LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had a decision to make after the regular season as he certainly performed well enough to make a jump into the NFL. But after evaluating everything, Nussmeier decided he needed another year at LSU.
“I wasn’t consistent as I wanted to be, I felt like I owed that to the coaches who have spent so much time with me helping me to reach my best and the players who have busted their tails everyday with me to try and help me be better as well, so I just feel like the job wasn’t finished,” Nussmeier said.
Nussmeier threw for 37-hundred yards and 26 touchdowns this season and led the Tigers to eight victories. The Lake Charles native also had 11 interceptions and lost three fumbles.
The son of an NFL assistant coach is confident LSU’s coaching staff can get him to perform at a higher-level next season.
“I got coaches around me that is going to push me and help me reach that next level and that’s the goal, keep getting better and be a better player in August than I am now,” Nussmeier said.
Nussmeier is getting ready to lead LSU in a Texas Bowl matchup against Baylor. It’s ironic the Tigers are playing in the Texas Bowl this year, because it was Nussmeier’s decision in 2021 not to play in the Texas Bowl that’s giving him the opportunity to play college football in 2025.
If Nussmeier played in the Texas Bowl in 2021, he would not have been eligible for a red-shirt season, because he would have played in too many games.
Nussmeier’s decision not to play in the Texas Bowl, resulted in a wide receiver and former high school quarterback Jontre Kirklin playing against Kansas State.
Nussmeier will have a new group of pass catchers next season as Kyren Lacy, CJ Daniels and Mason Taylor are moving on to the NFL or in Daniels case, the Miami Hurricanes.
But the Tigers have restocked thanks to the transfer portal and have brought in some talented pass catchers in Bauer Sharp, Barion Brown and Nic Anderson.
“We got a lot of guys who can make plays and some of them are already still here, and we are going bring some guys who can also make some very good plays, it’s going to be a very competitive (receivers) room, a very talented room I’m very excited we got so many guys in that room,” Nussmeier said.
And Nussmeier also wants to back head coach Brian Kelly’s proclamation that the LSU program will play in a national championship soon.
“I know I made the right decision and like Coach Kelly said we are keeping receipts, and we are going to do things the right way,” Nussmeier said.