No. 5 QB recruit strongly linked to four major college football programs

One of the five best quarterbacks in the 2027 college football recruiting class is trending toward a decision between four major programs

Dec 6, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a tv camera and the ESPN college football logo before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season is officially in the rearview mirror. No. 1 Indiana defeated No. 10 Miami (27-21) in the 12th annual College Football Playoff national championship game to end the season on Monday.

Now that there are no more games to be played, teams can focus on bettering their rosters for the college football seasons ahead. Programs have assembled their 2026 high school recruiting classes and have mostly put the finishing touches on their portal acquisitions for 2026.

The next opportunity for programs to acquire roster pieces for the future is in the form of the 2027 high school recruiting class. A handful of prospects in the class have already made their commitment, but the vast majority will not make those decisions until the summer.

Several of the top quarterback prospects in the class of 2027 have already committed, including Kavian Bryant (Texas Tech) and Trae Taylor (Nebraska). One of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class that has yet to announce a commitment is Colton Nussmeier.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder ranks as the No. 5 quarterback in the class of 2027, playing for Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. His father, Doug Nussmeier, has worked as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at a variety of stops over the past 25 years. His older brother, Garrett Nussmeier, was the starting quarterback at LSU in 2024 and 2025.

Both Nussmeier's skills as a quarterback and his family pedigree make him an intriguing prospect for major college football programs. According to 247Sports, Nussmeier has "warm" interest in four SEC football programs.

LSU

Nussmeier's connection to LSU is an obvious one, with his older brother suiting up as the Tigers' starting quarterback for each of the past two seasons. In addition to his brother's career at LSU, his father currently serves as the offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints under Kellen Moore.

LSU starter Sam Leavitt has two seasons of eligibility remaining, although there is a chance he declares for the NFL draft after 2026. Husan Longstreet and Landen Clark would likely be ahead of Nussmeier if he were to commit to the Tigers, and LSU already has a 2027 quarterback commitment in Peyton Houston.

Alabama

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer leaves the field after the 2026 Rose Bowl | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Nussmeier's father is one of the many football coaches who can say he spent a portion of his career working under Nick Saban at Alabama. He worked as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide in 2012 and 2013.

One or both of the Crimson Tide's return quarterbacks in 2026 could be on the roster in 2027 in Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Four-stars Jett Thomalla and Trent Seaborn are committed to the 2026 and 2027 classes, respectively, so the room may be crowded if Nussmeier were to enter.

Florida

Another one of Nussmeier's father's coaching stops was at Florida. He served as the Gators' offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for the entirety of Jim McElwain's tenure in Gainesville from 2015 to 2017.

Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo is following Buster Faulkner to Gainesville. Other than potentially waiting behind Tramell Jones Jr. and 2026 signee Will Griffin, Nussmeier would have no competition in his own class.

Georgia

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart looks toward the field during the Sugar Bowl | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Georgia is the only one of the four schools where Nussmeier's father did not coach, although he did work at Alabama while Kirby Smart was the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator.

Ryan Montgomery, Ryan Puglisi and Hezekiah Millender are the scholarship quarterbacks on the roster who will compete for the job once Gunner Stockton is out of eligibility. Jared Curtis' flip to Vanderbilt kept the Bulldogs from signing a quarterback in the 2026 class, so Nussmeier would have no competition in his class or the class above him if he committed to Georgia.