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Brian Kelly highlights development of Garrett Nussmeier, learning from mistakes

Danby: Daniel Hager06/12/25DanielHagerOn3
Brian-Kelly-highlights-development-Garrett-Nussmeier-learning-from-mistakes
Nov 25, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly waves to fans during warmups before the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Dec 31, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) looks at the scoreboard during an officials time-out against the Baylor Bears in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier returns to LSU this season for his fifth and final season of college football. Nussmeier assumed starting quarterback duties last season following the departure of Jayden Daniels to the NFL Draft and led the Tigers to a 9-4 record, passing for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly joined Rece Davis and Pete Thamel on the June 10 edition of ESPN’s “College GameDay Podcast”, where he discussed Nussmeier’s development.

“You’ve got to go through those tough times to come out on the other end of it,” Kelly said. “We lost three games in a row and he did not play very well. We turned the football over and we were up at half by two scores against [Texas] A&M. That game flipped because we made some poor decisions, so I think you gotta live through it. He played extremely well the last three games. You could see the experience and it carried itself into our offseason, in terms of understanding when to tuck it and run. He would not run when he needed to run quite frankly. They were dropping eight and playing soft coverage over the top and there were many instances where he needed to run, and I think he’s just got to go through that and experience it and I think he has.”

Kelly ‘confident’ in Nussmeier

The Lake Charles, LA native blossomed into one of the best pure passers in college football last season, as he threw for at least 300 yards in eight of LSU‘s 13 games. His brightest moment came in LSU‘s 44-31 victory over Baylor in last season’s Texas Bowl, as he passed for 313 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Entering the 2025 season, Nussmeier has been tabbed as an early Heisman favorite. If he were to win the award, he’d become the fourth LSU player to receive the honor (Billy Connor in 1959, Joe Burrow in 2019, Jayden Daniels in 2023).

“I’m confident that from what I’ve seen in the spring that [Nussmeier] knows what he needs to do this year,” Kelly continued. “Knowing when a check down, a swing or a drive route instead of waiting for a dig to open. I think it’s just that. It’s never turning down a profit and always knowing that you don’t have to make the home run play. Singles are good. They score runs. So I just think experience has showed him that. He’s a coach’s son and we all know that. He’s been around the game and knows the game so well sometimes that it comes easy to him and he feels like he can make every throw. I get it, but sometimes the receiver is not in the same place he needs to be. So there are other factors there, but I think he’s really learned those things in a hard way.”

Nussmeier and LSU open the 2025 season on the road at Clemson on August 30, looking to break their five-year streak of losing their season opener.