Garrett Nussmeier’s 2025 season at LSU was not always a sure thing. With his dad, Doug Nussmeier, being the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, Garrett was in a great spot to be a top-five NFL draft pick. Plus, he already showed what he could do in 2024, throwing for 4,052 yards and keeping it consistent all year. But despite all that, he decided to come back for another season at LSU. “I’ve always wanted to win a national championship here,” he said. Still, you have to wonder if coming back might hurt his chances at that top pick, especially since Cade Klubnik is stepping up as a serious contender.
Despite earning the Texas Bowl MVP, two-time offensive player of the week, and leading one of the most promising offenses last year at LSU. Garrett Nussmeier earned a 142.7 QB passing rating, standing behind QBs like Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart, Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers, and Nico Iamaleava. The problems? Turnovers. Nussmeier had 12 interceptions in 2024. And those are probably some of the reasons why Todd McShay didn’t pick Nussmeier as his 1st pick.
Instead of Nussmeier, Todd McShay, in his 14th August podcast, leaned towards Clemson’s Cade Klubnik as the first pick going to the Cleveland Browns and gave his clear reasons. “I’m going instead of Garrett Nussmeier with Cade Klubick. I see upside in him with the mobility. There’s just there’s something some guys have’it’,” said Todd McShay. Not just Garrett Nussmeier, the analyst also picked Klubnik over another top QB.
We all know how good LaNorris Sellers was in 2024 for South Carolina, passing for 2,534 yards and rushing for another 674. Considering that, ESPN’s Jordan Reid picked Sellers to have a 15% chance of being the no. 1 pick in 2026, highlighting his dual-threat prowess and raw upside. But, according to McShay? LaNorris Sellers will go as the 6th pick in 2026, going to the Las Vegas Raiders. As for Nussmeier, he went as the 4th pick to the New York Jets. Furthermore, there’s another reason why McShay picked Klubnik over Nussmeier or Sellers.
McShay pointed to the performances and dedication that Klubnik showed at the Manning Passing Academy, which stood out to the analyst. “Having seen him in person at the Manning Passing Academy, the way he’s built, seeing his honesty, some little things like who’s sitting there at the end of practice on the 50-yard line picking Peyton Manning’s brain, watching him relate to the high school kids, the young kids in camp.” And guess what? Klubnik did impress at the Manning Passing Academy.
NCAA, College League, USA Football 2024: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl South Carolina vs Illinois DecDEC 31 December 31, 2024: South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers 16 before Cheez-Its Bowl in Orlando, FL. Romeo T Guzman/Cal MediaCredit Image: Romeo Guzman/Cal Sport Media Orlando Fl USA EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20241231_faf_cg2_040.jpg RomeoxGuzmanx csmphotothree339173
It was Klubnik’s second time at the Manning Passing Academy, and he showed great hunger to learn from the Manning family. “I felt like I was a better QB by the time I left, in just a few short days. Having that experience, getting to learn from the other QBs in the country. I think just getting to be around the whole Manning family and learn everything that they are. It is just really fun,” said Klubnik about his experience at the Academy. But Klubnik’s desire to learn at the Academy isn’t the only reason why McShay had Garrett Nussmeier downgraded to fourth pick.
One major concern affecting Garrett Nussmeier persistently tanks his draft stock
People watching Nussmeier closely in 2024 would have noticed his struggles with progression reads and his tendency to lock onto his primary targets. You could see this clearly in the game against the Aggies last year, where he threw three interceptions, contributing to LSU’s 23-38 loss. On top of that, he had a tough time with disguised coverages; for instance, he really struggled to adjust during the sudden defensive shifts against Arkansas. But those aren’t the only reasons McShay hasn’t picked Nussmeier as his top choice.
“I absolutely love Garrett Nusmeer. I do start to wonder if there is that tendonitis in his knee. Something I didn’t know about something I talked about when I watched the LSU tape. I said it’s rare to see a quarterback kind of wear down as the season progresses, and you have to start to wonder was that that part of it,” said McShay. The verdict?
Garrett Nussmeier was reported to have a knee issue (patellar tendonitis) after he was seen limping in the fall camp last year. Brian Kelly did, at the time, address the rumors, as the injury stemmed from a 2023 Osgood-Schlatter surgery. But despite the assurances? Against Texas A&M in October last year, when the QB was stepped on by a lineman, he was again limping. Of course, all of this doesn’t mean that Nussmeier can’t be the first pick, but when the injury concerns resurface persistently, the NFL draft stock sure tanks.
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