LSU is expecting a seamless quarterback transition with [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] taking over as QB1. According to the On3 industry rankings, he was the No. 11 overall QB recruit in 2021. He got a taste of action in each of his first three years in Baton Rouge culminating in a start against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
There’s plenty to like about Nussmeier. He’s got a live arm and he led LSU to a game-winning drive in his first start. But there’s one stat that should have LSU fans more excited than any of that: Nussmeier’s time to throw numbers.
Nussmeier’s 2.42 time to throw was second in the SEC last year, only behind Georgia’s Carson Beck. But it wasn’t just last year, he ranked second in 2022 as well with an average time of 2.43 seconds.
In 2023, he didn’t waste any time getting the ball out on short passes, with the average dropping to 2.13 seconds on such throws.
Without context, time to throw doesn’t mean much. The results are what matters and if a QB is getting the ball out fast but not doing much with it, the offense is going to struggle. Conversely, if a QB holds the ball and still manages to find success, you’ll take that.
But Nussmeier has shown the best of both worlds. He gets it out quickly and gets good results. His deep ball rate is consistently among the best in the SEC too, which means he’s not passing up shots for checkdowns.
Nussmeier sees the entire field and sees it fast. He was pressured 11 times in 2023 and didn’t take a single sack. LSU’s offense is likely to take a small step back with the losses of [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], but sacks is an area where improvement is expected. You have a QB in Nussmeier who knows how to deal with pressure playing behind an offensive line that will contend for the Joe Moore Award again.
Nussmeier’s arm was never in question. This is a guy that can make all the throws. That’s why the time to throw numbers are so promising. Elite quarterback play occurs when a player with top-level talents plays with elite processing ability.
Nussmeier still has something to prove, especially following up Daniels’ Heisman campaign, but all the numbers point to a breakout year for the budding star.
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