Garrett Nussmeier looked majorly unsettled in 2024, but there is a slim chance that he will do it again at Baton Rouge heading into a brand new year. In the world of NIL lure and frequent transfers, Nussmeier stands out as an exception. He decided to return to the Tigers for the 2025 season as he owed his coaches and teammates some more quality play and a more consistent performance. He could have opted for the NFL and made the noise as a first-round pick, but he chose to fill up his stock more. But if LSU makes a rookie mistake, Nussmeier can again land in hot water in his final year.

Nussmeier went 337-for-525 for 4,052 yards for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season with LSU. However, Kelly has reshuffled the O-line this year, making room for the QB1 to grow more. Talents like Barios Brown, Nic Anderson, and Aaron Anderson can make a solid safety net for Nussmeier. But we have yet to see how good they are at the WR positions. They are ready to go, but double scrutiny and more practice reps might be a lifesaver for the Tigers. Although Kelly looks to mount a serious rebound, he will have to get it taste through an early game against Clemson.

Nussmeier seems to be on the safer side, as RJ Young assures, ‘‘That dude ain’t gonna get worse. He is good at throwing the football downfield. Now they’re going to get into some dog fights, probably because that’s what happens when you air it out.” A good defense can help them out, but stopping Cade Klubnik (in the Clemson game) would be way tougher than we think. He can find the loopholes with his X-ray eyes and can capitalize on them. It would be a really good game between Klubnik and Nussmeier, but LSU needs to take some notes from Kirby Smart’s mistakes last year.

Analyst RJ Young made a dreadful revelation: ‘‘Just look at The game to watch, though I think going into 2025 to find out if LSU is indeed good will be Clemson. Brian Kelly is famously 0 and 3 against Dabo Swinney’s Clemson, and he will have that in his head. Both of them will have that in their heads now if LSU comes out and does to Clemson what Georgia did to Clemson. We might be dealing with a problem here because Georgia was a problem last year. It’s just they didn’t have any receivers. We thought they had receivers. We were wrong; they did not have any receivers that were any good last year. That’s not true.” 

The Clemson Tigers and the LSU Tigers have scheduled a home-and-home football series for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. In the first game of the series, Clemson will host LSU at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, on Aug. 30, 2025, while the second and final game of the series will occur at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Sept. 5, 2026.

However, no matter where Nussmeier stands against Klubnik, his individual year receives an uplifting prediction.

Paul Finebaum has high hopes for Garrett Nussmeier and LSU Tigers

If you can move past that 12 interceptions in just a seven-game stretch, including four games with multiple interceptions, Nussmeier’s season looked outstanding. He needs to fine-tune his skill more to double down on his 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns, but Paul Finebaum believes he will do more.

As much as Finebaum loves bashing programs, once in a while, he is the biggest advocate of some good work you will ever have. “I think (Garrett) Nussmeier, assuming that LSU can overall do its part, I think Nussmeier very well could be in New York,” Paul Finebaum makes a golden prediction for the LSU QB phenomenon.

LSU managed to win 8 major games—including an edgy win against a menacing Ole Miss team. All in all, 2025 could be the do-or-die year for LSU’s QB1. But if he really makes a good run for the Heisman trophy after Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty, it will significantly boost his NFL stock as well.

Will we see if Nussmeier can help the Tigers finally roar, or will it be just another ‘work in progress’ year for the Tigers?