Thibodaux, Louisiana, is about to turn into quarterback Disneyland again! This is where LSU’s star QB Garrett Nussmeier could shine further than his projected Heisman Trophy hype, which he could potentially steal from Arch Manning himself. As the 29th edition of the Manning Passing Academy rolls into Nicholls State University on June 26, the nation’s QB elite are packing up for the most prestigious camp in college football, which will also be the biggest yet. 

On June 19, NOLA posted an article headlining Garrett Nussmeier along with Arch Manning as two of the elite QBs joining the elite group of 1,450 campers and a record of 44 top-tier college QBs, including 11 projected SEC starters. As the leader of the camp, Archie Manning said, “We’ve got another great group coming in. We had such great demand that we couldn’t take all of the quarterbacks that wanted to come. That’s a good problem to have.” And yeah, the Tigers’ QB isn’t doing it in the shadows of the Texas hyped QB but going shoulder-to-shoulder with the royal family of QBs.

This year’s MPA has all the glitz. Aside from Garrett Nussmeier and Arch Manning, the camp will also see the presence of Cade Klubnik (Clemson), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), Darian Mensah (Duke), and more. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Penn State’s Drew Allar had to cancel due to schedule conflicts, clearing more spotlight for SEC showmen like Nussmeier. He and Klubnik are among the 13 QBs making a return to the event. 

Guest appearances include CBS college football analyst Todd Blackledge, Todd McShay, and former Carolina Panthers TEs Greg Olsen and Wesley Walls. And that’s not all. Former NFL HC Jon Gruden will be coaching and enlightening the campers.

Even Tyler Shough, who was a 2023 MPA attendee and is now with the New Orleans Saints, is also expected to be present. As Archie Manning said, “I’ll find something for him to do. The only difference is this time we’ll give him an upgrade. He won’t have to sleep in the dorms or make the sheets in his bed. But he still gets just $300 a day, just like everyone else.” And among the 44 QBs, it’s Garrett Nussmeier who feels like the X-factor. He’s coming to validate Brian Kelly’s bold claim and maybe take a jab at the Manning crown on their home turf. 

Brian Kelly believes Garrett Nussmeier’s experience will take him far

If there’s one thing Garrett Nussmeier has that Arch Manning doesn’t, it’s lived experience. And Brian Kelly isn’t one to hold back from letting the world know about it with an exciting baseball analogy. “Knowing when a check down, a swing or a drive route instead of waiting for a dig to open. I think it’s just that,” he said on ESPN’s College GameDay. “It’s never turning down a profit and always knowing that you don’t have to make the home run play. Singles are good. They score runs.”

Garrett Nussmeier, the son of Saints OC Doug Nussmeier, has marinated in football smarts since birth. But now, it’s translating. In 2024, the 6’2, 200-pounder put up 4,052 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 picks, numbers that place him firmly in 2026 NFL Draft first-round conversations. If Arch Manning delays his NFL jump, the LSU star could be the QB1 on the board.

He’s even the No. 2 SEC QB behind John Mateer on Crain & Company’s list. And that’s not just paper talk. Garrett Nussmeier will get to show it under the lights at the MPA’s signature Friday Night Lites, where college QBs go head-to-head in skill comps, accuracy drills, and mental quick-fire contests.