The 2024 College Football season has come to a close and everyone immediately looks toward the 2025 season. Heading into the 2025 season, LSU will be a trendy to pick to make the College Football Playoff, to win the SEC, and to win the National Championship. Part of that sentiment is based on LSU's massive incoming transfer class but, more lies upon what LSU brings back.
The biggest piece LSU brings back for 2025 is far and away Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier who returns to LSU for one more season. 2024 was Nussmeier's first year as the starting quarterback and as LSU struggled to run the football Nussmeier was forced to carry the offense. The veteran finished the season passing for 4,052 yards completing 64.2% of his passes with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for another 3 touchdowns.
Heading into the 2025 season, Garrett Nussmeier is garnering Heisman buzz from Oddsmakers, Media Members, College Football Fans, and his teammates.
Whit Weeks said it with his chest when I asked him how big it is to have the return of Garrett Nussmeier.
— Chessa Bouche (@chessabouche) December 20, 2024
“He’s going to win the Heisman next year.”
-Weeks@LSUfootball pic.twitter.com/2cSHxk6gUV
While Garrett Nussmeier may be one of the Heisman front runners he shouldn't just be a front runner he should be the front runner for the Award.
Garrett Nussmeier had a fine Wide Receiver core in 2024 but, it wasn't at the level we're used to seeing at LSU. The Tigers return Aaron Anderson, Kyle Parker, and Chris Hilton Jr among others the latter of which missed most of this season but, became a monster for LSU once he was healthy.
Tight End Trey'Dez Green has big shoes to fill as Mason Taylor departs for the NFL but, he showed in the Texas Bowl that he's a legitimate talent that could emerge as a Super Star in 2025.
The transfer portal saw Garrett Nussmeier gain Nic Anderson, Barion Brown, Destyn Hill, Bauer Sharp, and Donovan Green as targets. Nic Anderson at 6 foot 4 is the massive target Nussmeier was missing on the outside and will be a weapon for LSU in the red zone which is an area where the Tigers struggled. Barion Brown will be one of the receivers in the rotation and he'll be a weapon for Nussmeier as he can beat opposing defenses deep while he can also take a screen and turn into a massive play.
The biggest reason that Garrett Nussmeier may go on a magical run to win the Heisman Trophy is that he'll be in his second season in the offense. Nearly every quarterback takes a jump statistically after their first season in an offense, at LSU as of late the jumps have been insane.
In 2018, Joe Burrow passed for 2,894 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions completing 57.8% of his passes before in 2019 passing for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns with 6 interceptions completing 76.3% of his passes. In Jayden Daniels' first season in the offense he passed for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns with 3 interceptions completing 68.6% of his passes before passing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with four interceptions. Both quarterbacks won the Heisman Trophy in their second season as the starter.
It's unfair to expect that Garrett Nussmeier will take as big of a jump as Burrow and Daniels but, his first season statistics are much better than what his predecessors did in year one. Given all of Nussmeier's experience and the talent he showed this season, don't be surprised when he's standing in New York at the Heisman Trophy ceremony next season and don't be shocked if he ends up winning the Award.