Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. Compares Garrett Nussmeier to Jayden Daniels

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier remains the talk of the town heading into his second season as the starter in Baton Rouge.

Nussmeier, who's set to enter his fifth season of college football, is coming off of a productive first year as the starter in 2024 after patiently waiting for an opportunity.

He will look to develop across the next few months after piecing together a 2024 campaign where he totaled 3,738 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games played.

"This offseason, he's been able to be a little bit different because now he's going back and when he's studying, he's not just studying his practice tape or maybe our tape and what could happen. He's looking at specifically some stuff that he needs to improve on," LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan said during Spring Camp.

"He's been really intentional. I think really some of our staff did a great job of breaking some different things down for him so he could really see some individual things and he could take back control of those situations."

Nussmeier is at the forefront of the 2025 Heisman Trophy conversations with expectations rising in the Bayou State.

LSU will enter the 2025 season with "College Football Playoff or Bust" expectations and Nussmeier's sole focus is on team success. It isn't about Heisman talk.

"You know, that's not really my focus," Nussmeier said. "I think that I'm worried about doing the best I can to help LSU win a national championship. That's the mindset, that's the energy and intensity that I bring every single day. It's not about me, it's not about the transition or the Year 2 (jump).

"It's about LSU football and Year 4 under coach (Brian) Kelly, what are we going to do? And, you know, we're not afraid to admit it — we've set the standard of where we expect to be and we expect to play football in January next year."

Former LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. believes Nussmeier can take that next step heading into his second season as the starting signal-caller.

Thomas Jr. saw the growth that Heisman Trophy winner, and current Washington Commanders quarterback, Jayden Daniels made during his time in Baton Rouge.

"I definitely feel like Garrett can do the exact same thing as Jayden (Daniels)," Thomas said, via WAFB-TV's Jacques Doucet. "Like I said, being with Garrett, we came in together, and just seeing him get better each and every year and progress throughout the years, I feel like he definitely can do the same."

Now, with the offseason in full swing, Nussmeier will continue his development with all eyes on the talented signal-caller heading into his second season as the starter.