Why Garrett Nussmeier is a better fit for LSU football than 5-star QB Caleb Williams

LSU football landed a commitment from four-star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier earlier this week.

LSU football landed a big fish this week by securing a commitment from four-star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

Nussmeier, 6-foot-2/185 lbs from Flower Mound, TX, is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 15 player in the state of Texas and the No. 7 pro-style quarterback in the nation.

It wasn’t a surprise to see Nussmeier commit to the Tigers. He’s long been considered a strong LSU lean. And that only intensified when Ed Orgeron hired Scott Linehan (he coached with Nussmeier’s dad, Doug Nussmeier, when both were on the Dallas Cowboys’ staff) to replace Joe Brady as the Tigers’ passing game coordinator.

The addition of Nussmeier, however, likely means LSU is out of the mix for five-star quarterback Caleb Williams, the nation’s No. 5 overall 2021 recruit and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation.

Williams released his top three schools earlier this week and included Oklahoma, Maryland and LSU.

The Sooners appeared to be out in front for Williams before Nussmeier’s commitment.

It’s hard to see Williams going to a program where he’ll have to compete with another highly rated quarterback — especially a quarterback who already has a close relationship with the passing game coordinator.

Coach O and his staff, though, almost certainly knew that Nussmeier’s commitment could affect Williams’ recruitment. And they were still happy to take Nussmeier’s commitment.

I think that’s because Nussmeier is clearly the better fit at LSU. And fit is often more more important than where a player sits in the recruiting rankings.

Nussmeier’s game translates well to what LSU is trying to accomplish offensively. He has a good arm that’s accurate, he has a quick release and he’s able to extend plays with his legs if needed. It wouldn’t be fair to compare him to Joe Burrow, but the way he plays is similar.

But that’s not the biggest reason I think Nussmeier is a better fit than Williams.

It’s all comes down to who Nussmeier is off-the-field.

Nussmeier is a Louisiana native who grew up dreaming of playing for LSU.

“I knew in my heart LSU was the place for me. My family is from there, I always wanted to be a Tiger and I dreamed of playing in Death Valley, so it seemed right”, said Nussmeier in an interview with Rivals this week.

Nussmeier was hoping to commit on Easter, but those plans were altered because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The reason he wanted to commit on Easter?

Because he was going to be in Louisiana and he wanted to share the news there with his family.

“We’re usually all in Louisiana, having a big crawfish boil and I was excited to tell them there but because of the Coronavirus, I wasn’t able to do that”, explained Nussmeier.

It’s clear that playing in Baton Rouge is important for Nussmeier. He doesn’t just understand the culture, he’s part of the culture.

Orgeron and his staff have been most successful with players who embrace Louisiana. And Nussmeier is one of those players.

Williams is going to be a great player as well. And he could be great at LSU.

But Nussmeier is a perfect fit for the Tigers. And that’s why LSU essentially chose him over Williams.