How LSU football commit Garrett Nussmeier is a lot like Joe Burrow
By Zach Ragan
LSU football received a commitment from four-star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier earlier this week.
Joe Burrow left his mark on LSU football in a lot of ways.
The Tigers celebrated a national championship because of Burrow and the incredible school records he set in 2019. Most of those records will probably never be broken.
But that’s not where Burrow’s impact on LSU ends.
Because of his success — and the accompanying attention he’s received because of that success — every quarterback who suits up for the Tigers for the foreseeable future will be compared to Burrow.
It’s not necessarily fair, but that’s how it’s going to be.
First up will be Myles Brennan, the quarterback who will immediately follow Burrow in Baton Rouge. Brennan is a talented quarterback from Mississippi with a big arm. But unless he throws for 6,000 yards, 60 touchdowns and leads LSU to a championship, he won’t live up to what Burrow accomplished in 2019 (again, not fair to Brennan).
Next up will likely be four-star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, the son of former Alabama offensive coordinator and current Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier.
Nussmeier still has a year of high school left before he gets to LSU. It’s going to be a while before he’s under center for the Tigers.
But he’s already similar to Burrow in a lot of ways — maybe the most similar quarterback to Burrow that we’ll see in Baton Rouge.
Nussmeier, like Burrow, is the son of a football coach. He’s spent his entire childhood around a team. He knows how to break down film and lead a team.
Check out this excerpt from a recent article from The Athletic and tell me it doesn’t sound like something we’d read about Joe Burrow.
"One Friday before a game during Nussmeier’s sophomore year, he asked Atkinson if he could watch film at 5 p.m. before a 7 p.m. game. That part wasn’t too uncommon. But then Atkinson entered the room to find Nussmeier with the entire receiving corps. He saw a sophomore explaining to juniors and seniors, “All right, here’s what I’m thinking pre-snap. Here is where I’m going with the ball. You better be ready.”"
Burrow was great on the field. But what truly made him great was his ability to lead and get the best out of his teammates. Nussmeier appears to have those same characteristics.
Nussmeier understands the similarities. He knows he has the same opportunity as Burrow to be special at LSU.
“I can see a lot of similarities with him (Burrow). I’m not comparing myself to a No. 1 draft pick, but we’re both coaches kids and I think we both have a similar play style”, said Nussmeier to The Athletic.
The odds of Nussmeier being the next Joe Burrow aren’t high. But there’s no rule that says it can’t happen.
Anyone can be great. Why not Nussmeier?