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Rise of Freshman QB Garrett Nussmeier Has Been Tremendous Boost for LSU Offense

Nussmeier coming off three touchdown scrimmage, is looking more comfortable by the day

Garrett Nussmeier continues to put in the work and flourish as LSU’s No. 2 quarterback heading into the 2021-22 season. The true freshman delivered an absolute clinic in the Tigers first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday in Death Valley, completing 11-of-17 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

"The guy's a gunslinger," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. "It seems like he can throw the ball down the field from his hip or any position. He's not being careless with the football."

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Nussmeier since joining the program in January. He was coming off a broken hand suffered his senior year of high school and spent the first few weeks rehabbing. As is the case for most freshmen, the spring was a bit of a wake up call but being behind the likes of Myles Brennan, Max Johnson and Tj Finley allowed him to develop a little more slowly.

After a shaky spring game where the early enrollee threw three interceptions, his entire demeanor has changed, not forcing plays, but letting them come to him instead.

“His pocket presence, he's settled down a little bit,” Orgeron said. “He's not being careless with the football. Obviously, he knows now that he's right there in the position. No telling, he could be playing at any time. So, I think he's more contentious. He did a good job this summer of learning the offense. He's more patient with the football.”

However, after losing Brennan to injury and the departure of Finley to the transfer portal, the quarterback room in Baton Rouge is frail. Orgeron and his staff know just how important it is to prime Nussmeier given he could be on the field at any time.

This summer he spent a lot of time with offensive coordinator Jake Peetz and learning the offense front and back so that he'd be ready for what was to come in the fall as the primary backup. Both Nussmeier and  the starting Johnson provide the Tigers a similar play style. The two are dynamic with the ball in their hands, opening up Peetz’ playbook with more RPO schemes.

"The RPOs are there. We're going to throw the RPOs,” Orgeron said. “RPO doesn't mean the quarterback is going to run the ball. Either give it to the running back or throw it. All depends on what the safeties and his position and all that stuff. That’s there.”

Being just a true freshman, the improvement of Nussmeier in such a short period of time is promising for Tiger fans. Johnson pinpointed Nussmeier’s football IQ during spring camp, specifically the way he can read defenses and make plays out of nothing.

“He’s grown a lot,” said Johnson. “I think just kind of minimizing the mistakes and learning the protections and knowing where to go with the ball. I think he’s done a lot better with that. It’s coming along, you know, we work really well together and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

With two quarterbacks who have the ability to throw on the run and keep defenses on their toes at all times, the offensive scheme of this Tigers group becomes more enticing. As Johnson continues taking Nussmeier under his wing and showing him the ropes, this LSU team should have no fear at the backup quarterback position.