As Heisman odds soar, Oregon's Bo Nix sees On3 NIL Valuation spike

Bo Nix has proven last year was not a fluke.

The Oregon quarterback arrived on the West Coast after missing most of the 2021 season with an ankle injury. He transferred out of Auburn with many fans calling him a problem. He quieted doubters in 2022, throwing 27 touchdowns and just six interceptions while leading the Ducks to a 10-3 record.

Many questioned Oregon’s all-out Heisman Trophy campaign for Nix this summer, putting “Bo Dacious” billboards up in Dallas and New York City. But now in the final month of the regular season, he’s shown why he can be an NFL prospect. And he’s positioned to make a real run at the Heisman.

“He went out to Oregon, he shed a lot of bad habits that he developed while he was at Auburn,” Senior Bowl executive vice president Jim Nagy said on Tuesday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “But now, it’s Year Two. You’re seeing some consistency in his play. It wasn’t just a one-year spike. And it’s not like he’s leveled off. He continues to get better and better.”

Oregon debuted at No. 6 in Tuesday night’s initial College Football Playoff rankings, its only loss coming in a 20-17 loss at Washington. Nix was great in the game, finishing 33 of 44 for 337 yards and two touchdowns, not turning the ball over once. He’s thrown for more than 2,337 yards, 21 touchdowns and one interception this season.

Nix’s On3 NIL Valuation has continued to grow, now sitting at $1.5 million after the Ducks dominated Utah on the road this past weekend. Ranked by On3 as the No. 5 quarterback in the nation in its latest rankings, his Heisman odds have jumped from +1600 to +600 in a week, according to BetMGM.

The win against the Utes mixed with the national attention resulted in a $153,000 jump this week. The valuation is No. 8 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. The quarterback has added roughly 28,000 social media followers since Sept. 23, when the Ducks embarrassed Colorado 42-6.

Bo Nix’s expansive NIL brand

The Heisman campaign hasn’t been limited to billboards. A full-page ad was bought in the New York Times. On every edition of “College GameDay” this year, multiple “Bo-Dacious” signs have appeared. Fans can also purchase their own “Bo-Dacious” T-shirts, released by Ducks of a Feather, the apparel line of the Oregon-driven NIL collective Division Street. All merchandise is created by Nike, with profits going back to Oregon athletes.

For all the on-field success, he’s found plenty of opportunities in NIL. The former five-star recruit has inked agreements with Topps, Subway, The Duck Store, ONIT and Bojangles. He held a camp for youth this summer in Eugene and signed with Bose in December, too. As one of the most well-known names on the Oregon roster, brands have continued to line up to work with Nix.

The quarterback signed his first car deal, partnering with Kendall Auto Group, in September. With locations in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana, Nix will be doing work with the Eugene group. As part of the agreement, he will receive a new Toyota SUV.

He joined 7-Eleven’s “Cleat Crew” in September, too. As part of that deal, he teamed up with the luxury designer The Shoe Surgeon to create his own individual pair of custom cleats, which raised $3,400 for PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center.

About the On3 NIL Valuation

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.

The On3 NIL Valuation accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.