Garrett Nussmeier could've transferred away. He could've gone to the NFL. But he didn't. Instead, he chose to come back to Baton Rouge for his fifth and final season. It will be just his second season as the starter, and after a strong 2024 campaign, Nussmeier is looking to put together an even bigger 2025 season.
LSU quarterbacks who came before him have seen dramatic improvements from Year 1 as the starter to Year 2. In recent years, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels have taken massive leaps in their second seasons in Baton Rouge. They both won the Heisman Trophy, and Nussmeier enters the 2025 season with the second-best odds to win the Heisman.
With that in mind, what does Nussmeier have to do to improve on his strong 2024 campaign?
Joe Burrow's Year 2 leap
Joe Burrow spent two seasons in Baton Rouge after transferring in from Ohio State following the 2017 season. After a modest first season as the starter for LSU in 2018, Burrow exploded to win the Heisman Trophy in 2019. The numbers below show just how much he improved from 2018 to 2019.
CMP% | Pass Yds | TDs | INTs | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 57.8 | 2,894 | 16 | 5 | 133.2 |
2019 | 76.3 | 5,671 | 60 | 6 | 202.0 |
Burrow's exceptional play led the Tigers to a national title, and the season he put together is arguably the greatest in college football history. Burrow's 60 touchdown passes in 2019 broke the single-season FBS record. Hawaii's Colt Brennan held the previous record with 58 in 2006. In addition, Burrow's 5,671 passing yards tied Houston's Case Keenum for fourth all-time in a single season. The 2019 season was a spectacle to watch, and Burrow's legacy lives forever in the minds of LSU fans.
Jayden Daniels' Year 2 leap
Jayden Daniels transferred to LSU after three seasons at Arizona State. Unlike Burrow, Daniels saw plenty of playing time with his previous school. He came to Baton Rouge with 29 games under his belt with the Sun Devils. As you can see below, he also took a big step forward in his second season at LSU.
CMP% | Pass Yds | TDs | INTs | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 68.6 | 2,913 | 17 | 3 | 885 | 11 | 144.5 |
2023 | 72.2 | 3,812 | 40 | 4 | 1,134 | 10 | 208.0 |
Daniels did it all in 2023. Not only was he lethal through the air, but he did plenty of damage with his running abilities. In the end, it was one of the best all-around seasons from a quarterback that college football has ever seen.
What Nussmeier has to do to take the next step
What stands out the most about the improvements from Burrow and Daniels is the ability to dramatically increase their completion percentages and touchdowns without seeing a noticeable increase in interceptions. Burrow increased his touchdown total by 44 from 2018 to 2019, and threw just one additional interception. Daniels increased his total by 23, while also throwing just one additional interception.
Nussmeier threw 12 picks last season, which was the most in the SEC and the third-most in the country. Simply put, that number has to come down this season. In order to do so, his decision-making needs to be more consistent. Having a full season under his belt could help with that, which makes his experience even more valuable.
It's tough to expect Nussmeier to reach the numbers that Burrow and Daniels put up in their second seaons as the LSU starting quarterback. But, the potential is there to take a significant step forward. Entering his fifth season, Nussmeier has seen a little bit of everything in his college football career. Nothing will phase him, and if he puts it all together, the 2025 season could be a special one for Nussmeier and LSU. He is projected as a top-10 pick for the 2026 NFL Draft, and has a tremendous opportunity to start the season off strong against Clemson on Saturday.