LSU football starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier spoke with the media at SEC Football Media Days 2024. (Transcript below video).
Q. For a team like Oklahoma, getting to play in Tiger Stadium for the first time, how could you describe that experience?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: Yeah, there’s no experience like Tiger Stadium at night. Death Valley at night is unlike anything in college football. But I think OU and Texas, both, they’ve already played in games at big stages. I don’t think it’s going to be anything new to them, but I will say that Death Valley is something special.
Q. Even though you lose Malik and Brian, can you speak to the depth of the receiving room and how being deep in that room might help to ya’ll advantage in situational football?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: I think our receiver group as a unit, they’ve really stepped up. They understand the standard that they’re going to be held to being a receiver at LSU. And obviously we just had two first-round draft picks and two first-rounders in the past few years of Jensen and Lamar, and you look at the history of LSU receivers it’s special. There’s a standard you’re held to playing receiver at LSU. I think our entire room and entire unit, they accept it and view it as a challenge. They view it as their opportunity to be that guy now. I think they’ve all stepped up really, really big this offseason into those shoes.
Q. A lot of quarterbacks in this league were in the academy together recently. Did you get a chance to know Jaxson from OU and what you saw from him there?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: I got to spend a lot of time with Jaxson, actually. I like him as an individual and as a player. He’s very talented. I think he’s going to excel this year. I think he’s going to do a really, really good job for OU. I’m excited to watch him.
Q. I think we all expect Chris and Kyren to have big years, but who are the next group of receivers we should expect to see things from?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: I think CJ and Zavion Thomas, Aaron Andersen, Kyle Parker, I think that whole group are very talented. They’re all going to do special things.
Q. It’s an era where quarterbacks tend to move around, especially when they’re not receiving playing time. You’ve been waiting your turn at LSU these last couple of years, as Jayden Daniels had his outstanding career. Can you talk about the temptation to leave for somewhere else where you would have been receiving playing time the last couple of years and the factors that led you to stay and represent LSU here?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: I mean, there’s obviously temptation. I love playing the game of football. So obviously I wanted to be playing on Saturdays. But what kept me to stay was I felt like when I was making my decision out of high school where to go to school, I felt like there was a lot of prayer involved. And God brought me to LSU for a reason. I did not feel it was my time to just pack up and leave. I felt like it was my duty to just keep my head down and trust in His timing, just work. I know God’s timing is always right. Sometimes we want things right away, and that’s not how it’s supposed to be. So hopefully it will pay off in the long run. So I would say I just felt like I had to trust in Him and keep my head down.
Q. What have you done this summer to concentrate on getting better, and what did you learn at the Manning Passing Academy?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: I think the main thing for me this offseason is building relationships with my teammates. Not just in the building but outside the building because I think that’s where it starts on the field, the amount of time and hours that you’ve spent off the field getting to know them. Knowing them inside and out. Not just as players but also as people.
Also at the Manning Passing Academy it’s been an unreal experience for me, getting to go twice, the amount of experience and smart minds out there. Just getting to pick their brains and learn different things from them. It’s an awesome experience, and I’m super thankful for the Manning family for having me.
Q. Your father, Doug, had a long career as a player and coach, what influence has that been to you?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: It’s been huge. Our relationship has meant the world to me. Just having him to be able to give feedback and bounce different ideas off of has been unreal. He was able to accomplish everything that I’ve dreamed of accomplishing. Getting to have somebody like that in my life who can guide me, I guess you could say, that way, it’s special. And I’m very, very thankful for our relationship.
Q. Being the newcomer, what are your perceptions of Oklahoma? What do you know about Oklahoma and its history?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: It’s a storied program, being a fan of college football getting to watch things. I was a big fan of Baker Mayfield, getting to watch him play and the talent that he had. I think both OU and Texas are storied programs. I think adding them into the SEC only does good for the game. It creates a more competitive environment in the already most competitive conference in college football. I think it’s great for the conference and I think it’s great for the game.
Q. Maybe as a freshman, did you have the opportunity to work with Tommy Moffitt, the strength and conditioning coach? Your thoughts on Tommy as a coach and kind of how he helps develop players.
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: Coach Moffitt does an unbelievable job. He’s a very tough love type of guy. If he taught me anything it was definitely mental toughness. Coach Moffitt, I love him to death. I think he’s going to do a really good job over at A&M. I’m happy and excited for him. I think he’s a very, very special person, a very, very special coach.
Q. Have you heard much or any advice from former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow? Has he given anything to you, or if not what can you take from his story where he wasn’t a starter at first then came into LSU and had obviously a lot of success, won a championship. Anything from his story you can take and put into your quarterback days?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: I mean, his story is very special. He had to wait his time as well. So just watching him and what he was able to accomplish in his two years at LSU is unreal. Hopefully, if I’m anywhere as close to as good as him, I’ll be happy.
Q. You’ve played in some high-pressure situations at this point in your career. One of those was stepping into the middle of the game against Alabama last year. What did you learn from that specific situation on the road at Brian Denny having to play in a huge rivalry game like that? What did you learn from that day?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to step into some pretty tough situations. I think they’ve only made me better as a player. Now getting the experience and the preparation, as well as the starter, I think it will only help even more. That experience at Alabama, the SEC Championship against Georgia, the end of the game against Auburn. I’ve been thrown into some tough situations but it’s only made me better and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And even the times when I failed, just learning from them, and hopefully just continuing as always to just try and push better.
Q. Four of your five offensive linemen returning, two of them starting as freshman at the tackle spot. How is D.J. fitting in and what do you see from that group and how can they be a strength for you?
GARRETT NUSSMEIER: D.J. has done a really good job as he stepped in. It’s a hard position to step into. But I think he’s done an unbelievable job. He’s very talented. He’s very smart and he cares. He wants to be great. He wants to get better and he’s got a lot of very, very talented guys around him.
Be the first to comment