How Do Auburn's Former 5-Star QBs Cam Newton and Bo Nix Stack Up?

In the modern era, the Auburn Tigers can boast more than one five-star quarterback playing on The Plains. While the last half-decade looks like the Dark Ages under center, the fact that the school is only an elite quarterback away from national relevance should embolden the fan base. 

Auburn is no stranger to having elite quarterbacks, despite the recent troubles under center.  

The Athletic's Antonio Morales ranked the five-star quarterback recruits of the last 25 years. Disclaimer: Morales only listed quarterbacks who are no longer in college, but Auburn is hoping they can add Deuce Knight and Jackson Arnold to this list one day. 

No one captured the entire mood of college football like Cam Newton. He was ranked third behind Tim Tebow and Vince Young. From the moment he stepped on the field against Arkansas State, with 357 total yards (186 passing yards, 171 rushing yards) and five touchdowns, the signs were there.

"One player can’t carry a team to a national championship, but Newton came about as close as possible,” wrote Morales on The Athletic. “He didn’t have a single skill player drafted. Only tackles Brandon Mosley (fourth round) and Lee Ziemba (seventh round) were picked on the O-line. The entire starting defense had only two players drafted. Newton’s 2010 campaign is the most impressive individual season from any player on this list."

For that entire season, Newton was the best player on the field every single week. With a team that did not possess an overabundance of talent, Newton put the football team on his back, carrying them to a national title.

Bo Nix entered Auburn with a lot of fanfare and immediate success, but he was unable to consistently find the form for the Tigers that led him to being a star at Oregon and a first-round pick of the Denver Broncos. 

Over three seasons, Nix threw for 7,250 yards, and the team advanced to three bowl games. When Auburn lost, many placed the blame on him.

He checked in at No. 11 on Morales’s list.  

"Nix was viewed as a disappointment after three up-and-down seasons at Auburn, but his two seasons at Oregon (8,101 passing yards, 74 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions) altered the way his college career was viewed." 

Auburn has a pair of former five-stars on campus right now. They’re hoping Arnold can live up to that billing and seamlessly pass the torch to Knight. Five stars won’t guarantee success, but stacking five stars is a good way to find consistency at a position that has lacked it on The Plains.