Garrett Nussmeier – Page 29 – Syndication Server

ESPN breaks down LSU’s quarterback competition after spring ball

Who will start under center for the Tigers this fall?

Spring practice is in the books, but we still don’t have much better of an idea of who will be lining up under center for the Tigers this fall.

There are three primary contenders: [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] — a veteran who has dealt with injuries the past two seasons — [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — a transfer who was a three-year starter at Arizona State — and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], a redshirt freshman who impressed in the spring game.

Though Nussmeier’s performance was arguably the best of the three, that alone is not enough to win the job, especially considering he lacks experience when compared to the other two.

We’ll have to wait until fall camp to get any official announcement, but ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg tried his hand at predicting each of the top ongoing quarterback battles, and LSU’s cracked the list.

Brian Kelly’s first quarterback competition as LSU coach is among the most fascinating in the country. He inherits a room with a 23-year-old former starter who needs to get healthy in Brennan, as well as a transfer with multiple years of starting experience in Daniels. But Nussmeier generated most of the buzz this spring, impressing the new coaches with his skills and ability to execute a different scheme. Despite being a top-65 national recruit in 2021, Nussmeier has been overlooked at times, especially when Daniels transferred in from Arizona State and Brennan opted to return for a sixth and final season. LSU also added Walker Howard, ESPN’s No. 42 overall recruit in the 2022 class, who likely won’t factor into this year’s QB race.

Daniels, who started 29 games for Arizona State, didn’t transfer to LSU to sit out. He must absorb the new offense and make some mechanical tweaks to try and recapture the form he displayed in 2019, when he passed for nearly 3,000 yards with 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions, immediately entering the NFL draft radar. Brennan, who had a solid start in 2020 before injuries derailed that season and the next, could be the safest option for Kelly. Nussmeier’s excellent spring could change the equation, though, especially if he builds on his performance early in camp.

Week 1 starter prediction: Daniels. He must hold off Nussmeier, which could be difficult, but with the right adjustments in footwork and throwing motion, the ASU transfer should get the first shot for LSU. Kelly and his staff likely will want to see what they can get from Daniels before changing course at QB.

Daniels’ performance in the spring game was a bit underwhelming, but it’s understandable considering when he arrived. He likely still needed to learn more of the playbook at that point, and we should have a much better idea where he stands during fall camp.

He certainly didn’t transfer to LSU with the intention of sitting on the bench, and though Brennan and Nussmeier still have a very good shot, it makes sense to see Daniels as the current leader in the clubhouse despite an underwhelming first outing in the purple and gold.

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Five hypothetical SEC trades that would make sense for LSU

In an imaginary world where college football had trades, here are five moves that LSU could make.

Very few discussions can eat up space like a good old trade debate.

Anytime the trade deadline rolls around in professional sports, fans wait on the edge of their seats eager to see what their team might do. College football has the transfer portal, but it’s just not as much fun as a trade. With it being the off-season, it’s time to look at what could happen if trades were allowed.

I’m not advocating for trades to be a thing in college sports. Since players are also getting an education, they should be able to choose which school they attend and not be at the whim of a general manager like many professional athletes are. This is just a fun way to look at rosters for the upcoming year.

LSU patched up a few holes in the transfer portal this year, but there are still some glaring needs. It could use a tight end, and there are some SEC teams that have a tight end to give away. The Tigers are also well positioned at other places, such as running back, where they have some room to trade a player away.

In the imaginary world of college football trades, here’s what would make the most sense for LSU.

Breaking down each LSU quarterback’s best trait

Each of the quarterbacks in LSU’s competition has a different skill set. Here’s what all of them are best at.

Every quarterback is different.

With all the skills that go into playing the position, there are so many variables that determine who a quarterback is. How far can he throw it? Is he accurate? Can he run? Can he throw on the run?

Those are just a few of the physical traits and that’s before we even start talking about mental ability. How quickly can a quarterback diagnose a defense? How fast does he move through his progressions? Does he stare down his targets?

The combination of skills is endless. Every quarterback will have their own strengths and weaknesses.

LSU has four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster right now, each with very different skill sets. [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] isn’t remotely the same player that [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] is, and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] has plenty of unique traits as well.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has made it clear that the offense will be tailored to whoever the starter is, but that doesn’t mean he prefers one skill set to another. Even if Kelly and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock did have a preference, they wouldn’t say it out loud at this point.

At the end of the day though, it may come down to just that. If they view Brennan, Daniels and Nussmeier in the same light, it could be Daniels’s ability to run that gets him the job. In Nussmeier’s case, it could be his ability to sling it.

Let’s dive right in.

What did we learn about LSU during the spring?

Here are the questions the Tigers answered during the spring and the ones that remain, per ESPN.

With the first spring practice under new coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] all wrapped up, we have a few months to reflect on what we’ve heard from practice and what we saw in the spring game before this team takes the field again in the fall.

The Tigers entered this offseason with a lot of questions after roster turnover forced them to be aggressive in the transfer portal. Some of its offseason acquisitions through the portal and recruiting are still yet to arrive on campus, but we are still starting to get a good idea of what this depth chart might look like in 2022.

ESPN’s Alex Scarborough and Chris Low broke down each SEC team’s spring practice, listing the things we learned during the spring and the questions that still need to be answered by the fall. Here’s what they said about Kelly’s squad.

What we learned this spring: Brian Kelly inherited a roster filled with holes, which is why he was so active in the transfer portal. But last month’s spring game was a reminder that LSU is not without talent. Defensive tackle Maason Smith is a star in the making, and freshman offensive lineman Will Campbell is as solid an anchor to build around as you’re going to find in the SEC. The running back room is well stocked with the return of John Emery Jr., and the receivers should fare well once Kayshon Boutte recovers from last year’s injury. The big question is at quarterback, but even then all of Kelly’s options — Myles Brennan, Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier — have experience and have shown they have the talent to compete at a high level.

What we need to learn by Week 1: It goes without saying that Kelly will have to quickly find his starting quarterback. Daniels is the most dynamic option given his ability as a runner, but Brennan is savvy and a good caretaker of the ball. Nussmeier, meanwhile, has a live arm but is unpredictable. Taking a step back, though, the overall roster still needs work between now and fall camp. There are a lot of positions that are too thin in terms of scholarship players, including cornerback, where Kelly focused a lot of his efforts by bringing in four transfers.

The quarterback battle is certain to dominate the discussion over the coming months, especially after inconclusive performances in the spring game. This is a battle that could be waged up until kick-off against Florida State in Week 1.

But there are certainly other questions, and while there aren’t many clear positions of weakness when it comes to the starters, there are several areas where the depth is a bit concerning, to say the least.

Kelly still has a lot to figure out heading into fall camp, but this is a talented roster with a higher ceiling than most Year 1 SEC coaches would normally have. The only question is how high that ceiling actually is.

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Plenty of reasons for optimism as LSU finishes up spring ball

Spring practice has now concluded, and LSU fans have plenty of reasons for spring optimism.

Spring practice is now over, and tt will be a while before things pick up again for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU.

It was an eventful spring with more buzz than usual. That’s what happens when a $95 million coach is making his first impressions leading a team with a handful of new players.

Not to mention the position battle at quarterback, the new-look secondary, and all the question marks on the offensive line. We had a lot to talk about this spring. So, now that’s it over and the dust has settled, how should Tigers fans be feeling?

We’re going to take some time to feel good about where LSU is at, some spring optimism if you will.

Spring practice served as a reminder that there is still plenty of talent on this team, some of which we didn’t even get to see over the last few weeks. The wide receiver group looks like a strength, and that was without [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who could be one of the best players in the country upon his return this fall.

These pass catchers are going to be fun to watch and be a major boost to whoever ends up throwing to them.

On defense, the front looks good, almost great. Defensive lines are critical to finding success in the SEC, and LSU has a handful of guys up front with NFL talent. They can pose a threat to even the best offensive lines in the SEC.

Linebacker looks like it’s the deepest it’s been in years with [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] taking steps forward along with returning veterans like [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag]. That doesn’t even account for [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], one of the highest-rated linebackers ever signed by LSU who will be arriving soon.

The secondary is still a huge question mark, but [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] look like they’re going to be reliable players that play a big part in the rebuild of that group.

The defense is in a much better spot than it was a year ago.

It won’t matter how good the defense is if the quarterback and offensive line aren’t figured out, but there are some reasons to start feeling good there.

There are talented options in the quarterback room, and each of them seems to be progressing while also earning the respect of the team. LSU doesn’t need a Heisman candidate under center next year, just someone who can run the offense. [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] all seem capable at this point, and at least one of them should turn into an SEC level starter by the fall.

The offensive line is going to have its bad moments this year, but it finished spring with some consistency as [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] held down the left tackle position. If Campbell ends up starting there, he will have times where he looks like a true freshman, but at the same time, you can’t help but wonder if LSU has found their elite left tackle to anchor the line for a few years.

Spring practice served as a time for Kelly to implement his program, to right the ship. It seems like that is what happened. This looks like a program with a clear direction led by someone who knows where he’s going. LSU hasn’t had that for a couple of years, and it’s refreshing to see.

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Five standouts from LSU’s spring game on Saturday

Here were the players who caught our eye in the spring game.

After what has felt like a long first few months of the offseason, the LSU Tigers finally took the field on Saturday for the first time under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] for the annual National L Club Spring Game in Death Valley.

There were some key players unavailable — including star receiver [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] — and are several intriguing additions that haven’t arrived on campus yet, such as five-star true freshman linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] and Penn State running back transfer [autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag].

Still, we were able to answer several pressing questions in our first look at this new Tigers team, and we have a clearer picture on where several position battles stand, including at quarterback.

With that in mind, here were five players who impressed in Saturday’s exhibition, which was ultimately called midway through the fourth quarter as the offense defeated the defense 59-31.

WATCH: Walker Howard scores first touchdown in Death Valley on a long pass

Howard concluded Saturday’s scrimmage with a deep touchdown pass on a wheel route, his first in a Tigers uniform.

It only took[autotag] Walker Howard[/autotag] a few quarters to throw the first touchdown pass of his career as a Bayou Bengal.

From the shotgun formation in the fourth quarter, Howard hit running back [autotag]Corren Norman[/autotag] on a wheel route over the left side for a 64-yard touchdown pass, the first of what will hopefully be many more to come for the young freshman from Lafayette, Louisiana.

It has been a fun day watching the new-look Tigers and their stable of quarterbacks embrace the competition. LSU has a four-man race at the position, and realistically all four of the guys have a shot at winning it.

They all made some good plays on Saturday and shown good command of the offense at times. We will see how it all shakes out in the fall, but for now, the future of LSU at the quarterback position looks very bright. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], and [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] can all get the job done.

TOUCHDOWN TIGERS pic.twitter.com/0leFH3p7Fm

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) April 23, 2022

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WATCH: Running back Armoni Goodwin scores first touchdown in LSU’s spring game

Goodwin got things started for the Tigers on Saturday with a 10-yard touchdown run.

The [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era in Baton Rouge began in earnest on Saturday as the Tigers took the field for their first spring game under the new coaching staff.

Aside from the quarterback competition, one of the most interesting position battles on the docket was the logjam at the running back spot. All eyes were on [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag], who was returning from academic ineligibility last season, but it was sophomore [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] who got things started for the offense with its first touchdown of the day.

After a nice drive from redshirt freshman quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], Goodwin capped things off with a 10-yard run to the corner on a shotgun draw. In the offense vs. defense format, it cut the defense’s lead to 16-10.

Armoni Goodwin touchdown! The offense finally shows some life and gets its first TD of the day with Nuss at QB pic.twitter.com/GIPjowK7sr

— Matthew Brune (@MatthewBrune_) April 23, 2022

One of the most interesting things to see on Saturday was going to be how LSU divided the reps among the talented group of running backs, and while it will still be a battle for carries come fall, Goodwin had a very solid start in the spring game.

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Is Garrett Nussmeier emerging as a legit option at QB?

LSU’s quarterback battle may be more than just a two-man competition.

The biggest story surrounding LSU football this spring is the quarterback battle. That will continue to be the case until a starter is finally named, which probably isn’t happening until August.

Despite it being an open competition, many assumed that it was really just a battle between [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. These are the guys with experience and the guys the coaching staff went out of their way to get on the roster.

But all spring, there have been some signs that Garrett Nussmeier is in the conversation to. Recently, The Athletic’s Brody Miller wrote a story on Nussmeier, stating a staff member said Nussmeier is right in the thick of it.

After [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag], the highly touted quarterback LSU signed in February, joined the program, many assumed that Nussmeier might not have a future at LSU.

He was sandwiched in-between the veterans and hot-shot freshman. In the age of the transfer portal, not every quarterback would stick around in that situation.

For now, Nussmeier is still here, and he’s competing.

He didn’t play much in 2021, so it’s hard to tell if the sample size is adequate to get some real takeaways. According to PFF, Nussmeier’s average depth of target was 13.6 yards, almost four yards more than Max Johnson’s.

At the same time, Nussmeier said earlier this spring that he is trying to shed that gunslinger label. It’s not that he doesn’t want to sling it, but that label has led some to see Nussmeier as a guy that wasn’t ready, as a guy who took risks for the heck of it and someone who couldn’t go through the basic progressions of an offense.

That being said, it’s still the arm talent that’s drawing the most attention this spring. That’s not to say Nussmeier hasn’t improved in other areas, it sounds like he has, but there’s been tweet after tweet saying Nussmeier just made a dynamite throw throughout the spring.

He’s not going to run a 4.2 forty, but he’s got legs. If the quarterbacks were to race, Daniels would probably win, but Nussmeier might be the guy coming in second.

This isn’t to say Nussmeier should be the favorite to start, it’s probably still one of the older guys. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] didn’t spend time re-recruiting Brennan and going after Daniels to have them ride the bench, but the best man will play, and Nussmeier has a chance to prove that’s him.

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What will LSU’s quarterback room look like if Jayden Daniels wins the job?

Myles Brennan could be a transfer candidate if Daniels is able to secure the starting spot.

When [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] announced that he would be returning to LSU, much of the fan base and people that write about the team pegged him as the favorite to win the job, and with good reason.

Brennan is a sixth-year player who has talent and some starts under his belt. It’s not clear what his ceiling is, but his three starts in 2020 showed a solid floor.

With blue-chip recruits like [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag] in the room with Brennan, it looked like LSU was fine at quarterback wasn’t going to go after one in the transfer portal.

The Tigers were only going to go get a quarterback if it really liked the guy. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] found that in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]. LSU wouldn’t have gone out and got Daniels if it didn’t think he would make the team better.

Does that mean the coaching staff thinks Daniels is better than Brennan? That’s not clear yet, but it’s certainly possible.

Because of the circumstances, it could be assumed that Daniels is the favorite to win this job. Which raises the question, what does Myles Brennan do if he’s the backup?

If spring practice concludes and Brennan senses that the competition is trending in Daniels’ direction, he could still transfer. Even with all the transfer activity that’s already been seen, there’s still another wave to come.

That would probably be Brennan’s last chance at a transfer, and he’s had a lot of them over the years. If he waits until September, it’ll be too late, as he has until May 1 to transfer and play next season.

He could always stay. Just because Daniels wins the job doesn’t mean he’s going to be good. Daniels could struggle and Brennan could take the job that way. At second string, Brennan would also just be one snap away if an injury were to happen to Daniels.

Brennan is out of eligibility after this year. This is it. It’s doubtful that he has any interest in being a backup or sitting out yet another year.

Because of that, it could actually be likely that he transfers after spring. If he doesn’t know that he’s going to win, why risk it if there’s a place he knows he can go, win the starting job, and put something on tape for the NFL?

From LSU’s point of view, Brennan sticking around is ideal. The last couple of years have shown it’s never a bad thing to have more than one option at quarterback.

The writing may be on the wall. Daniels didn’t come here to watch Brennan play, and Brennan didn’t come back to watch a transfer swoop in and start. Something has to give, and an answer might be coming soon.

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