An interesting quarterback matchup highlights this week's Thursday night NFL feature, as rookies Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler face off in New Orleans.
Starting for the Broncos and Saints, respectively, the two go way back. From earning Elite 11 status in 2018 to entering the league together this year, it's almost as if Nix and Rattler were destined to meet.
The surprise may be that their first matchup took so long, coming on "Thursday Night Football" in 2024 rather than when the two competed at a total of four power five schools—Auburn, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Oregon—between 2019 and 2023.
Their stories finally come together in Louisiana, with Nix's Broncos (3-3) heading into Mercedes-Benz Stadium as slight favorites over Rattler's Saints (2-4). It will mark Rattler's second start since he replaced Derek Carr after the veteran went down in Week 5 with an oblique injury.
Here's everything to know about the duo's recruiting class, including how the rookie quarterbacks careers intertwined in high school, college and the NFL.
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Spencer Rattler vs. Bo Nix high school stats
Both Rattler and Nix were high school phenoms in their own rights. At Pinnacle in Phoenix, Rattler broke the Arizona high school passing record on his 18th birthday. He was also featured in the Netflix documentary series "QB1: Beyond the Lights," which was later cited as a reason for his 2024 draft slide.
Additionally, Rattler was suspended in the middle of his senior season for violating a district code of conduct, which was revealed to be a consequence of cheating at school. He had several offers following his sophomore year, though, including Alabama, Notre Dame and Miami, before he committed to Oklahoma in December 2018.
Nix played under his father Patrick at Pinson Valley, where he won Alabama's Mr. Football Award as a senior after setting several state records. He lead the school to consecutive Class 6A state titles en route to earning Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, Alabama Offensive Player of the Year, All-America First Team honors and an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game.
| HS | TOTAL YDS | TOTAL TD | |
| Rattler | Pinnacle (Phoenix, AZ) | 12,177 | 130 |
| Nix | Pinson Valley (Birmingham, AL)* | 12,000 | 161 |
*Nix attended Scottsboro High School (Scottsboro, AL) before Pinson Valley, where he passed for 3,463 yards and 40 touchdowns.
2018 Elite 11 finalists
The two were also members of the 2018 Elite 11 class, an annual quarterback competition for rising high school seniors founded in 1999 by Andy Bark and his company Student Sports.
Candidates submit video highlights and compete in regional events where 20 finalists are chosen (in the past, this number has dwindled from 12 to 24) out of 400 to 500 contestants. The finalists then head to Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., in conjunction with The Opening—a Nike-hosted invitation-only camp for top high school football prospects of all positions.
Throughout the competition, the roster is narrowed to 11 or 12 of the top quarterbacks who are then split into teams with The Opening attendees for a flag football tournament among other skill challenges. An overall Elite 11 MVP is chosen at the conclusion of the event.
The 2018 class of finalists is stacked, with the top 12 candidates including three NFL starters, among five with current contracts, and a Heisman Trophy winner in Jayden Daniels. Here's a look at where they all are now.
| QB | High school | College(s) | NFL Team(s) |
| Jayden Daniels | Cajon (Calif.) | Arizona State (2019-21) LSU (2022-23) |
Commanders (2024) |
| Max Duggan | Lewis Central (Iowa) | TCU (2019-22) | Chargers (2024) |
| Ty Evans | Palmer Ridge (Colo.) | NC State (2019-20) Texas State (2021-22) |
— |
| Ryan Hilinski | Orange Lutheran (Calif.) | South Carolina (2019-21) Northwestern (2021-24) |
— |
| Sam Howell | Sun Valley (N.C.) | North Carolina (2019-21) | Commanders (2022-23) Seattle (2024) |
| Brian Maurer | West Port (Fla.) | Tennessee (2019-20) Stephen F. Austin (2022-23) |
— |
| Cade McNamara | Damonte Ranch (Nev.) | Michigan (2020-22) Iowa (2023-24) |
— |
| Graham Mertz | Blue Valley North (Kan.) | Wisconsin (2019-22) Florida (2023-24) |
— |
| Dylan Morris | Graham-Kapowsin (Wash.) | Washington (2020-23) James Madison (2024) |
— |
| Bo Nix | Pinson Valley (Ala.) | Auburn (2019-21) Oregon (2022-23) |
Broncos (2024) |
| Spencer Rattler* | Pinnacle (Ariz.) | Oklahoma (2019-21) South Carolina (2022-23) |
Saints (2024) |
| Taulia Tagovailoa | Thompson (Ala.) | Alabama (2019) Maryland (2020-23) |
— |
*2018 Elite 11 MVP
MORE: Week 7 Power Rankings | Week 7 NFL picks | Week 7 NFL picks against the spread
Spencer Rattler vs. Bo Nix college stats
At first, it wasn't likely Rattler and Nix would meet in college with no scheduled matchups between the Sooners and War Eagles in the near future. That being said, they did come close.
Nix transferred to Oregon from Auburn before the 2022 season, departing the SEC the same year Rattler transferred into the conference from Oklahoma to South Carolina after losing the starting job to eventual 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Should Rattler have transferred one year earlier, the two would have met in November 2021 when Nix visited Columbia and fell to the Gamecocks 21-17.
Both finished with two very different 2023 campaigns. Nix led Oregon to the final Pac-12 Championship Game against No. 3 Washington after a 12-2 regular season, where the Ducks lost to the eventual CFP finalist and fell out of playoff contention.
He finished third in Heisman voting behind Daniels and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. after leading the nation in completions, completion percentage and passing touchdowns, all while breaking the record for most games started by a quarterback in NCAA history with 61 between Auburn and Oregon.
In contrast, Rattler spent his final season at USC conducting a 5-7 record with no bowl to show for it. By Gamecock standards, however, his performance in 2023 was described by Garnet & Cocky as "one of the best quarterback seasons in school history." Rattler's efforts were enough to earn him MVP of the 2024 Senior Bowl before declaring for the draft.
| CMP-ATT | CMP% | PASS YDS | PASS TD | INT | CAR | RUSH YDS | RUSH TD | |
| Rattler | 900-1,313 | 68.5 | 10,807 | 77 | 32 | 297 | 410 | 16 |
| Nix* | 1,286-1,936 | 66.4 | 15,352 | 113 | 26 | 405 | 1,613 | 38 |
*Nix started his true freshman season at Auburn, whereas Rattler redshirted at Oklahoma.
2019 QB recruiting class
Nix and Rattler headed the second and third spots in the 2018 ESPN 300 quarterback rankings, taking 23rd and 29th overall. Just behind them was Daniels, followed by future NFL quarterback Sam Howell, converted running back Roschon Johnson and converted receiver Luke McCaffrey.
Of the 26 quarterbacks in the ESPN 300 that year, six have been drafted and many are still active at their current schools. Here's a look at the top slingers in the 2019 recruiting class, their playing style, where they signed and more.
| QB ranking | Overall ranking | QB | PP-DT | Signed | Draft pick (year, round) | Drafted by | Current team |
| 1 | 21 | Graham Mertz | PP | Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| 2 | 23 | Bo Nix | PP | Auburn | 12 (2024-1st) | Broncos | Broncos |
| 3 | 29 | Spencer Rattler | DT | Oklahoma | 150 (2024-5th) | Saints | Saints |
| 4 | 44 | Jayden Daniels | DT | Arizona State | 2 (2024-1st) | Commanders | Commanders |
| 5 | 63 | Joey Yellen | PP | Arizona State | — | — | — |
| 6 | 66 | Ryan Hilinski | PP | South Carolina | — | — | — |
| 7 | 104 | Roschon Johnson | DT | Texas | 115 (2023-4th) | Bears (RB) | Bears (RB) |
| 8 | 109 | Jacob Conover | PP | BYU | — | — | — |
| 9 | 116 | Dylan Morris | PP | Washington | — | — | — |
| 10 | 120 | Sam Howell | PP | North Carolina | 144 (2023-5th) | Commanders | Seahawks |
| 11 | 137 | Jacob Zeno | PP | Baylor | — | — | — |
| 12 | 141 | Luke McCaffrey | DT | Nebraska | 100 (2024-3rd) | Commanders (WR) | Commanders (WR) |
| 13 | 143 | Taulia Tagovailoa | DT | Alabama | — | — | — |
| 14 | 145 | Garrett Shrader | DT | Mississippi State | — | — | — |
| 15 | 168 | Taisun Phommachanh | PP | Clemson | — | — | — |
| 16 | 184 | Peter Parrish | DT | LSU | — | — | — |
| 17 | 191 | Connor Bazelak | PP | Mizzou | — | — | — |
| 18 | 197 | Chris Herron | DT | Kansas State | — | — | — |
| 19 | 199 | Michael Johnson Jr. | DT | Penn State | — | — | — |
| 20 | 200 | Ta'Quan Roberson | DT | Penn State | — | — | — |
| 21 | 203 | Jalon Jones | DT | Florida | — | — | — |
| 22 | 208 | Lance Legendre | DT | Maryland | — | — | — |
| 23 | 220 | Sam Johnson | PP | Boston College | — | — | — |
| 24 | 253 | Cade McNamara | PP | Michigan | — | — | — |
| 25 | 261 | John Rhys Plumlee | DT | Ole Miss | — | — | — |
| 26 | 265 | Hank Bachmeier | PP | Boise State | — | — | — |
| 27 | 295 | Paul Tyson | PP | Alabama | — | — | — |
WEEK 7 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Spencer Rattler vs. Bo Nix NFL stats
Nix was selected in the first round and was expected to earn the starting position for the Broncos from the get-go. Rattler, however, was the next quarterback selected 137 players later—the longest span without a quarterback picked in the common draft era.
Rattler's status as a fifth-round pick indicated that he would have to fight for a roster spot in New Orleans. He performed well in the preseason, completing 20-of-38 pass attempts for 202 yards and a touchdown, as well as one rushing score. When it came down to deciding between Rattler and fellow backup Jake Haener to replace Carr, Saints head coach Dennis Allen eventually went with the rookie.
While he hasn't impressed as much as Daniels has in Washington, Nix is rivaling No. 1 overall pick Williams for second-best rookie quarterback so far. Though the Bears starter has a slightly better record, his Bronco counterpart is certainly making a name for himself as well.
Here's how Rattler and Nix have performed so far, keeping in mind the former only has one game to the latter's six.
| GP | CMP-ATT | CMP% | PASS YDS | PASS TD | INT | CAR | RUSH YDS | RUSH TD | |
| Rattler | 1 | 22-40 | 55 | 243 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 0 |
| Nix | 6 | 121-198 | 61.1 | 1,082 | 5 | 5 | 37 | 180 | 3 |