There’s something real messy brewing down in Baton Rouge, and it ain’t your average college football drama. Brian Kelly and LSU are sitting on an $18 million war chest—money that’s supposed to buy them a ticket to the promised land, AKA the College Football Playoff. But the Tigers’ supposed golden boy, Garrett Nussmeier, might be the one thing money can’t fix. Yeah, he’s got a rocket arm and put up some solid numbers last year, but the rest of his game? Absolute buzzkill. And college football analysts, folks, are starting to notice.
Garrett Nussmeier’s been around the block for a year as QB1. The Louisiana native started a full season last year and had some moments that made you go, ‘Okay, this kid’s legit.’ But then he’d follow it up with the type of brain-melting decisions that leave you yelling at your TV. And it’s not even the aggressive, go-big-or-go-home type of moves. Nah, we’re talking straight-up terrible calls that kill drives and hand momentum to the other team like it’s a charity event.
On March 16th, College football analyst Joe DeLeone laid it down straight on ‘The Ruffino and Joe Show’: “[Garrett] Nussmeier’s been around for a while. He started a full season last year. He had a lot of brilliant moments and reminded us of why he could be a first-round pick. But God, I get frustrated with the turnovers. I get really frustrated with the silly decision-making. It’s not even aggressiveness to make big plays. It’s bad decisions that take the team out of games.” And he’s not wrong. The kid’s got the talent. The problem is, talent ain’t worth squat if your decision-making is on a Daniel Jones level of disaster.
Last season, Nussmeier threw 12 interceptions across 13 games—about one pick per game And just for good measure, he tossed in 3 fumbles. Those turnovers weren’t just stat-sheet killers—they straight-up cost LSU games against USC, the Gators, and Texas A&M. The worst part? His accuracy drops like a rock under pressure. While his overall completion rate was a respectable 64.7%, that number dipped to 55.2% during SEC play. Basically, when the big boys came knocking, he couldn’t keep it together.
And LSU’s got big problems beyond just Nussmeier’s struggles. Their offense managed to rack up 429.5 yards per game, but all that firepower didn’t mean squat if they couldn’t finish drives. Sure, they converted third downs at an impressive 49.72% clip—good for fourth in the country. But their red zone efficiency? Yikes. Scoring on just 83.02% of their trips inside the 20 with a touchdown rate of 56.60%? That’s like having a Lamborghini but forgetting to put gas in it. And that’s the ugly truth Brian Kelly’s got to deal with. When it’s crunch time, Nussmeier’s been more trick than treat.
Brian Kelly Feelin’ the heat as QB woes stack up, even with that $18M war chest
Now, let’s talk about the man cashing in all those checks. Brian Kelly ain’t exactly chillin’ on a throne of untouchability. The dude’s walking into his fourth year at LSU, and the fans are expecting nothing less than a playoff appearance. Anything less? Straight-up failure. So, what’s the plan? The $18 million NIL war chest they’re sitting on, for starters. Word on the street is that the cash pile doubled since Bryce Underwood dipped out to Michigan.
“If Bryce Underwood’s decision to flip to Michigan was a flashpoint, it’s resulted in a flush of NIL dollars,” said On3’s Pete Nakos. And LSU sure as hell needed it. They snagged one of the top transfer portal classes in the country, ranking No. 6 nationwide. We’re talking seven four-star players brought in just this winter, bolstering positions like it’s the NFL Draft. But here’s the kicker—none of that matters if Nussmeier can’t get his head straight.
Brian Kelly’s playbook is literally fattened up with cash, but money doesn’t throw touchdowns. Sure, the Tigers got shiny new toys, but the engine running this whole operation? Still shaky as hell. They need Nussmeier to step up and be the 50% of Jayden Daniels, but the decision-making issues just keep coming back like a bad habit. Can he finally pull it together and stop trying to be the sole savior? If not, even $18 million might not be enough to bail LSU out of this mess.
This season ain’t just about stats or shiny new recruits. It’s about Brian Kelly’s legacy and whether Garrett Nussmeier is the man to help him write it. But if those turnovers keep piling up? It’s gonna be a long, painful year down in Death Valley.
The post Tensions Rise for Garrett Nussmeier as Analyst’s Tough Verdict Mounts Woes on Brian Kelly Despite $18M War Chest appeared first on EssentiallySports.
