Brian Kelly speaks to confidence of having Garrett Nussmeier under center
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Brian Kelly has one of the toughest singular tasks in the country this season. Finding a replacement for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner with Jayden Daniels embarking on his NFL career.
During the 2023 season, Daniels took his game — and the LSU offense — to new heights. He completed 72% of his passes, rushed for over 1,100 yards and produced 50 total touchdowns with just 4 interceptions.
Simply replacing that kind of production is impossible. However, LSU is able to move forward with a serviceable leader for the offense in Garrett Nussmeier.
A member of the 2021 recruiting class, Nussmeier is far from a young player seeing his first action. Nussmeier has appeared in 18 career games for the Tigers, and that includes making a start in the bowl game against Wisconsin.
That experience and the bowl game performance is what inspires some confidence in Kelly. Speaking to the media Monday, Kelly said a battle-tested QB like Nussmeier “makes you a little more at ease,” but getting the starting reps in a season opener is a new feeling.
Hopefully, it turns into a solid outing against USC with Nussmeier likely need to put up some points for LSU to secure a win.
Kelly on Garrett Nussmeier: Having a guy who has been in an SEC battle and played against a good defense (Wisconsin) makes you a little more at ease. But openers are hard. You don’t know what you’re going to get when you flip that script.
— Scott Rabalais (@RabalaisAdv) August 26, 2024
RELATED: DraftKings has LSU as a 4.5-point favorite over USC for the opener in Las Vegas. Be sure to use SDS’s sports betting apps in Louisiana for the latest action.
Nussmeier shined in the bowl game with 395 passing yards and 3 touchdowns on a 68.9% completion percentage against Wisconsin. It’s entirely possible that the Badger defense was stronger than the USC one he will face this weekend, but season openers under the bright lights of Vegas are a bit different.
The faster Nussmeier can settle into the flow of the game, the better off the Tigers will be Sunday night against the Trojans.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
