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Garrett Nussmeier reveals how he balances focus on 2025 season with NFL Draft 'noise'

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz07/05/25NickSchultz_7
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier
© Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Although he could’ve entered a 2025 NFL Draft with question marks at quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier chose to run it back at LSU. The 2026 draft chatter is heating up in a big way, though, as he gains traction as a potential Top-15 pick.

As he noise gets louder, Nussmeier said he’s trying to block it out. While he still hears it and doesn’t totally avoid it in the social media age, he told Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Fitz he’s staying focused on the 2025 season.

Nussmeier is keeping his feet on the ground as he prepares for Year 2 as LSU’s starting quarterback. He knows the expectations he and the program have, which is why he’s trying not to worry too much about where he could go in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“For me, I’m just focused on our team,” Nussmeier said. “I’m focused on our team goals and I’m focused on being the best that I can be for my teammates. Obviously, you can’t completely ignore all the outside noise. You’re lying if you say that you don’t hear it. So I definitely hear it.

“As I spoke about, our team with the expectations coming from within, I obviously have expectations for myself, as well. The way that I kind of straddle those and keep those in check is focusing on our team. My main goal is to help lead the LSU Tigers to a national championship and let the rest fall into place.”

Nussmeier threw for 4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024, and will run it back for one more year with hopes of improving his NFL Draft stock. ESPN’s Matt Miller recently projected him to be the No. 11 overall pick in his way-too-early mock draft earlier this week.

As for a pro comparison, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Garrett Nussmeier’s game doesn’t line up exactly with one player he evaluated. Instead, he pointed out “shades” of former Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo, veteran Andy Dalton and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

“I don’t have a clean one-to-one comparison, but I do see elements of three different quarterbacks I’ve studied over the years,” Jeremiah wrote. “Nussmeier’s movement and delivery are reminiscent of Tony Romo. His touch and deep-ball trajectory/accuracy gave me some Andy Dalton vibes. His competitive nature and physical frame compare favorably to Brock Purdy.

“Nussmeier’s not a perfect match for any of those three players, but it feels like he comes from the same quarterback family. He might not be their brother, but he could be their cousin … or nephew!”