Well, you need to love your program so much that it is at No.1 on the priority list. In this case, Brian Kelly is a lucky head coach. After all, his quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, decided to be in an LDR with sweetheart Ella Springfield just to return to LSU. However, just when Kelly might be on cloud nine, analyst Greg McElroy came up with a wake-up call before he pins high hopes on Nussmeier. No doubt the quarterback had a remarkable season. 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and completing 64.2% of his passes is no joke. However, he is yet to hit the bench of ‘PERFECTION.’ While Kelly is about to focus on the quarterback room, he had to save the bridges from burning as a coach-player duo swapped wagons, causing heavy damage.
Do you remember what ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum said about Nussmeir? Being one of the most critical people in the college football landscape, he had some high hopes about Kelly’s quarterback. “A lot of people are surprised because he struggled last year, but he also had some moments, like the Ole Miss game and a couple of other games, where he showed what he’s capable of. I think that was a couple of big moments for him. I’m very high on him.” Yes, definitely, the young chap has proved himself. For instance, his risk-taking capability to fit in a small window. With Nick Anderson and Aaron Anderson in the squad, the pressure is likely to get off Nussmeier’s shoulders, who struggled last year in running the pigskin. However, there still remain ‘ifs and buts’ when it comes to Nussmeier.
On the April 28th episode of the ESPN College Football podcast, McElroy placed Kelly’s quarterback at No.5 in his list of ‘Top 10 quarterbacks heading into 2025.’ The analyst stated, “I don’t want to see him be as quite as aggressive understanding what the situation requires would be somewhat helpful.” Out of all, the biggest turndown was Nussmeier coming up with three interceptions against the Aggies, the highest in his 2024 chapter. So, he needs to learn when to ‘check it down’ and make himself understand that taking things slow is no sign of weakness. At the beginning of the season, he had two interceptions. Fast forward to the end of the season, and he had 10 interceptions. After this, Nussmeier addressed the need of the hour.
“The biggest thing I would like to see from Garrett Nussmeier this upcoming year is a willingness to take off and run. I believe Garrett Nussmeier had about 15 scrambles last year. There are some quarterbacks that have 15 scrambles in one game. Nussmeier had that over the course of the entire season. He never wanted to really keep the defense honest with his legs.” For those doubting Kelly’s quarterback’s run game, are reminded of his heroic feat against Ole Miss. He led the charge, completing 22 of 51 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning completion, hitting Kyren Lacy for a 25-yard scoring strike. So the moral of the story? “He can do it, he’s plenty athletic. He just didn’t really show a real willingness to do it last year,” noted McElroy. Meanwhile, Kelly is now battling a double loss.
Brian Kelly’s quick fix amidst transfer portal turmoil
The 2025 transfer season got way too bitter to handle for LSU. While Kelly might have been mentally preparing himself to write a success story, his main characters kept on pestering him by swapping wagons. As the team tried to build momentum after spring practices, another big blow came. Back in February, this year, Bo Davis parted ways with Kelly’s squad after one season. He walked away being one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in all of college football and accepted the same job with the New Orleans Saints.
Unfortunately, Davis’ departure had a direct impact on Kelly’s players’ roster. As the former coach was heavily invested in three-star defensive lineman Dilan Battle’s recruiting, the player lost hope in LSU. The 315-pound star became the 23rd player to leave LSU this transfer cycle. Unfortunately, Kelly had pinned high hopes on the young chap. As the head coach once said, “Dilan Battle is another player for us that you know fulfilled the defensive tackle position. He is heavyhanded, physical inside. Bo Davis really liked his ability to disrupt at the defensive tackle position.”
But he had no time to sit idle and brood over the loss. Brian Kelly thus took matters in his own hands. The Tigers added Bernard Gooden from South Florida. With Kyle Williams taking over as the new defensive line coach, that’s how they oomped up their defense game. As Matt Moscona came up with a big thumbs-up on the After Further Review: LSU podcast about Kelly’s new hunt. “So you look at a guy like Bernard Gooden, who started 11 of the 13 games this past year at South Florida. He’s been around college football for four years now, going into his fifth year.” With the head coach pushing all the right buttons, now it’s up to Garrett Nussmeier to rise and drive the Tigers’ Natty hopes.
The post Greg McElroy Puts Brian Kelly on Notice With Bold Garrett Nussmeier Verdict After LSU Forced Into Damage Control appeared first on EssentiallySports.
