Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix isn’t the only member of his family making plays on the football field.
His younger brother, Caleb Nix, has developed into one of Jacksonville State’s top defenders after beginning his college career at Clemson. The 6-foot, 202-pound safety earned first-team All-Conference USA honors in 2025 and entered the 2026 season on the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive player.
Caleb added another highlight on September 5, intercepting a pass and returning it 43 yards for a touchdown in Jacksonville State’s 49-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky. It was already the third defensive touchdown of his college career. And he became the Defensive Player of the Week for his Efforts.
Here are five fast facts to know about Caleb Nix.
1. Caleb Nix Is a Standout Safety at Jacksonville State
Caleb has developed an identity well beyond being Bo Nix’s younger brother.
He transferred to Jacksonville State for the 2025 season and immediately became one of the Gamecocks’ most productive defensive players. Caleb played in all 14 games and recorded 63 tackles, four tackles for loss, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries, according to Jacksonville State. His four interceptions tied for the Conference USA lead.
He also set a Jacksonville State record with 191 interception-return yards. One of those picks went 93 yards for a touchdown against UTEP, while he returned a fumble 45 yards for another score against Delaware.
The performance earned Caleb first-team All-CUSA recognition. He entered 2026 as a preseason first-team all-conference selection by Phil Steele and landed on the Bednarik Award watch list.
Caleb wasted little time creating another turnover in 2026. After Jacksonville State’s game against Eastern Kentucky was interrupted by a lightning delay, Nix jumped a pass on the first play after the delay and took the interception 43 yards to the end zone.
2. Caleb Nix Is Bo Nix’s Younger Brother
Caleb was born on February 28, 2003, making him approximately three years younger than Bo, according to his former Clemson biography.
Bo’s success has inevitably meant that Caleb has spent much of his life being identified as the quarterback’s younger brother. Caleb addressed that dynamic during a September 2025 Jacksonville State press conference.
“A lot of people ask me what it’s like, and really, I don’t know anything else my whole life,” Caleb said. He explained that his father had been a successful quarterback and coach and that Bo “has always been great at whatever sport he was playing.”
Caleb said Bo and their father have allowed him to follow his own path while supporting him along the way.
That path became notably different from Bo’s when Caleb moved to defense.
“It’s been kind of neat … to be the first one to play defense, and be on the other side of it,” Caleb said.
3. Caleb Nix Was a Star Quarterback Before Becoming a Safety
Defense wasn’t always Caleb’s calling card.
He played quarterback at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, and finished his prep career with 5,415 total yards and 67 touchdowns, according to Clemson. As a senior in 2021, Caleb threw for 2,897 yards and 38 touchdowns while adding 639 rushing yards and 12 scores.
He earned all-state honors and was named the Opelika-Auburn News Offensive Player of the Year after helping Central finish 13-1 and reach the Class 7A state championship game.
Caleb’s athletic résumé extended beyond football. He also played baseball at Central and basketball while attending Pinson Valley.
But when he arrived at Clemson as a walk-on in 2022, his college path took him away from quarterback. He transitioned to safety, eventually appearing in 10 games for the Tigers from 2022 through 2024.
4. Caleb Nix Transferred From Clemson After Suffering a Torn ACL
Caleb spent three seasons at Clemson before emerging at Jacksonville State.
He made his college debut against Louisiana Tech in 2022 and appeared in seven games in 2023, recording his first career tackle against Florida Atlantic. He was also named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
His 2024 season ended prematurely.
Caleb appeared on special teams against Georgia and Appalachian State, but Clemson said he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Appalachian State game.
He later moved to Jacksonville State, where his career took off in 2025.
Caleb also completed his Clemson degree in management in May 2025. Jacksonville State’s current biography says he is pursuing a Master of Business Administration while playing for the Gamecocks.
5. Caleb Nix Comes From a Football Family That Includes Bo Nix, Tez Johnson & Patrick Nix
Football is very much the family business for the Nixes.
Caleb and Bo are the sons of Patrick and Krista Nix. Patrick was an Auburn quarterback from 1992 through 1995 before beginning a long coaching career. He later coached his sons in high school and has also worked as an assistant at Jacksonville State.
Caleb’s family also includes Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson, who became part of the Nix family while in high school.
Bo, Caleb and Johnson were all members of Patrick’s 2018 Pinson Valley team that won an Alabama Class 6A state championship. Bo went on to play quarterback at Auburn and Oregon before the Broncos selected him with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Johnson eventually reunited with Bo at Oregon before the Buccaneers selected him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jacksonville State now lists both NFL players in Caleb’s official biography: Bo as a quarterback for Denver and Johnson as a wide receiver for Tampa Bay.
But Caleb is building his own football résumé on the other side of the ball — and after his breakout 2025 season and fast start to 2026, “Bo Nix’s younger brother” is increasingly only part of his story.
Caleb Nix: 5 Fast Facts About Denver Broncos Star Bo Nix’s Younger Brother