It’s never easy to lose an established quarterback, and if it’s a Heisman-winning QB, the task becomes more daunting. LSU Tigers under Brian Kelly had to see their ace QB Jayden Daniels leave. But that was not it as LSU lost two of their best wide receivers, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., both going in the first round of the NFL draft. Add to the woes, LSU’s defensive problems, as it was the worst-ranked defense in LSU’s history. Brian Kelly was really in a big conundrum.

Kelly entered the 2024 season and hired a new OC as Mike Denbrock departed to Notre Dame and replaced the whole defensive staff. But the major boost came for LSU when Garrett Nussmeier stepped up and provided Heisman-level performances on several moments. This was a player who looked ready to step into Jayden Daniel’s shoes. The Junior QB finished his season with 4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdowns and was ranked top 10 in ESPN’s QB rankings. Surely, the player would be doing much better and putting in double the effort in the 2025 season, right?

Well, there is no doubt that the QB has immense potential to be a top QB for LSU in 2025. But putting in performances like Jayden Daniels? Well, that would be easier said than done. Andy Ari of ON3 discussed the potential running problem that Nussmeier needs to improve, but chose a different culprit regarding LSU’s running woes.

“I think Garrett Nussmeier needs, and it’s not something Garrett Nussmeier can control, LSU to not abandon the run game so that it will allow Garrett Nussmeier to be a more efficient quarterback and face defenses that are playing him honestly instead of knowing he’s going to be dropping back to throw and calling plays accordingly. LSU abandoned the run game in critical situations over and over and over again last season…Nussmeier can throw the hell out of the ball, but they don’t need to be a 59% pass team.“

Well, the run game with LSU had problems last season, which is not at all a secret. It was shocking for everyone to see them struggling in an area in which they dominated in 2023 by having one of the most efficient rushing attacks. While LSU did perform decently in very short-yardage situations, they still struggled in converting 4+ yards successfully. Only 43.5% of LSU’s rushing attacks provided more than 4 yards as they were ranked not even in the top 100 nationally. Moreover, the running backs LSU deployed, Caden Durham, Kaleb Jackson, and Josh Williams, averaged less than 2 yards per carry and still looked to be developing from their shells. But what about Garrett Nussmeier?

“Jayden and I are different football players. One of his premier abilities was his ability to run. I’ll run when I need to run, but my goal is not to show everyone how fast I am. When I’m supposed to take off I’ll take off, but if not, I’m going to find the open guy and deliver the football“. This was Garrett Nussmeier, declaring that he can’t run like Jayden Daniels, who had to rush as his USP. And, the now LSU QB is right for several reasons.

Does Garrett Nussmeier even need to run?

The arm talent that Garrett Nussmeier has is out of this world. He has consistently shown that he can generate those RPMs and deliver the ball from multiple angles. Moreover, his knack for avoiding sacks is a bonus as he is ranked top in sack avoidance, and his pressure-to-sack ratio is also ranked best in the whole CFB at 3.74%. All of these things make the QB an incredible talent in terms of passing, but making him perform in rushing situations when he isn’t built to do that? Well, that would be asking a fish to climb a tree.

However, that doesn’t mean that the QB won’t do the necessary when required. “It’s important to run 15 percent of the time, or at least when things aren’t good or on third downs when you need to get first downs with your feet. I know that and when it’s there, I’ll take it. My focus is not to show everybody how athletic I am, I don’t buy into that. ” Nussmeier pointed out when asked about his running issues.

Jayden Daniels, undoubtedly, was a beast of a player at LSU who produced more than 1,000 rushing yards in his last season and delivered 885 rushing yards in 2022. Nussmeier, on the other hand, has -38 rushing yards in 2024 and a single rushing yard in 2023. Surely that shows the massive difference in both players’ capabilities. But, still, there may be a few things Nussmeier will benefit from if improved.

If the Texas A&M game’s first half signified Nussmeier’s incredible talent, the second half also showed issues with the player. He consistently gave interceptions throughout the season and was tied with Carson Beck as the joint most in the SEC. Moreover, the QB’s deep passes were also not fully utilized, as we saw a lack of downfield passing attack at LSU. If Brian Kelly and LSU can improve on a few of these aspects, they will get a QB far better than Jayden Daniels, who will have the potential to deliver not just the Heisman but the Natty again for Kelly.