With ESPN’s College GameDay featuring the No. 7 Oregon Ducks’ matchup with the No. 15 USC Trojans, Pat McAfee hosted Friday morning’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” from Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Ducks coach Dan Lanning’s appearance on the show coincided nicely with McAfee’s next guest, Denver Broncos quarterback and former Oregon star Bo Nix.
McAfee asked Nix if Lanning is in fact an “electric coach,” and the Broncos quarterback gave quite the Ducks coach quite a ringing endorsement:
“He is, and he doesn’t fake it when he gets on screen. This is what you get at all times, and he’s one of the best coaches in America, in my opinion. and he helped me get to where I am today. I owe him a lot, but obviously I’d be saying the same stuff if he wasn’t on the program with us, but I love coach Lanning. We had a great two-year run together, and I wish I could run it back any day,” Nix said.
Nov 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning enters Kinnick Stadium before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
“Love you, buddy. Appreciate you, man,” Lanning responded with a smile to his former player. “Keep ballin’.”
“Perfect timing, I needed to holler at coach anyways. That was good,” Nix said once Lanning left the show.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, a former Oregon quarterback, left, and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, right, take a picture with Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein during the Oregon football’s Pro Day Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
McAfee proceeded to ask Nix if he needs any extra gear from Oregon, showing off the gift box that Lanning and the Ducks gifted to the TV host. As many know, Oregon’s connection with Nike has produced a number of exclusive merchandise for players and coaches as well as gifts
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“They take care of us just fine, we got all the gear we need. Trust me,” Nix said to McAfee.
Led by Nix, the Denver Broncos are currently 9-2 and lead the AFC West, tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the entire AFC. Most recently, Denver beat the Kansas City Chiefs and cemented themselves atop the division standings.
Nov 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) takes the snap during the first quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nix is one of four former Oregon quarterbacks in the league, joining Washington Commanders’ Marcus Mariota, Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert, and Cleveland Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel. Only Nix and Gabriel were coached by Lanning at Oregon, but all four quarterbacks still make their presence felt around the Ducks program.
Mariota will be the celebrity guest picker on ESPN’s College GameDay before he is officially inducted into the Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Herbert was reportedly spotted in Eugene ahead of Oregon’s matchup with USC.
According to DraftKings, Oregon is favored by 9.5 points over USC heading into Saturday with a potential spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.
