Tag: aj swann

LSU’s Colin Hurley among Phil Steele’s top 25 preseason quarterbacks

Colin Hurley reclassified from the 2025 class, but the young passer could develop into one of the nation’s best.

LSU could have one of the nation’s top quarterbacks once again this season as [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to take over for Heisman winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] after three years of waiting and some impressive flashes in a backup role.

But beyond Nussmeier, the quarterback room is still solid. The Tigers added transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] to a room that already included redshirt freshman [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag], and in the 2024 recruiting class, it signed four-star quarterback [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag].

It will probably be some time before Hurley makes an impact on the field. The Jacksonville, Florida, signal-caller reclassified from the 2025 class and was just 16 years old when he enrolled at LSU in January. But the talent is there with Hurley, who was considered among the top 2025 passers before he reclassified.

Phil Steele named Hurley one of his top 25 freshman quarterbacks in the country.

Hurley’s ranking took a bit of a hit when he reclassified, and he ultimately finished as the No. 356 player and No. 25 quarterback in the 247Sports composite rankings.

He is almost certainly heading for a redshirt season in Year 1, but with some development, he has the chance to be the next great LSU quarterback.

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Garrett Nussmeier explains why he never transferred from LSU

Garrett Nussmeier certainly had the chance to start elsewhere while waiting at LSU over the last three seasons, but he opted to stay.

In the modern era of college football, LSU quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is something of an irregular case.

He enters his fourth season on the team and has just one career start under his belt. Nussmeier has shown promise when he’s had the chance to play, but he’s been waiting as a backup over the last three seasons.

Given his flashes, Nussmeier certainly had transfer opportunities. After the 2022 season, he would have had the chance to start for multiple power conference teams.

Instead, he opted to stay at LSU and wait for his chance to start. At the Manning Passing Academy, he explained the reasoning behind that decision.

“I felt like this was the place I was supposed to be, I felt like God put me here for a reason,” Nussmeier said. “And like I said earlier, I felt like it was just my responsibility. I trusted Him and trusted His timing to keep my head down and just keep working. Hopefully, it will pay off in the long run, and if it doesn’t, then that wasn’t His plan either.”

While it remains to be seen how Nussmeier handles the opportunity, he enters the 2024 season as the presumptive starter despite LSU also taking a transfer with SEC starting experience in [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag].

This is Nussmeier’s team in 2024, and at long last, he’ll have the chance to prove himself on the big stage.

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What tier does LSU’s quarterback situation fall into entering 2024?

Led by Garrett Nussmeier, LSU’s quarterback room looks quite a bit different in 2024.

LSU has a lot of questions on both sides of the ball as it prepares for its third campaign under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in 2024, but there’s one major area that’s getting a lot of attention this offseason: the quarterback position.

Gone is [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], who started the last two seasons and won the Heisman in 2023. It’s now Garrett Nussmeier’s turn after sitting on the bench but seeing quite a bit of game action as a backup the last two seasons.

To help him, LSU also brought in Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] and returns redshirt freshman Rickie Collins.

While those pieces are promising, there are questions. And when ESPN’s David Hale ranked all 134 FBS quarterback situations into tiers, LSU’s fell into Tier 8, titled “shoes to fill.”

The sample sizes are small, of course, but in his three years at LSU, Nussmeier has thrown at least 10 passes in 10 games. In the first five of those games — two of which came against FCS foes — he completed 58%, averaged 7.2 yards per pass and had three TDs and four interceptions. In the last five — a slate that includes Alabama and Georgia — he completed 63%, averaged 9.2 yards per pass and threw eight touchdowns with three picks.

Nussmeier has shown promise in his limited action with the Tigers, but only time will tell how he handles being an everyday starter for this team in 2024.

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Where does LSU’s quarterback room rank nationally entering 2024?

LSU is losing a Heisman-winner at quarterback, but Garrett Nussmeier seems ready to take the mantle.

LSU enters the 2024 season — the third under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] — with quite a few questions.

However, one of the most pressing has to do with the game’s most important position. Heisman-winning quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is out, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is set to take over the starting job after seeing sporadic action in his first three seasons.

In addition to Nussmeier, the Tigers have Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], redshirt freshman former four-star recruit [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag], a true freshman early enrollee who reclassified from 2025 to 2024.

While that group isn’t the most experienced in the country, it does feature quite a bit of talent. In his rankings of college football quarterback rooms in 2024, On3’s Jesse Simonton slotted the Tigers eighth.

LSU lost Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, but the Tigers have kept Garrett Nussmeier around for a reason and the country will see why this fall. Just in case, Brian Kelly added some interesting insurance to the QB room as well, grabbing Vandy transfer AJ Swann (27 touchdowns, nine picks in his career).

Replacing a player of Daniels’ caliber won’t be easy, but it’s hard to see quarterback as a major concern despite the fact that it will likely be rolling with a signal-caller who has made just one career start, which came in the ReliaQuest Bowl at the end of the 2023 season.

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Garrett Nussmeier has full control running LSU’s offense, Brian Kelly says

Garrett Nussmeier will make his first start on Monday morning.

LSU will get a sneak peek at the [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] era as the redshirt sophomore is set to make his first start in the ReliaQuest Bowl with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] opting out.

Nussmeier has seen quite a bit of action, but this will be his first time running the offense for an entire game. While one may expect the team would ease him into the role, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Nussmeier has the “keys to the car.”

“He’s got the keys to the car going forward in ’24,” Kelly said, per On3. “The offense, he knows it well. He’ll be able to do the things that we need to do offensively, run it, throw it, do the things that are necessary to be a championship football team.”

Kelly said he’s noticed a difference in the way Nussmeier carries himself around the facility.

“I think it’s different,” Kelly said. “Going from being the backup to the starter, everything is a little bit faster. I think there’s a little bit more of a need to communicate and take the reins. When you’re a backup, you can kind of muddle your way through it a little bit, fake your way through it. There’s no faking now. You’re running it.

“He walks around the building a little bit differently, there’s no doubt. But he hasn’t played. So the game is different than practice. He’s preparing. When it’s live, and Wisconsin’s got a great scheme, they do a lot of really good things defensively, and he’ll be challenged.”

This could be an important audition for Nussmeier as he will have to compete with Vanderbilt transfer addition [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] in 2024. Kelly said Nussmeier has embraced the upcoming competition.

“It’s very similar to last year where Jayden came back, but we gave Nuss a fair shot at competing for that starting position,” Kelly said. “Nuss pushed it, but Jayden was better.

“We’ll have the same situation where AJ will have a chance to take that job from him. It is not a closed position. We were transparent with him. Nuss knows that, too. We’re going to be honest and open about the competition. You don’t bring in a guy who started at Vanderbilt and say, ‘Listen, you’re coming in, but you have no chance.’ That doesn’t make any sense. Nuss knew that, too.”

Nussmeier will make the first start of his career on Monday at 11 a.m. against Wisconsin.

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Where Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels rank among top all-time QB transfers

The Tigers have hit the jackpot in the transfer portal when it comes to signal callers.

LSU has certainly hit the jackpot at the quarterback position in the transfer portal era.

In the last five seasons, the team has produced two Heisman winners at the position in [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], and both were transfers who came in after spending several years at Ohio State and Arizona State, respectively.

Their arcs aren’t identical. Burrow rode the bench with the Buckeyes before getting his chance in Baton Rouge, while Daniels was a three-year starter with the Sun Devils, showing early flashes before things soured with a coaching staff that was out of its depth.

247Sports recently ranked the top 15 transfer portal quarterbacks of all time, and Daniels ranked seventh.

The latest transfer quarterback to etch his name in Heisman lore, Jayden Daniels was superb this season in Baton Rouge with numbers that rivaled the record-setting season from Joe Burrow a couple years ago. The projected 2024 NFL Draft first-rounder won’t play in LSU’s upcoming bowl game against Wisconsin after throwing 40 touchdown passes and rushing for another 10 scores this season. In total, Daniels engineered 4,946 yards of total offense for the Tigers as a fifth-year senior.

In what shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, Burrow led the way at the No. 1 spot.

Joe Burrow’s magical 2019 season is the freshest in everyone’s minds and it came at a historic level. Not only did he guide the LSU Tigers to a 15-0 national championship campaign, Burrow lit it up on the field with plenty of talent around him. He finished the year with 5,671 yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions, while completing 76.3% of his passes. It was evident early on that Burrow was doing something special. His 60 touchdowns and 202.0 quarterback rating are NCAA records and he also led the NCAA in completion percentage and passing yards. He later became the No. 1 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.

LSU likely already has its next starter on the roster in [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], but it also added a transfer with SEC experience in [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], who will look to become the next great portal quarterback product for the Tigers.

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LSU officially announces three transfers additions

LSU officially announced the addition of three transfers to the team for the 2024 season on Friday.

LSU Football just officially announced the addition of three transfers to the team for the 2024 season. The Tigers announced the addition of [autotag]Jardin Gilbert[/autotag], a safety from Texas A&M, [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], a quarterback from Vanderbilt and [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag], a wide receiver from Mississippi State.

Gilbert played in 25 games over three years for the Aggies as he made 79 tackles, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and two interceptions. Gilbert is from White Castle, Louisiana, so he is returning to the boot to play his final year of college football.

Swann played in 15 games for the Vanderbilt Commodores and threw for 2,731 yards. 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Swann will bring a lot of experience to a talented quarterback room. He will join [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag] in pursuit of the starting quarterback job.

Thomas is another Louisiana man who had left the state to play at another SEC school but he is now returning home. In 22 games, Thomas caught 42 passes for 507 yards and one touchdown. He made plays on special teams as well as he returned 10 kickoffs for 297 yards and a touchdown and 29 punts for 365 yards and a touchdown.

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LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier addresses upcoming first start, addition of transfer AJ Swann

The Garrett Nussmeier era is set to begin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1.

With [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] officially announcing his decision to opt out of the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin on Jan. 1, the [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] era is set to begin at LSU.

Nussmeier has seen some extended playing time in his three seasons with the Tigers, but the upcoming bowl game will be his first start as a college player. He said he’s excited to get the opportunity to lead this team.

“It’s been a long three years trying to stay patient and trust in the plan, trust in the process, trust in God’s plan,” Nussmeier said, per On3. “It’s a weird feeling, but I’m very excited. I’m more excited to get out there and play my best and show people what I can do and that I can lead this offense to its maximum potential.”

Nussmeier enters the 2024 season as the likely starter, but LSU did add some competition this offseason in the form of Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag], who brings SEC starting experience to the table. Nussmeier said he’s glad the room is getting deeper and that he was aware LSU was looking at adding a transfer.

“It’s great for our room and I’m excited for him to get here,” Nussmeier said. “I don’t know what I’m allowed to say, but yes, I knew (they were looking at adding a transfer portal quarterback).”

Nussmeier is far from inexperienced. He’s appeared in 17 games for the Tigers and attempted 174 passes, of which he completed 56.3% for 1,325 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions.

But on Jan. 1, we’ll get our first look at Nussmeier in action over the course of an entire game.

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Breaking down LSU transfer QB addition AJ Swann

Here’s what LSU’s getting with Vanderbilt QB transfer AJ Swann.

LSU added to its quarterback room on Monday, picking up a commitment from Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag].

The addition wasn’t a surprise. It had been known LSU was in the market for a QB with some experience and several years of eligibility remaining.

Swann fits that bill. The rising junior appeared in 15 games in two seasons at Vanderbilt but has two years of eligibility left and potentially more if he redshirts in 2024.

[autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is expected to be LSU’s starter in 2024. But Swann is a guy who can push him and adds insurance should Nussmeier get hurt.

Before adding Swann, LSU lacked a backup QB with any meaningful experience. That makes this a critical pickup.

Let’s take a look at what LSU’s getting in its newest QB.

LSU QB commit shows out during U.S. Army Bowl

Here is a reminder that the Tigers are adding a quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class from high school, as well.

With all the talk about LSU’s quarterback room with the addition of [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag] from the transfer portal, here is a reminder that the Tigers are adding a quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class from high school as well.

[autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag] is a 6-foot, 213-pound, four-star quarterback from Jacksonville, Florida, where he plays for Trinity Christian Academy. Hurley led the Conquerors to a 9-4 record and a loss to Clearwater Central Catholic in the third round of the playoffs.

Hurley played as a quarterback on the Black team in the U.S. Army bowl last night and he had an incredible game. I do not have any official stats, but the videos below are proof of the multiple touchdown passes he threw against the Gold team.

Hurley was previously a member of the 2025 recruiting class until he re-classified to 2024 and committed to LSU. He is expected to sign with the Tigers on early signing day and be on campus next month.

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