Garrett Nussmeier is gearing up to make a splash in his final college football season. People are talking about him as a potential No. 1 draft pick in 2026. After hanging around at LSU for three years, he finally got his chance as a starter in year four, racking up an impressive 4,043 passing yards. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing—he has some key areas to work on, especially toning down his gunslinger mentality a bit. Experts think he can wrap up his college career with a bang. That said, he’s got some serious competition from a talented sophomore who might just steal his spotlight as one of the top QBs in the SEC this year. This young player, despite having only one major season under his belt, has been popping up on all kinds of top 10 QB lists.
The only other QB who is getting as much hype as Nussmeier is Arch Manning. The LSU QB1 chose the correct option of returning to Baton Rouge to clean up his mistakes, especially the alarmingly high number of interceptions (12). He arrived the same year as Brian Kelly and played sparsely on the team that advanced to the SEC championship. “I’ve got to execute better. I’ve got to play better,” Nussmeier told the press last season in Week 9. Todd McShay wrote that he “[needs] to learn when not to cross the line from aggressive to careless” in his scouting report, marking this as his most important area of work. Otherwise, the LSU QB has analysts and experts singing high praise for him. Josh Pate was also keen on joining the hype.
An anonymous coach persuaded him to reconsider. In his ranking for the top 10 SEC QBs in 2025, Pate ranks sophomore LaNorris Sellers ahead of Nussmeier at No. 3 in a June 7 video of his show. “I had Nussmeier ahead of Sellers, and boy, I heard from some coaches. So, I trust them over me, believe it or not… I had some DCs hit me up and say, “Yeah, no. The South Carolina kid, you need to bump him up.’ So, I got LaNorris Sellers number three. Garrett Nussmeier, number four.” Both Sellers and Nussmeier had similar seasons. LSU and South Carolina both finished 9-4. Like Nussmeier, Sellers also had trouble controlling the interceptions, tallying 7 against his 2,274 yards and 17 TDs. And yet, Pate has him ranked higher than the veteran QB1 on his list.
Sellers was not the only freshman QB1 last year. But he took on the role right from the start of the season. He has the athleticism and the build that NFL scouts are leaning towards a lot. Todd McShay, however, graded him a 2.5 when it came to mental makeup. He is Shane Beamer’s best bet to get a playoff spot this season if not one at the National Championship game.
However, ranking him over Nussmeier means Pate thinks Sellers is potentially worth a lot more than the LSU QB. In their last faceoff in 2024, Sellers put on quite the show. However, an injury prevented him from leading the Gamecocks to victory, despite producing an impressive 75-yard touchdown run. The SEC Freshman of the Year still has a lot to show us.
Nussmeier, however, could only wow fans one last time during his fourth season with the Tigers. Both differ when it comes to experience. But in terms of the mindset with which they play, they’re somewhat similar. Sellers is also receiving comparisons to Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen. The Gamecocks’ QB is now settled into his role of QB1 after having a full taste of what the position entails in his first year. Sellers being ahead of Nussmeier does paint a negative picture for Brian Kelly and Co. Already under pressure for not winning the Natty last year, Brian Kelly has other problems to deal with, along with those of his gunslinger.
Brian Kelly and Nussmeier reminded of a dangerous trend.
“With Garrett Nussmeier, a guy that I think will be the No.1 pick in next year’s draft, he’s got to get it this time around. Or Brian Kelly is going to be on the hot seat in November,” Brad Crawford said in a segment on The Paul Finebaum Show. He also argued that this is, by far, the best roster Kelly was given on the team. There are Kentucky and Oklahoma transfers, Barion Brown and Nic Anderson. More names like Harlem Berry, Mansoor Delane, and DJ Pickett, along with Garrett Nussmeier, make up an immensely promising Tigers team. But, Crawford had his doubts.
“LSU’s big thing this summer is, don’t buy into the hype. Don’t read the press clippings. Don’t watch the Paul Finebaum Show this time because LSU is a team that should get to the playoffs,” he noted. Then he pointed out a glaringly dangerous trend that is manifesting in Baton Rouge: the Tigers have not won a season opener in quite some time. And this year, they will face off against ACC juggernaut Clemson. LSU won in their last appearance in 2020, with a 42-25 finish, and the National Championship game. The playoff bracket was narrower then. So, that year under Ed Orgeron truly goes down as one of the best in program history. That season was also the last time the Tigers won an opening game.
This year, Brian Kelly looks poised to lead LSU to a better position than last season, easily. He has the firepower, and he has the machinery ready to dispel it. Though Sellers emerged as a bigger favorite than Nussmeier, Kelly’s odds with his star QB1 remain unchanged. He might not have the strength of the Gamecocks QB, but he is bound to etch his name into history in CFB.
The post Garrett Nussmeier Receives 2,534-YD SEC Reality Check as Brian Kelly Deals With LSU’s Ghost of Past appeared first on EssentiallySports.