What does success look like for Garrett Nussmeier in 2024?
Well we’re officially a fortnight away from the 2024 season beginning. Let’s talk shop.
What does success look like for Garrett Nussmeier?
Max
I think he’ll have a chance to compete for the Heisman, I’ll plant my flag in him. If he develops as expected, I think he’ll be among the nation’s best and certainly most entertaining QBs.
Poseur
Over 3000 yards, a 65% completion percentage, about a 9.0 yards per attempt average. Those are Brady Cook numbers (he went 3317, 66.1%, 9.0 for Mizzou last year). Be Brady Cook. Anything more than that is lagniappe.
Ben
The biggest change with Nussmeier taking over at QB is mobility. Jayden Daniels was an extra running back and forced every defense to keep at least one guy on him. Combine that with two first-round talents at WR and you get a team that can make defensive coordinators cry. Nuss does not provide that threat. He’ll be successful if LSU can find a way to adjust the run game around this. If that doesn’t happen, all bets are off and I’m not going to blame him if LSU’s forced to throw 50 times a game. If they adjust the run game, I’ll say he’s successful if he manages the games competently and shows off the talent he showed in January on a regular basis. He’s had all this hype throughout his career. I hope he lives up to it.
Saul
Success for the Nuss Buss, (are we calling him that or nah?!) is a level beneath Daniels & Burrow. Lofty expectations, yes, but the bowl game showed he can play and with some good skill players and a potential coming out party in the opener vs. a now soft USC defense could propel him towards Heisman talk as soon as the first game of the season.
Dee
I have high hopes for Nuss, and not just because I already have his number (lucky 13!) tattooed on me. Max’s breakdown of the Wisconsin film shows the possibilities and talent are there. The only real question is if Nuss will need that extra year or not to compete at the highest levels. As much as I’d love him to come out and smash it, I don’t think there is anything wrong with following in the footsteps of Burrow and Daniels and having that second year breakout season. I’m happy to get a solid season out of him, see him grow, and win the 2025 Heisman so I can add to my LSU Heisman sleeve.
Kyle
The standards for Nussmeier all depend on the defense. If the defense is truly revamped, Nussmeier only has to not lose LSU games. If the defense looks even like a quarter of what it looked in 2023, Nussmeier will have to lead the team to some wins. There’s lots of rave for him coming into the season so truly success would look like an appearance in the playoffs.
Zach
- Joe Burrow’s 2018: 2,894 yards, 57.8 completion percentage, 16 TDs vs. 5 INTs
- Zach Mettenberger’s 2012: 2,609 yards, 58.8 completion percentage, 12 TDs vs. 7 INTs
Those numbers were good enough to get LSU to a 9-3* regular season record in 2018 and 10-2 in 2012. If you think Nuss is more ready to be a first-year starter than Burrow or Mett were, and I do, then I think 3,000 yards, 20 TDs, and somewhere between 60-65 completion percentage is more than a fair ask.
But I’m less worried about the numbers he puts up in a box score and more curious about the intangibles. It’s one thing playing Wisconsin in a half full Raymond James Stadium at 11:00 A.M. on New Year’s Day, what about when an unbeaten Ole Miss comes to town? Or Bama? Or when you’ve got 100,000 Aggie fans doing their yell thing? I want to see if he can handle those moments.
Evan
I’m going to use a term that is overused when talking about QBs, but it matters here: Poise. A talented quarterback in his fourth year of college football is rare these days. While Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels did not put up eye-popping numbers in their redshirt junior seniors, they did still have a certain aura around them that younger guys like Brandon Harris and Max Johnson did not. They weren’t afraid and looked like they belonged. Nussmeier has waited and studied for this opportunity, and should be as ready as a guy can be. A wild fact I can’t get over is the last time LSU had a scholarship quarterback begin and end his career at LSU was the 2012 tandem of Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee. Nuss has the talent to end that streak and I think he will. Whether it takes one or two years is the curious part to me.