Garrett Nussmeier had every reason to leave. A strong close to the 2024 season, over 4,000 passing yards, and a draft class light on elite quarterbacks gave him a clear path to the NFL. But when the window opened, he didn’t step through it. Instead, he came back to LSU. This was certainly not about unfinished business in the abstract. It was measured—a decision rooted in long-term value and opportunity.

In the 2022 Texas Bowl, LSU was shorthanded, with many players, especially QBs, opting out, forcing wide receivers to step up. Nussmeier, though on the team, decided to sit out to keep his redshirt year. This gave him another year in college, delaying his NFL entry and improving LSU’s outlook too. “I think he certainly would have been a first-round pick this past year just because of the crop of quarterbacks that were out there,” LSU beat writer Shea Dixon said. But if he was a sure-fire first-round pick, what made him stay for another season?

Although the choice between entering the NFL Draft and returning to LSU was a significant one, Nussmeier did not have a modicum of doubt about his decision. When inquired about it, he spoke with grace and an enviable clarity of thought. “[The] NFL is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. To even fathom of making a decision to go play in it, or come back to my dream school…it’s two dreams. So it was definitely a surreal feeling, for sure… I’m full a 100% [sure] that I made the right decision,” the quarterback replied.

On On3, Shea Dixon and Andy Staples clarified why Garrett Nussmeier made the decision to stay. Staples, referring to two quarterbacks—Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels—said, “We know about the last two LSU quarterbacks that went from year one to year two. Both of them won the Heisman Trophy, you know. So, I understand why everybody’s so excited about Garrett Nussmeier this year.” 

Well, that excitement has precedent. In 2019, Joe Burrow made a historic leap, throwing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns while leading LSU to a 15–0 season, a national title, and the Heisman. Jayden Daniels followed suit in 2023, becoming the first FBS quarterback to throw for over 3,800 yards and rush for over 1,100 in a season. He finished with 50 touchdowns and his own Heisman. For Garrett Nussmeier, stepping into that same system, the roadmap isn’t merely theoretical. It’s been executed twice.

Shea Dixon, on the other hand, pointed out how LSU’s recent quarterback success has transformed national perception. “These kids who are 17 are looking at LSU and are like, ‘It’s a quarterback factory. These guys have won Heismans, two in the past five seasons,” he said, explaining why elite recruits like Bowe Bentley are now drawn to Baton Rouge. Nussmeier is seen by many as the next in line, with some outlets already listing him as an offseason Heisman favorite. 

Most oddsmakers place Arch Manning at the top with +600 odds, closely followed by Garrett Nussmeier at +850. And Nussmeier has every reason to be optimistic; it’s not just the promising numbers but also a strong roster including Aaron Anderson at WR, Caden Durham at RB, and the return of Harold Perkins and Jacobian Guillory from injury.

Still, Dixon added an important perspective, reminding fans that LSU’s legacy at the position is relatively new. “No LSU fan anywhere—over the age of 20, 30, I would say—associates LSU with Heisman quarterbacks. But look, from Billy Cannon to Joe Burrow, that was the first Heisman LSU had won at any position, and in comes Jayden Daniels, wins it again. And, look, if Nussmeier can just play some good football this year, that’ll win him some games. He’ll be better on defense, and he’ll be right in that mix. But yeah, the jump from ‘Can he make a Burrow-Daniels year-one-to-year-two jump?’ I don’t know if he can do anything close to it,” Dixon added. 

For most of its modern history, LSU was built on defense, running backs, and raw toughness—not quarterback fireworks. Even when the Tigers had talent under center, from JaMarcus Russell to Zach Mettenberger, the scheme rarely let it shine. Between 2000 and 2018, not a single LSU quarterback eclipsed 3,300 passing yards in a season. Then came Burrow in 2019. Then Daniels in 2023. And everything changed.

Also, nobody knows if Garrett Nussmeier can make that kind of jump. What Burrow and Daniels did was rare. It’s not easy to repeat. But the expectations are there now. That’s what comes with playing quarterback at LSU these days.

Pressure builds around Brian Kelly this season

After a 9–4 season in 2024, Brian Kelly enters his fourth year at LSU with considerable pressure. When the Tigers hired him away from Notre Dame, it was with a clear goal: to win national championships. So far, that hasn’t materialized. And that’s why there is tremendous pressure to win, because LSU fans and administration have high expectations. 

When Andy Staples asked Shea Dixon about the pressure Kelly faces this season, Dixon framed it more as expectation than urgency. “They went out and got Austin Thomas back to run pretty much everything from NIL to roster management. He had been at Ole Miss when The Grove Collective had really taken off the past couple of years and had seen how it happened… So they’ve retained their coordinators. They went and got Alex Atkins from FSU; he’s the tight ends coach now because they had an opening there. It feels like they’ve got enough continuity on staff. You’ve got a returning quarterback. And then you greenlit arguably the best portal class—certainly in December—and just loaded up on guys. You bring back a lot of talent. So yes, it’s pressure, but I think it’s just expectation.”

It is Kelly’s time to win. Previous coaches like Nick Saban, Les Miles, and even Ed Orgeron all brought national championships to LSU. Kelly might not need a championship immediately, but with Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback for his final season and a strong group of transfer players, this team is built to compete in 2025. If they don’t achieve big things now, it’s fair to wonder when they ever will.

The schedule is tough, but LSU has hit 10 wins with a less talented roster before. While it might seem too soon for fans to demand Kelly’s job after an opening loss to a good Clemson team, losing big games at the start is becoming a trend. Not to mention, the Tigers face a brutal stretch, playing Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Alabama all within five games.

As Shea Dixon put it, “This should be a 10-win team. And if you win 10 games and you’re LSU in the SEC, you’re in the playoffs.” LSU needs a serious SEC run, no excuses.