Garrett Nussmeier has been at LSU since 2021. He went through a 6-7 season and the removal of his head coach, Ed Orgeron, that first year.
After waiting for three seasons, he became the starter for the 2024 season and did enough to become considered as a likely mid-to-high first round pick in the NFL Draft in April. He doesn’t need to play in the third-tier Texas Bowl against a fellow 8-4 Baylor team on New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., ESPN) in Houston, but he will. Instead, he could be getting ready for the pre-draft NFL Combine.
GARRETT NUSSMEIER WILL SKIP 2025 NFL DRAFT AND STAY AT LSU
Nussmeier could improve his draft stock in 2025, or it could stay the same. He could win the Heisman Trophy and the national championship, or not. He decided to come back, in the end, to pay a debt.
“I think it was an interesting decision,” Nussmeier said of putting off the NFL last week in an interview before the Tigers left for the bowl game. “Definitely, I had to do my due diligence on the situation.”
In the end, it may not have been as much about his draft projections as it was about his regressions over the past season.
“I felt like the product that I put out there for my teammates and everybody involved in this organization wasn’t what I wanted it to be,” he said. “Wasn’t as consistent as I wanted it to be.”
Nussmeier finished a very average 49th in the nation in the all-encompassing passing efficiency statistic with a 140.7 rating. He completed 313 of 491 passes for 26 touchdowns and 3,739 yards for sixth in the nation. But 11 interceptions brought his number down. Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart led the nation in efficiency with a number 37 points higher at 177.7.
Of the 11 picks, five came in consecutive losses at Texas A&M (38-23) and to Alabama (42-13) in October and November. He also fumbled in those games to set up scores. Most of his 11 interceptions did not come while he was under heavy pressure to throw. Too often, he tried to force balls to well covered receivers. A third straight loss to Florida followed, and LSU was out of the first 12-team College Football Playoff.
“I felt like I owed that (more consistent play) to the coaches who had spent so much time with me, helping me reach my best,” he said. “And to the players who have busted their tails with me every day to try to help me be better as well. I felt like the job wasn’t finished. Business wasn’t handled yet. There’s a lot more for me to come back and do.”
And LSU coach Brian Kelly and staff have given him some new toys fresh out of the NCAA Transfer Portal – No. 5-ranked transfer wide receiver Nic Anderson of Oklahoma, No. 8 wide receiver Barion Brown of Kentucky and No. 9 tight end Bauer Sharp of Oklahoma.
In the latest rankings by 247sports.com, LSU has the No. 1 portal class.
“I’m very excited,” Nussmeier said. “It’s pretty unbelievable. We’ve got a lot of guys who can make plays. It’s going to be a very competitive and talented room. But right now, I just want a bowl win.”
TEXAS BOWL NOTES: LSU arrived in Houston on Friday night for the New Year’s Eve bowl. … The Tigers practiced at the University of Houston on Saturday morning and were scheduled to participate in a Rodeo Bowl with Baylor Saturday night.
Be the first to comment