The Buzz: LSU Football's Garrett Nussmeier Has 'No. 1 Overall Pick Potential'

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will return to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season with unfinished business after his first season as the starter last fall.

Nussmeier, the Tigers' starting signal-caller in 2024, will look to build off of a productive redshirt-junior campaign for the Bayou Bengals with the chance to take that next step.

The Lake Charles native made the decision to bypass the 2025 NFL Draft where he had the chance to be a Top-5 quarterback taken in April.

Instead, he'll return to LSU for his final season of eligibility under Brian Kelly.

Nussmeier will look to develop this offseason after piecing together a 2024 campaign where he totaled 4,052 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 games played.

With the offseason now in full swing following this week's National Championship contest between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish wrapped up, the praise has been coming in for Nussmeier.

247Sports revealed their projections for the Top-10 quarterbacks for the 2025 season with Nussmeier coming in at No. 2. He falls behind only Clemson signal-caller Cade Klubnik who came in at No. 1.

Brad Crawford from 247Sports revealed his projections for Nussmeier in 2025 and what makes his "No. 1 overall pick potential" for LSU.

The 2025 Projection: 344-of-499, 3,899 yards, 35 touchdowns, 9 interceptions

"When he's on, Garrett Nussmeier has No. 1 overall pick potential. When he's off, the quarterback who once backed up Jayden Daniels can get in his head a bit leading to mistakes," Crawford said. "Consistency trumps all with Nussmeier, who was elite in the fourth quarter in wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina, but struggled during losses to Alabama and Texas A&M.

"Brian Kelly and LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan hopes he's Heisman-level in 2025 and the Tigers have done all they can to ensure his weaponry is top-end around him. Three portal wideouts should help."

Kelly and Co. went out and brought in near double-digit signees on offense via the NCAA Transfer Portal with Nussmeier now surrounded by elite-level talent in 2025.

Which wide receivers can he utilize to become one of the top signal-callers in America?

A quick look into the "Way-Too-Early" projected rotation.

The "Way-Too-Early" Depth Chart Predictions: Wide Receiver Room

Starters: Nic Anderson, Barion Brown and Aaron Anderson

The competition level will be high in the LSU wide receiver room this offseason with the coaching staff adding talented playmakers Nic Anderson and Barion Brown via the Transfer Portal.

For Anderson, he set the Oklahoma freshman record for touchdown receptions with 10 in 2023. His 798 receiving yards that year rank No. 2 in Oklahoma history for a freshman.

In two years with the Sooners, Anderson appeared in 17 games with six starts, all coming as a redshirt freshman in 2023. Anderson missed the entire 2024 season with an injury.

Now, he heads to Baton Rouge after multiple seasons with the Sooners looking to replicate the same success he had in Norman as a freshman. Look for Anderson to quickly emerge as WR1 for the Bayou Bengals.

When it comes to Kentucky transfer Barion Brown, his sheer speed and twitchiness is what will make him a lethal weapon for Nussmeier in 2025.

He had inconsistent quarterback play during his time with the Wildcats, and now with a surefire signal-caller at his disposal, it will be a blessing for Brown.

The speedster joins the LSU Tigers with over 120 career catches, 1500+ receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns under his belt at his previous stop.

Brown also holds the record for most kick return touchdowns in SEC history with five in his college career. Look for him to be an integral piece to LSU's success in 2025.

"Explosiveness, veteran presence, maturity that he brings to the room. We have some young players and I think it's pretty clear, when you're recruiting receivers you're looking at who your quarterback is to," Kelly said of Brown in December.

"You've got a veteran quarterback, someone who can push the ball down the field. He looked at that, at the success of the receivers at LSU. He's an explosive player and I think it was pretty easy this was going to be a great fit for him."

Lastly, expect returning piece Aaron Anderson to emerge as the third piece in the wide receiver room alongside [Nic] Anderson and Brown this offseason.

He's fresh off of a career year with the Tigers and comes back to Baton Rouge as the most productive piece on this offense other than Nussmeier.

As a redshirt-freshman in 2023 with LSU, Anderson tallied 12 catches for 59 yards and zero touchdowns.

Then, in 2024, it all came together for the coveted wideout in his second season in Baton Rouge.

Anderson pieced together a breakout year last fall after tallying 53 receptions for 784 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season

What led to the monstrous season for Anderson last season? Brian Kelly chimed in:

"It's everything he does in his life," Kelly said in September. "It's going to class, being on time, his practice habits, framing the ball, catching the ball, it's just everything. It's the natural maturity that comes with being in the program."

Competition will be brewing in the receiver room, but the "way-too-early" starters will look to be game changers for Nussmeier.

Backups: Chris Hilton, Kyle Parker and Zavion Thomas

It would be easy to pencil returning piece Chris Hilton in as a starter for the Tigers heading into the 2025 season. He's a dynamic weapon that clearly showcased rapport with Nussmeier towards the end of the 2024 season and into the bowl game.

The main factor will be Hilton's health heading into Week 1 at Clemson. If 100% healthy, he'll be competing for starting duties with the LSU Tigers. Hilton will be an integral piece to this offense.

Aside from Hilton, expect returnees Kyle Parker and Zavion Thomas to carve out efficient roles within the offense.

Kelly and the coaching staff relied on Parker to take starting-caliber snaps for the program when healthy, but a few injuries sidelined the youngster for most of the 2024 season. This offseason will be crucial for his development.

For Thomas, he's a dynamic speedster who's thrived on special teams as a return specialist for this program. He can also be used as a weapon on offense in a myriad of ways.

The Youngsters to Know: Kylan Billiot, Jelani Watkins and TaRon Francis

Kylan Billiot and Jelani Watkins will return to Baton Rouge for their second seasons with the program after redshirting in 2024 as true freshmen.

We've seen the abilities Billiot has, and as he continues developing with the program, it'll be intriguing to see his growth.

For Watkins, it's his speed that separates him from the rest. He's a track star that is continuing to get acclimated to SEC football. He'll be a fun player to watch in Spring Camp.

Lastly, true freshman TaRon Francis could carve out a role within the receiving corps in year one with the purple and gold.

The Edna Karr standout is an early-enrollee and has begun workouts with the program ahead of Spring Camp in March. Look for the physical receiver nicknamed "ManChild" to grow into an intriguing piece to the wideout room sooner rather than later.

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.