A collective sigh of relief pulsated across Baton Rouge when QB1 Garrett Nussmeier confirmed he’s foregoing the NFL draft to return. Death Valley caught life again. After the ink dried on a mediocre season by their standards, those of an LSU persuasion were fearing the worst. The Tigers ended the season with their tails firmly between their legs, both on and off the field. 3 consecutive losses down the stretch put them out of the playoff reckoning. Couple this with their embarrassing failure to land Bryce Underwood and the early signing period in December just being an unmitigated disaster overall. But they say the night is darkest before dawn. Things are on the up again for Brian Kelly and Co.
Fast forward to the present day, and the Tigers have been wagging their tails, prancing through the offseason. Brian Kelly and LSU’s shortcomings in recruiting from the class of 2025 have largely been offset via the transfer portal. They’ve got one of the top-ranked portal classes across the country. With personnel issues sorted, the focus swiftly pivots to getting players ready for another treacherous season navigating the SEC. Spring camp serves as the first, and perhaps most important, step in that process. Get reps in, iron out any loose ends or deficiencies, and build chemistry. Garrett Nussmeier, entering Year 5, knows how to go about these 15 practices afforded to him. But Nuss is still evolving as a quarterback. Seeking to mesh his raw skills, many of which he inherited from his dad, Doug, with timing and decision-making acumen. It appears Nuss has taken a step towards doing that.
LSU Insider Matt Moscona was present at spring practice #6 of 15 for the Tigers. Brian Kelly had 2 hours of extensive drills that included 7v7s and 11v11s. Moscona was particularly pleased with Nussmeier’s showing- especially in the 11v11. He took to his “After Further Review: LSU” YouTube channel to share a witness account of what he saw. Moscona sure wasn’t deluded into getting carried away by a practice in March. However, he couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. After all, fans have been waiting for Nuss since he announced his return. He played lights out in LSU’s last regular season game against Oklahoma, then followed it up in the Bowl Game vs Baylor. That left everyone fiending for more, and Nuss has kept the momentum going. Here’s what Moscona said:
“Garrett Nussmeier had himself a day. He was straight on one today. I understand it is a [random] Tuesday, practice no.6 of spring…But the thing about watching Garrett on a day like this is it’s confirmation. That all the things, the positive things people say about him, it’s confirmation it’s [all] in there.” remarked Matt Moscona. Nuss’ time under the center hasn’t been seamless. He’s shown moments of greatness, but he’s also shown moments of leaving room for growth. Seems like that experience sitting behind Heisman-winner and subsequent NFL ROTY Jayden Daniels is starting to show face. Matt Moscona proceeded to single out one particular play from Nussmeier that left him awe-struck.
“There was a play during 11v11s…where Garrett is being pressured [and was] covered. [He] steps up, starts rolling right. Extending the play. You’re saying to yourself, ‘Throw it away!’ He doesn’t throw it away. Instead, he throws it, on the run, to the right sideline. It’s double covered. But somehow he threads the needle over the corner [and] under the safety. [WR Chris] Hilton, falling out of bounds, drags his feet- completed pass. And you’re like, ‘Man, that that sort of thing is just special.’” The LSU savant that Moscona is, he’s seen QBs like Joe Burrow and the aforementioned Daniels from a close lens. For him to exude excitement over Nuss is a sign some good things are in the pipeline for Brian Kelly’s team.
One thing that isn’t imminent down the pipeline, though, is a spring game for LSU. Coach Kelly has finally addressed the elephant in the room as to why, amid tampering being at the epicenter of teams like Nebraska and Auburn canceling theirs.
Brian Kelly fires shots at those blaming tampering as an excuse to cancel spring games
Among all its quirks and pageantry, the concept of spring games is one of the most interesting in College Football. Something that’s so etched in the fabric of the sport. Yet, Brian Kelly has opted against holding one this year. Spring games as a whole are trending towards becoming history soon, and so could the tradition of fans pulling up in the thousands to get a teaser for what’s to come in the fall. Show love to their new freshmen. Why?
Tampering is at the crux of it all. Nebraska HC Matt Rhule has pointed to these games being an opportunity for some illicit outside intervention. It’s especially lethal since it’s right before the transfer portal reopens. However, Kelly insists LSU’s reason to refrain from a spring game goes beyond tampering. He even thinks those pointing to tampering being a reason for cancelling their respective ones are being disingenuous.
“Sometimes, you don’t get the equal amount of reps in a spring game. We have some young players that need some practice time. This will give everybody an opportunity.” said Brian Kelly. LSU instead opted into keeping an open practice on April 12. Garrett Nussmeier perhaps wouldn’t be pleased he can’t show out in front of the fans, but the rationale is fair. Coach Kelly also added, “I wasn’t worried about [tampering]. I mean, I think if you’re going to lose a player, it’s not because of what they put on film in the spring [game]. it’s because of what’s happened throughout the entire semester or year. I think that was just an easy sound bite to get out from under having the spring game. That’s just my opinion.” Eesh. Shots fired, and not very subtly either.
Alas, the fans will swallow not being able to attend a traditional spring game as long as Garrett Nussmeier and the rest of the team continue improving in the shadows. 2025 is a big year for Nussmeier as he stares down his final chance to make a dent in his NFL stock. It’s just as big for Brian Kelly. His first single-digit season in forever coinciding with his former team, Notre Dame, making the Natty doesn’t make for good optics. Especially after he said, he’s leaving the Irish to win hardware. At a storied program of LSU’s ilk, patience is a precious commodity. But there’s still a long way to go before these underlying storylines play out in fall. For now, they’ll look to maximize the remainder of spring camp.
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