Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix is ​​’jealous’ of Oregon Ducks’ Rose Bowl brother Tez Johnson

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix turned heads in the NFL in his rookie season, leading the Denver Broncos to a 9-7 record and a shot at a spot in the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Nix has been busy, breaking a record seemingly every week, most recently with a beautiful deep touchdown pass against Cincinnati that covered 67 air yards – making it the longest completion by a quarterback in the 2024 season.

Nix remains an avid Ducks fan, cheering on Johnson, his former teammates and coach Dan Lanning. Johnson is Oregon’s leading receiver and just had his best game yet in the Big Ten Championship Game against No. 3 Penn State. He caught 11 passes for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown en route to being named the game’s MVP.

The two brothers, Nix and Johnson, played for the Ducks in 2023 and led Oregon to a 12-2 overall record and a victory over Liberty in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. It was a successful season for many, but Oregon fell short of its ultimate goal – competing for a national championship in the College Football Playoff.

Now the No. 1 Ducks will face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the legendary Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day and have the chance to secure their ticket to the CFP semifinals. Johnson doesn’t take this opportunity lightly.

“I was talking to Bo on the phone and he was like, ‘I’m so jealous’… He says he’s jealous all the time. He’ll be the first to tell you because all he wanted to do was play in the College Football Playoff,” Johnson said.

“But now that I’m in the Rose Bowl and just showing it off, everyone is happy for me,” Johnson continued. “I’m happy for myself, but we know we have more to come. “But I’ve definitely thought about it and I don’t want it to end so quickly.”

How does Johnson react to Nix’s envy?

“I’ll say, ‘Well, you can win a Super Bowl.’ That’s better. “You can win a Super Bowl and be one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”

Nix and the Broncos play the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver on Sunday in a game with massive NFL playoff implications. However, Nix is ​​looking forward to watching the Oregon game on Wednesday, and Johnson says he plans to attend a game soon.

“He’s really excited to see us play,” Johnson said. “He will be here for a game soon. So when he comes back it will be electric. I can’t wait to see him. I haven’t seen him since he was drafted.”

Johnson is also rooting for Nix, admitting that Denver’s overtime loss to Cincinnati last Saturday made his heart beat faster.

“I just text him every day after games. . . . Even though his heart was in his chest during Broncos vs. Cincinnati. It’s games like that that I watch him play and you see, wow, this kid is still doing the same thing he’s been doing since he was a kid. That’s why I love him more than anything. I can’t wait to see him. He’s my brother.”

The Ducks bring a perfect 13-0 record to The Granddaddy of Them All and will attempt to reach the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second time in program history.

In what was arguably the most significant regular season win in program history, the Ducks defeated the Buckeyes almost three months ago in front of a record crowd at Autzen Stadium. Johnson has noticed significant differences in the Buckeyes team now compared to October.

“They’re playing with a little chip on their shoulder at the moment. And we see that,” Johnson said. “They are a really good team. They are a hot motor team. They have really good coaches behind them.”

“We also play with a chip. They’re not the only ones,” Johnson added.

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Despite being seeded No. 1 in the playoffs, Oregon is the underdog to Ohio State. Many doubt the Ducks’ ability to beat the Buckeyes twice in one season. If the Ducks beat the Buckeyes, they would be the first team since 1894 to beat Ohio State twice in the same season.

Oregon would then advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff in Arlington, Texas, to face the winner of Arizona State against the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

For Johnson, Wednesday will be a chance to extend his career at Oregon. The recipient becomes emotional as he talks about his Duck legacy. When he arrived in Los Angeles for the game, Johnson’s girlfriend sent him a photo of his face on a Rose Bowl billboard in the City of Angels, and he said he couldn’t help but cry.

“I think there’s no way I’m here right now,” Johnson said. “I literally have the Rose Bowl jacket on.”

Despite missing nearly three entire games due to injury, Johnson has a chance to further etch his name in Oregon history. Johnson is just eight receptions away from the Oregon record for receptions in a season of 86, which he set in 2023.

The Rose Bowl begins at 2:00 p.m. PT on New Year’s Day.