GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ Because quarterback Bo Nix was an ultra-talented, five-star recruit in the 2019 class, of course Florida coach Dan Mullen tried to get him to join the Gators.
"We recruited him," Mullen said. "He didn't reciprocate that strongly, to be honest with you...
"I wasn't holding my breath."
Instead, Mullen will be holding his breath Saturday, waiting to see what Auburn's true freshman starter will do in the matchup of top-10, undefeated teams at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Mullen knew he didn't have much of a chance of signing Nix at UF; Nix is an Auburn legacy whose dad, Patrick, finished 17-5-1 as a starter for the Tigers in the mid-'90s. Naturally, Nix would want to play for Auburn, too.
But Mullen still made some calls because Nix is that talented. He was 247Sports' top dual-threat quarterback and the nation's No. 33 overall recruit in the last class.
"We ranked him very close to the top," Mullen said. "For him, a guy that grew up kind of wanting to play for where he's at. But I think he's handled it very well. So I think he's got talent. I mean you see he's already had to play in some big games, big moments, and he's handled that well as a freshman."
Earlier this year, Nix became the first true freshman quarterback to start Auburn's opener since Travis Tidwell did so in 1946. Nix picked up a fourth-and-3 rush and threw the game-winning 26-yard touchdown to beat Oregon in his debut.
His passing efficiency (138.74) is No. 8 nationally among freshmen, and his 7.8 yards per attempt are comparable to veterans like Florida State's James Blackman and Utah State standout Jordan Love. Nix is also coming off the first 300-game of his career when he lit up Mississippi State for 335 passing yards and two touchdowns plus 56 rushing yards and another score.
"He's progressing really nicely for them," UF defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. "They've got some really good skill guys around him. That helps. The combination of that and him make him really good."
