
Ian Hartitz breaks down everything you need to know about Garrett Nussmeier ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

A lot can change in one year. Just ask LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, who was a trendy potential 2026 top-10 pick … before the actual 2025 season happened.
Of course, injuries played a role, and Nussmeier certainly did some REALLY good things in 2024 to get in the way-too-early 1.01 conversation in the first place.
Today, we'll get to know Nussmeier a bit better by breaking down five cool things about the 24-year-old talent, including:
And of course, we'll finish things off with several provocative comps that will hopefully get the people going.
As always: It's a great day to be great.
The four-star, pro-style QB from Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, joins former rival turned fellow draft hopeful Ty Simpson as increasingly rare highly-touted recruits who never transferred. The decision to stay loyal meant Nussmeier had to sit behind Jayden Daniels for two years. Still, it contributed to him hitting the ground running with 4,052 yards and 29 TDs as a first-year starter in 2024.
And then came 2025. Nussmeier suffered knee and abdominal injuries in August and September. The latter issue potentially played a large role in his rough steps back in virtually every efficiency metric out there.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound 24-year-old talent is hardly a perfect prospect. That doesn't mean it's impossible to paint a picture of potential success with a glass-half-full attitude.
Two notable good things about Mr. Nussmeier:
Pocket movement and mobility aren't too shabby: Not elite, and there's a reason why Nussmeier rushed for -153 yards (including sacks) during his career. Still, he's willing to step up in a muddled pocket, made a habit of delivering strikes on half-rollouts, and proved capable of making the first pressure miss. This is a fun little spin move!
2024 highs were HIGH: Nussmeier finished his career as a top-four passer in school history in passing yards and touchdowns, largely thanks to his big debut season as a starter. He really passed the eye test: Only four Power 4 QBs had more big-time throws than Nussmeier (26) in 2024. This bomb against Oklahoma was fun. There is *one* really good season on tape here, which, hey, is more than a lot of people can say.
Three more cool stats and facts about Nussmeier that line up with what you'll see from watching him play:
Of course, as is the case with any prospect, there are some red flags to concern yourself with here.
Lack of elite physical trait is concerning: There's not really a true calling card here. We've paid our respects to Nussmeier's sack-avoidance skills, but we're still not talking about anything close to a legit dual-threat option. There's more arm talent (touch, accuracy) than arm strength. 6'1", 205 pounds. I'd be pretty surprised if he posts a good 40 time.
Gunslinger mentality borders on reckless: This became an even bigger problem considering the aforementioned underwhelming physical traits. There were times it certainly seemed like his arm couldn't cash the checks his mind was writing. Remember when we mentioned Nussmeier ranking among the top-10 QBs in PFF's big-time throw rate metric in 2024? Well, the same is also true for his turnover-worthy play rate.
Older prospect with one good year of tape: Nussmeier turned 24 in February with just 23 starts to his name. Injuries be damned: It's tough to be overly excited about more than half of them.
Four facts of the fun variety about Nussmeier:
And now for the moment you've all been waiting for: My favorite comps for Garrett Nussmeier:
Best of luck to Nussmeier on his NFL journey, and thank you all for reading!


