ESPN analyst says Garrett Nussmeier is best QB in college football
By Andrew Olson
Published:
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky is high on LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier heading into the 2025 season. In a Thursday social media post, Orlovsky called Nussmeier the best QB in college football.
Orlovsky cited pocket management and success in obvious passing situations as two elements of Nussmeier’s game that stand out.
Right now—Nuss is the best QB in college football @LSUfootball
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) July 17, 2025
2 things I LOVE about Nuss…
Outstanding pocket management — 9% pressure-to-sack rate (lowest in SEC)
Wins when hardest to win — obvious pass: LSU 42% on 3rd & 9+ (highest in FBS)@PaulHembo
Nussmeier’s conventional stats are also very strong. In 2024, his fourth season and first as the starter, Nussmeier completed 64.2% of his passes for 4,043 yards with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 29-12. He’s the first LSU QB to pass for 4,000 yards and return for the following season.
RELATED: Sports betting is live in Louisiana! Get in on the action today with the latest bet365 Louisiana bonus code from SDS!
Orlovsky is sure to hear some pushback on his take, particularly from certain fanbases. In the SEC, South Carolina‘s LaNorris Sellers and Florida‘s DJ Lagway have also been receiving lots of preseason hype. In the College Football 26 video game, Nussmeier is the highest-rated SEC quarterback at No. 45 overall, but Clemson QB Cade Klubnik checks in as the top QB nationally at No. 34.
It will be interesting to see if Orlovsky feels the same about college football’s best QB at the end of the season.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
