Garrett Nussmeier Returning in 2025

One more ride on the Nuss Bus

LSU got the best possible news of the portal/NFL Draft window as redshirt junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier announced on social media he would be returning to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season.

LSU, like all teams across the college football landscape, have seen its fair share of players enter the transfer portal since the window opened on Monday. But nothing would have been more crippling to LSU’s 2025 hopes than if Nussmeier announced he would be leaving LSU.

Nuss has thrown for 3,739 yards which ranks third on LSU’s single season record list. He only needs 74 yards to pass Jayden Daniels’ Heisman season (3,812) for second place. He’s also thrown 26 touchdowns, which is good for fourth in an LSU single season, and if he throws for three scores in the Texas Bowl against Baylor he’ll pass Matt Mauck (2003) and JaMarcus Russell (2006) for third all-time.

But the biggest cause for celebration is because, obviously, you’re getting your starting quarterback back for another year. Not just that, LSU will be getting a fifth-year senior quarterback back for his second year as a starter, and has anyone had better luck in that category than the Tigers lately? Joe Burrow won a Heisman and a national championship in his second year, Jayden Daniels won a Heisman and had a national championship-caliber offense in his second year; heck if you go all the way back to 2013 you can even lump Zach Mettenberger’s season into that category as well.

Is that a guarantee that Nuss will win a Heisman and go on to be a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft? Of course not, but I’m not sure if there’s a better, more impactful returning quarterback coming into next season than Garrett Nussmeier.