Major Garrett Nussmeier Revelation Puts 15 SEC Colleges on Alert as Brian Kelly Begins Flexing

LSU’s 17-10 victory at Clemson delivered the first genuine jolt of the 2025 season. A defensive struggle for three quarters suddenly swung when Garrett Nussmeier found tight end Trey’Dez Green for an 8-yard score with 12:18 left, capping a 75-yard march that gave No. 9 LSU its only lead of the night. Clemson never answered; Cade Klubnik finished 19-for-38 with one interception, while the home Tigers managed just 31 rushing yards on 20 carries.

Nussmeier’s box-score line, 28-of-38 passing for 230 yards, one touchdown, and zero turnovers, doesn’t scream Heisman, but the efficiency behind it does. ESPN lists his Total QBR at 82.7, fifth-best in the SEC after Week 1 and ahead of South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (75.7) as well as every debuting freshman, including Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr. The red-shirt junior converted eight of nine third-down throws of fewer than 8 yards, keeping LSU on schedule and limiting Clemson’s vaunted pass rush to two sacks.

Former ESPN analyst David Pollack zeroed in on the traits that don’t always appear in the raw numbers: “Nussmeier doesn’t run the football much, but watch him get outside the pocket and do damage, reset and throw across his body—phenomenal… ball coming out fast, receivers used every which way, Green used as a weapon.” Pollack called LSU’s design “majestic” and predicted it will “only get better” as a remodeled offensive line gains snaps. The praise echoed what viewers saw: Nussmeier repeatedly beat Clemson’s late pressure by anticipating windows rather than bailing from the pocket, a contrast to Klubnik’s hurried misfires. Pollack also talked about Garrett Nussmeier’s release timings. And guess how much it is? It’s 2.09 seconds. Yes, 2.09. It’s one of the fastest release timings in CFB right now. For comparison, Klubnik’s was almost a second and some tenths higher than Nussmeier.

Head coach Brian Kelly also flexed it during his appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show. Brian Kelly told Paul Finebaum that Garrett Nussmeier’s priorities are crystal clear: “Coach, I just want to win. I don’t care about Heisman stats… I came back to win a championship,” the quarterback told him. Kelly said he asked Nussmeier to speed up his clock, and the junior answered, “he had the ball in his hands for an average of 2.1-2.2 seconds and the ball came out”. That rapid release is what made all the difference in the Clemson game.

One game is a snapshot, yet it sharpened the early narrative. Sellers dazzled in spurts but turned the ball over twice; Miami transfer Carson Beck led a rout of an FCS opponent but posted a modest 68.4 QBR; Klubnik’s accuracy cratered under pressure. Nussmeier, meanwhile, authored the weekend’s only ranked-on-ranked road win, did it without a turnover, and did it in 82.7-QBR efficiency. If he sustains that blend of poise and precision, the conversation about the SEC’s top quarterback, and perhaps the national awards that follow, will keep running straight through Baton Rouge.

“Hard not putting them at No. 1” 

Fox analyst Joel Klatt didn’t mince words on Monday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show. “LSU was the most impressive team of the weekend, and their win against Clemson was gutsy,” he said, adding that the Tigers “announced themselves as true national-championship contenders” and making clear he is “still deciding whether it’s Ohio State or LSU” for the top line of his next power ranking.

Klatt’s praise rests largely on a defense that smothered Clemson. “The D-line was suffocating … they were fast and physical,” he noted, before highlighting a secondary he called “long” and “terrific.” Stat sheets back that up: Clemson finished with just 31 rushing yards on 20 attempts while quarterback Cade Klubnik completed only 50% of his passes after halftime and threw a key interception in the third quarter. LSU’s front, led by Harold Perkins Jr. and PJ Woodland, produced two sacks and nine hurries, turning Clemson’s final three drives into a punt and two turnovers on downs.

The Fox analyst also pointed to how coordinator Blake Baker has repaired what many viewed as the roster’s soft spot. “The defense fixed a lot of the issues they’ve had,” Klatt said. LSU held Clemson to 4.4 yards per play, more than a yard below the Tigers’ 2024 average, and forced five three-and-outs, a stark turnaround for a unit that ranked 61st nationally in total defense last season.  Klatt’s bottom line captured the weekend’s shift in perception: “They were the most complete team of the weekend.” Coming off a ranked-on-ranked road win that snapped LSU’s four-year streak of opening-game losses, the Tigers now carry momentum and a ringing endorsement into a September slate that suddenly looks like a launchpad rather than a minefield.