As LSU takes on the Baylor Bears in the Texas Bowl the most intriguing storyline has been the Tigers taking on former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. The Tigers defense in 2019 was led by Aranda allowed just 21.9 points per game. As Aranda faces off against LSU he faces off against several players he helped recruit including quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
On Sunday, Dave Aranda spoke on facing off against LSU and gave Garrett Nussmeier a ton of praise.
"I think offensively it's all pushed by the quarterback, Coaches kid, I remember when we were recruiting him just way way smart can identify the whole thing. He runs all of it if there's a blitz he'll get out of it. If there's a soft coverage he'll change the route. If its a protection thing he'll change the protection. More than any quarterback we've played he runs the whole show."Dave Aranda
This season the Tigers have asked Garrett Nussmeier to do a ton especially as he's had to call out protections. The Tigers offensive identity for the majority of the season has been Nussmeier as the Tigers struggled to find a consistent running game all season long.
As Nussmeier returns for the 2025 everything the Tigers have asked him to do in 2024 will only make him a better player next season. Next season Nussmeier will have a full year of experience calling out protections and changing plays at the line which will make it easier for him to disect what the opposing defense is doing.
As LSU loses Will Campbell, Emery Jones, Garrett Dellinger, and Miles Frazier to the NFL, Nussmeier's experience calling out protections will only help the Tigers as the new group takes time to gel. The development of Nussmeier is the most important factor for LSU next season and we'll get another game to diagnose this week.