It’s that time of the year when early 2026 NFL mock drafts steal the headlines. It’s also the time when speculations swirl around who will be the next college football Heisman winner. And once in a while, one hits different. The one we’re talking about is a potential top pick who might not even need to change states. There’s buzz that an SEC QB with a staggering $3.7M NIL valuation could go No. 1 overall to the New Orleans Saints in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

You know why LSU is entering the 2025 season with high college football playoff expectations. One of the nation’s top transfer classes. Top-10 recruiting class. Several key starters are returning, headlined by their main guy, Garrett Nussmeier. The Tigers’ star is already projected to be the top player off the board in next year’s draft. According to cbssportscfb and 247sports’ shared Instagram post on May 13, he’s the No. 1 player slated to go to New Orleans. This is based on a joint mock draft by the Cover 3 Podcast and the With The First Pick Podcast. Yeah, the Bayou boy might just stay instate, from Tiger Stadium to the Superdome.

The story goes even deeper. The Saints’ new OC is none other than Doug Nussmeier, Garrett Nussmeier’s dad. The older Nussmeier played QB for the team from 1994 to 1997 and most recently coached Jalen Hurts as the Philadelphia Eagles’ QB coach. So we’re talking about an OC with credibility and a QB who happens to be his son and a potential franchise cornerstone.

Still, nepotism narratives usually creep up when it has something to do with a father-son duo. But as A to Z Sports’ Charles Goldman said, “Nepotism isn’t the best way to run an NFL franchise, but pairing the younger Nussmeier with his father could be an exciting combination for New Orleans.”

If we see through things, Garrett Nussmeier earned the buzz. He threw for 4,052 yards in 2024, added 29 TDs through the air while also punching in three more with his legs. Here’s a kicker. LSU’s last two returning QBs in Year 2—Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels—both won the Heisman. Can Garrett emulate this success? Odds are high. In fact, he’s tied with Arch Manning with the best odds to win the Heisman at +800. So there’s high optimism. But now, let’s pivot to the Saints’ QB room.

Can Garrett Nussmeier be the solution for New Orleans’ QB dilemma?

The Saints’ QB situation right now is wide open. Second-round rookie QB Tyler Shough probably leads the race for now, but he’s got competition. There’s a mixed bag involving Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and even undrafted rookie Hunter Dekkers. “I think for me it’s just going through the same process for minicamp, trying to learn the playbook and get to know my teammates as much as I can and do everything I can to continue to get better,” Shough told NFL.com of the QB competition. 

“That’s all you can ask for us an opportunity, at any position. And I’m going to treat it the same way, as if whoever is on the roster, I’ve got to continue to grow and get better and do my best to elevate the QB room and the team,” Tyler Shough added. But still, you can’t help but feel like the Saints are trying to buy time, waiting for 2026 to bring in a real difference maker as a team with a possible first-round pick. And we already know who’s a projected top overall pick. 

But, well, everything’s too early to tell. There’s a chance Shough could ball out in New Orleans and wipe out their QB dilemma. But if Garrett Nussmeier keeps thriving in Baton Rouge, there will be a growing sense that the Saints will gravitate towards the homegrown talent. But there are also other teams in the mix, so we’ll see.