LSU Football Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier Surging Up 2026 NFL Draft Boards

Nussmeier's Senior Bowl performance elevated his stock, sitting among top quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier remains a "mystery" heading into the 2026 NFL Draft with his recent Senior Bowl performance elevating his stock significantly after a strong showing.

Following a challenging 2025 campaign in Baton Rouge, Nussmeier saw his stock plummet, but the Louisiana native continues utilizing pre-draft opportunities to get back on the radar of NFL evaluators where he's quickly surging.

Nussmeier took over as the starting signal-caller of the LSU Tigers in 2024 where he immediately became one of the top passers in the Southeastern Conference with over 4,000 yards through the air.

Across the 2024 season as QB1, Nussmeier compiled 4,052 yards passing, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 142.7 rating (337-of-525). He completed 64.2 percent of his passing attempts.

Nussmeier threw for over 7,000 yards during his time in Baton Rouge, but a challenging 2025 season will be one that NFL evaluators will be keeping tabs on during the 2026 Draft process.

But his senior campaign didn't go accordingly after dealing with a core/ab injury throughout the season.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

Now, it's about working back and elevating his 2026 NFL Draft stock at multiple events where his Senior Bowl showing did just that.

Nussmeier is back on the radar of NFL decision-makers as a Top-5 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“LSU‘s Garrett Nussmeier entered the 2025 season with massive expectations following a strong 2024 campaign, in which he threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns. He dealt with the injury bug this past season, though, and totaled just 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions in nine games.

"Across his five-year career at LSU, Nussmeier recorded 7,699 passing yards with 52 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. His father, Doug, is the current offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.

“In this draft, the great mystery, of course, is we know Fernando Mendoza’s going to go quarterback No. 1,” ESPN’s Field Yates said. “Ty Simpson from Alabama, he’s well-positioned to be quarterback No. 2. Who is going to be quarterback No. 3, and how high will that player be drafted?

"Could it be somewhere on Day 2? Might he have to wait until Day 3? (Senior Bowl week), for guys like Garrett Nussmeier, is going to influence that race for that third quarterback taken.”

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

ESPN's Jordan Reid has Nussmeier at No. 4:

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama
3. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
4. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
5. Carson Beck, Miami

But with Chambliss eyeing the opportunity to return to Ole Miss for the 2026 season - where his case for an additional season of eligibility will be resolved on Feb. 12 - all eyes are on Nussmeier as QB3.

The LSU standout will compete at the program's Pro Day and NFL Combine as he looks to continue his ascension as a top signal-caller in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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