Garrett Nussmeier returned to LSU in the 2025 season looking to lead the Tigers to a national championship. The plan didn’t turn into success, as he missed much of the season with a nagging injury, and his production also dropped.
Garrett Nussmeier Still Shows the Physical Tools NFL Teams Desire, but There Remain Concerns
NFL Matchup on ESPN, with analyst Greg Cosell, watched Nussmeier quite a bit last summer and broke down the former LSU QB on the “Ross Tucker Podcast” on Saturday.
“He had a good season, and he looked to me like he could be an NFL starting quarterback,” Cosell said. “Now this year, he did not play well, but I thought that he didn’t lose his traits. It’s hard to know why he didn’t play. Well, a lot of people talked about injuries. I know they weren’t a very good offensive team. But you know, as I’ve always talked about, I try to isolate the traits of the quarterback. He has traits.
“When I watched him last summer with his 2024 tape, I thought his arm talent jumped off the screen. He’s got easy natural velocity. He understood how to make layered, firm-touch window throws with timing and anticipation. He had higher-level throwing traits.
“I came away watching him in 2024 last summer feeling that he could be a quality starting NFL quarterback who could make the necessary throws. Then you watch him this year, and you start scratching your head. So, he hasn’t lost the physical traits, but now there’s just questions.”
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After returning to LSU after a breakout season in 2024, Nussmeier had a down season in 2025 as he threw for 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns with 5 interceptions in 9 games. He finished the season being ranked No. 110 nationally in the PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metrics with a 75.9 score. It came after he completed 337 of 525 passes for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024.
Nussmeier appeared in 40 games at LSU with 23 starts, becoming the third 7,000-yard passer in school history. While the 2025 season was indeed a down year for him, there is little doubt about his caliber and potential on the next level.
“I could see him in two, three years,” Cosell added. “And again, now you get into what I’m a big believer in and you’ve heard me talk about this, coaching. It wouldn’t surprise me if in three years he’s starting somewhere and you think, ‘Oh, this guy’s not a bad player.'”
Nussmeier is projected as a Day 2 or Day 3 pick behind top quarterbacks like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson. With a few NFL teams starting quarterbacks, he could be more than a solid consolation prize for teams that are not in a position to select the top two.
