Alabama quarterback signee Taulia Tagovailoa and Auburn quarterback signee Pinson Valley’s Bo Nix will likely always be compared to one another.

That's what happens when two quarterbacks -- one headed to Alabama and one to Auburn -- play high school football in the same state at high schools less than 50 miles apart.

The quarterbacks are also the top two candidates for the 2018 Mr. Football award, which will be announced Tuesday at the annual Alabama Sports Writers Association awards banquet in Montgomery. If a player other than Nix or Tagovailoa wins, it’d be a major upset.

Tagovailoa threw for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior and led Thompson to a runner-up finish in Class 7A.

Nix, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior, finished with 3,496 passing yards and 48 TDs to go with six rushing touchdowns in leading Pinson Valley to a second straight Class 6A state championship.

Tagovailoa threw for only 44 yards in a 52-7 loss to Central-Phenix City in the 7A title game when he tried to play with an injured shoulder, which kept him out of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.

Nix threw two interceptions in the 26-17 victory over Saraland in the 6A title game, but he bounced back to throw for 306 yards and two TDs and ran for another en route to lifting a second straight Blue Map.

Nix clearly delivered the better Super 7 performance, but did Tagovailoa’s a memorable performance on ESPN2, leading the Warriors to a 63-49 victory over Hewitt-Trussville after trailing 28-0 during the regular season make up for it?

We'll find out Tuesday.

56 Pinson Valley QB Bo Nix

An Alabama signee hasn't won Mr. Football since 2011 and it's only happened twice in the last decade -- running back T.J. Yeldon in 2011 and receiver Julio Jones in 2008. That'd be nice company for Tagovailoa to join.

Auburn, meanwhile, has nabbed a number of Mr. Footballs in the last decade, with running back Kerryon Johnson becoming a star after winning the award in 2014. Quarterback Jeremy Johnson, running back Roc Thomas and quarterback Clint Moseley failed to enjoy similar collegiate success.

But enough history lessons.

This year's Mr. Football race looks like Alabama vs. Auburn in an off-the-field Iron Bowl showdown.

Tagovailoa vs. Nix could be part of the on-field rivalry in a few seasons, although Hewitt-Trussville quarterback Paul Tyson could have something to say about who Alabama's quarterback of the future really is.

That why fans may pay a little more attention to this year's Mr. Football balloting. It's another chance to compare Nix and Tagovailoa.

Josh Bean covers high school sports for AL.com.