Bowl win over Liberty. The UO offense under first-year coordinator Will Stein utilized Nix as a rusher about half as often as the year before, but he still managed 234 yards for six touchdowns. His 338.7 yards of total offense per game and 9.05 yards per play both led the Pac-12 Conference, and his 310 "points responsible for" led the entire nation.
But numbers don't come close to telling the whole story of Nix's impact on the 2023 Oregon football team. His leadership helped the Ducks bounce back from each of their two losses in resounding fashion; his thoughtful reflection on the big picture beyond football provided invaluable perspective, whether it was while digesting a defeat or emphasizing the value of participating in a game as prestigious as the Fiesta Bowl, rather than opting out. Oh, and he won the Campbell Trophy as college football's top scholar-athlete in 2023, having graduated magna cum laude from Auburn before joining the Ducks for the last two seasons.
Reserves: Oregon's primary backup was Ty Thompson, whose development seemed to take a marked jump as a sophomore. Across seven appearances backing up Nix, Thompson completed 23-of-31 passes — eerily matching Nix's 77.4 completion percentage — for 297 yards and four touchdowns. The Ducks also got some collegiate experience for true freshman Austin Novosad, including in the Fiesta Bowl. He completed 9-of-11 passes for 52 yards in three appearances, few enough to preserve his redshirt status while still getting a sense for the speed of the college game.
Developmental squad: The Ducks were very encouraged by the ability of freshman Brock Thomas, who followed in the footsteps of fellow Sheldon High of Eugene grads Chris Miller and Justin Herbert by enrolling at Oregon to play quarterback. Thomas throws an accurate ball and is a solid athlete.
2024 SPRING PREVIEW
Veterans: Austin Novosad, RFr.; Brock Thomas, RFr.
Newcomers: Dillon Gabriel, Sr.; Dante Moore, So.; Luke Moga, Fr.; Ryder Hayes, Fr.
What to Watch: It's a new era at quarterback for Oregon, with Nix exhausting his eligibility and Thompson moving on to Tulane as a transfer. The portal also provided for the Ducks, beginning with Dillon Gabriel, who has started 49 games in his career at Central Florida and Oklahoma. The UO football program also welcomed as a transfer Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit who started five times as a true freshman for UCLA in 2023. The QB meeting room is further enhanced by the addition of freshmen Luke Moga, a dynamic athlete, and Ryder Hayes out of Texas. As was the case in 2022, when Nix arrived, assumptions will be made about the likely starter for the Ducks come the 2024 season opener. But as was also the case in 2022, the Ducks figure to be methodical about the process of integrating the newcomers into the system, beginning with winter workouts this month and continuing through spring drills.
Players Mentioned
Dan Lanning Weekly Press Conference | September 15, 2025
Tuesday, September 16
Ducks vs Them | 2025 Oregon Football Game 3 | “Learn From Our Locker Room"
Monday, September 15
The Shoe Duck Uniform | Design Deep Dive - Oregon Football
Sunday, September 14
Dante Moore | Postgame vs Northwestern
Saturday, September 13
