Tensions Rise for Brian Kelly as Garrett Nussmeier Revelation Puts LSU’s Playoff Hopes in Hot Waters

The Tigers’ QB Garrett Nussmeier won everyone’s hearts by making a bold sacrifice. He had hit the ‘U-turn’, making it to Baton Rouge. For this, he will have to be away from his high school sweetheart, Ella Springfield. While Brian Kelly will be the happiest with Nussmeier’s comeback, the Tigers’ HC has been warned of a serious Nussmeier danger ahead of the regular season. See, Garrett had a remarkable season in 2024. No doubt about that. 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and completing 64.2% of his passes does not just speak but scream how good Nussmeier was in 2024. However, a recent revelation suggests why Kelly needs to be concerned about his QB1.

If you go by numbers, Nussmeier had an insanely good season last year. But when Nussmeier’s performance dropped significantly during the Tigers’ three-game losing streak, everything went in vain. Considering his potential, renowned college football analyst Paul Finebaum still believes that Garrett is THE QB LSU needs right now. “A lot of people are surprised because he struggled last year, but he also had some moments, like the Ole Miss game and a couple of other games, where he showed what he’s capable of. I think that was a couple of big moments for him. I’m very high on him,” Finebaum vouched for Nussmeier.

While Finebaum’s take does make sense to an extent, HC Kelly will not ignore Nussmeier’s weaknesses. The biggest problem with Nussmeier is the fact that comfort had taken the exit door when it came to taking hold of the pigskin. It all started in week 10. Remember his performance against Texas A&M? Nussmeier came up with three picks and could only rack up 50% of his passes. During the game, he surely looked like a fish out of the water. The Tigers had a soul-crushing 38-23 loss. In week 11, the same thing happened. Something looked off when he faced off against Alabama. He came up with only 27 of 42 passes for 239 yards, two more interceptions, with one touchdown. So, now that he has made a comeback to Baton Rouge, veteran NCAA analyst Preston Guy draws a bleak picture of what the future holds for Kelly’s quarterback.

On the April 4 episode of the Hunt on LSU podcast, host Hunt Palmer had Preston Guy from TigerBait.com over the phone. The analyst then gave a rundown on the QB’s upcoming days while giving a recap. “Overall good, but I feel like that’s not quite captures it. It was too volatile at times. He made some outstanding plays last year. Showed you flashes of greatness, but there were also other times where he was too un-careful with the ball, particularly down the stretch of the season. In his first six games, I believe he only had two interceptions, so to finish the back half of the season with 10, that’s highly concerning.” Out of all, the biggest turndown was Nussmeier coming up with three interceptions against the Aggies, the highest in his 2024 chapter. 

Plus, he had a hard time hitting deep balls. So what’s the advice for the quarterback? “You need to show some accuracy and consistency with that deep ball. Overall, it was a pretty good season last year. But I’m not going to go out and say it was great or anything. But I think he’s got the potential to be great.” When it comes to his mobility, it’s just “average.” The weaknesses become more prominent when the ceiling is high.

For instance, Nussmeier is filling the shoes of Joe Burrow, who completed 29 of 39 passes for 493 yards and an SEC-record-tying seven touchdowns while adding a rushing TD. And not to forget Jayden Daniels. The QB came up with 606 total yards and five touchdowns during the Tigers’ 52-35 win over Florida. Now that Nussmeier has picked up the Heisman hype, does it hint towards a playoff ticket? 

Top Comment by Jackie Cavanaugh

He isnt what LSU needs but neither if Kelly. Like it or not they not getting the job done...more

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Analysts split on Garrett Nussmeier’s Heisman hype

Back in November last year, Kelly’s QB started to gather the NFL spotlight. So much so that the CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso saw Nussmeier. surging up to No. 7 in his mock draft. The analyst predicted the New York Giants could select the Tigers’ QB as a potential replacement for Daniel Jones. Talking about Nussmeier’s Heisman odds, Preston Guy said, “New York wouldn’t catch me off guard now. Him actually winning the whole thing, I’d still be a little huge catching lightning in a bottle like that three times.” Heisman trophy odds for the 2025 season opened up. And guess what? Nuss was at or near the top of many of the major sportsbooks.

FanDuel, in particular, had Kelly’s QB as the odds-on favorite for the Heisman, as a +900 favorite back in January. Other notable betting favorites for the 2025 Heisman are Arch Manning (+950) and Cade Klubnik (+1100). Along with Drew Allar (+1100) and Jeremiah Smith (+1700). But Nussmeier’s luck solely depends on the protection game of LSU.

As on That SEC Football Podcast, Matt Hayes stated, “If they could protect him, I think he could have a big year. I don’t know that I would put him at number one in the Heisman.” Now, will he catch the Year 5 charm? There goes a tradition in the LSU squad where their fifth-year quarterbacks have breakout campaigns. The biggest example is Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels bringing home the Heisman trophy in their fifth year. If 2025 is his canvas, here’s hoping Garrett Nussmeier paints a masterpiece, not a mess.