Latest news with #Nussmeier
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Two LSU football stars make Maxwell Award watchlist ahead of 2025 college football season
Ahead of the 2025 college football season, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Caden Durham were named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award Given to the top offensive player in college football, the Maxwell Award last went to an LSU player in 2019 when Joe Burrow took it home. He is the Tigers' lone recipient and won it after leading them to the national championship. Nussmeier and Durham each enter their second seasons as full-time starters in Baton Rouge. Both earned AP preseason All-SEC second-team in July. Nussmeier, entering his fifth season of college football, threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. He begins his second season as the starter this year and is under 4,000 yards away from becoming the program's all-time leading passer. He used the offseason to build chemistry with a slew of new receivers and working on different parts of his game. Coming off an All-SEC freshman season, Durham finished with 1,013 total yards and averaged 9.3 yards per carry in 2024. He developed into a versatile weapon and will be the feature back in 2025 to balance out an improved passing game. This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Two LSU football stars make Maxwell Award watchlist
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Two LSU football stars make Maxwell Award watchlist ahead of 2025 college football season
The Maxwell Award@Garrettnuss13 and @CadenDurham29 are on the watch list for the top offensive player in college football Ahead of the 2025 college football season, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Caden Durham were named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award Given to the top offensive player in college football, the Maxwell Award last went to an LSU player in 2019 when Joe Burrow took it home. He is the Tigers' lone recipient and won it after leading them to the national championship. Nussmeier and Durham each enter their second seasons as full-time starters in Baton Rouge. Both earned AP preseason All-SEC second-team in July. Nussmeier, entering his fifth season of college football, threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. He begins his second season as the starter this year and is under 4,000 yards away from becoming the program's all-time leading passer. He used the offseason to build chemistry with a slew of new receivers and working on different parts of his game. Coming off an All-SEC freshman season, Durham finished with 1,013 total yards and averaged 9.3 yards per carry in 2024. He developed into a versatile weapon and will be the feature back in 2025 to balance out an improved passing game.
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Garrett Nussmeier Heisman Trophy Betting Odds: LSU Veteran Among Favorites
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is the consensus second-favorite in the current 2025 Heisman Trophy betting odds. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is the consensus second-favorite in the current 2025 Heisman Trophy betting odds. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After starting our series on how to bet on the 2025 Heisman Trophy race with early betting favorite Arch Manning, today we're turning our attention to LSU's Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier's odds, like Manning's, are 10-to-1 or shorter across the board. The fifth-year senior was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country in 2024. Now, he enters his second season as the starter in Baton Rouge with sky-high expectations. Keep an eye on Newsweek Sports Betting over the next few weks for similar pieces on each of the 2025 Heisman favorites as we wrap up July and head into August. Garrett Nussmeier Heisman Odds (July 22) Below are Nussmeier's current Heisman Trophy odds at DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN BET and Fanatics. DK FD bet365 Caesars Fanatics ESPN BET Garrett Nussmeier +850 (2) +800 (2) +850 (2) +750 (2) +900 (t-2) +900 (t-2) Garrett Nussmeier Heisman Betting Analysis The fifth-year senior -- who backed up Max Johnson in 2021 and Jayden Daniels in 2022 and 2023 -- has an NFL frame (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and 744 career pass attempts under his belt, including a 4,000-yard season in 2024. That -- plus his pedigree as the son of former Saints QB and current New Orleans offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier -- helps explain why he enters the 2025 season one of the top three favorites to be taken No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. As of July 22, Nussmeier is +425 to be the No. 1 pick in next year's draft, just behind Manning at +225 and Allar at +275. But the question we're tackling today is whether he offers value at his current odds to become LSU's second Heisman winner in the last three years after Daniels in 2023. Garret Nussmeier 2024 Stats Below are Nussmeier's stats across his 13 starts for the Tigers, who finished 9-4 (5-3 SEC). Completions Attempts Comp. % Yards (YPA) TD INT Sacks Passer Rating 337 525 64.2 4,052 (7.7) 29 12 16 142.7 Nussmeier and the Tigers had their ups and downs last fall. LSU was ranked as high as No. 8 in late October, but then endured a three-game losing streak en route to a 9-4 (5-3 SEC) finish. Nussmeier's ceiling was on display late in LSU's home upset of Ole Miss in October and in the final three games of the year. He completed over 70 percent of his passes in each of his team's wins over Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Baylor. But Nussmeier struggled during the three-game skid that put a damper on an otherwise strong year. He completed just 50 percent of his 50 passes and was intercepted three times in a 38-23 loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 26. Two weeks later, following a Nov. 2 bye, Nussmeier threw two more picks in a blowout home loss to Alabama on Nov. 9. He also went just 27-for-47 for 260 yards and 1 TD, while being sacked seven times, as LSU lost 27-16 to Florida on Nov. 16. Garrett Nussmeier vs. Top-50 Defenses (per ESPN SP+) In 2024 LSU's schedule a year ago only featured three teams -- No. 11 Ole Miss, No. 17 Alabama and No. 19 South Carolina -- that finished the year in the AP Top 25. The Tigers did, however, face nine top-50 defenses, according to ESPN's SP+. Here's how Nussmeier fared against those units: Opp. (SP+ def. rank) Score Comp/Att (%) Yards (YPA) TD/Int Ole Miss (3) LSU 29, Miss. 26 22/51 (43.1) 337 (6.6) 3/2 Alabama (8) Bama 42, LSU 13 27/42 (64.3) 239 (5.7) 1/2 South Carolina (13) LSU 36, So. Car. 33 24/40 (60) 285 (7.1) 2/1 Oklahoma (17) LSU 37, OU 17 22/31 (71) 277 (8.9) 3/0 Texas A&M (19) A&M 38, LSU 23 25/50 (50) 405 (8.1) 2/3 Florida (23) FLA 27, LSU 16 27/47 (57.5) 260 (5.5) 1/0 Arkansas (35) LSU 34, ARK 10 23/34 (67.6) 233 (6.9) 0/0 UCLA (44) LSU 34, UCLA 17 32/44 (72.7) 352 (8.0) 3/0 USC (48) USC 27, LSU 20 30/39 (76.9) 308 (7.9) 2/1 Average/total 5 wins, 4 losses 232/378 (61.3) 299.5 ypg (7.13 ypa) 1.88 TD/1 int Nussmeier and the Tigers proved against South Carolina and Oklahoma that they could put up big numbers against quality defenses. And they also deserve credit for coming through in the clutch vs. Ole Miss to salvage an otherwise ugly night. Still, given his struggles against Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas A&M and Florida last year, there's good reason to wonder what kind of numbers Nussmeier will be able to post against another brutal schedule in 2025. This year, LSU has another tough season opener on the road at Clemson. Dabo Swinney's team is currently a 3-point favorite in that matchup. In case you haven't heard, LSU is looking to start the year 1-0 for the first time in four seasons under coach Brian Kelly after losing to FSU in 2022 and 2023 and USC last year. LSU will also once again face Florida (home, Sept. 13), Ole Miss (away, Sept. 27), South Carolina (home, Oct. 11), Texas A&M (home, Oct. 25), Alabama (away, Nov. 8) and Oklahoma (away, Nov. 29). Buy Or Sell: Nussmeier To Win Heisman Trophy Best available odds: +900 (Fanatics, ESPN BET as of July 22) Sell On an LSU offense replacing four starting linemen who are now in the NFL (including No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell) plus top tight end Mason Taylor and WR Kyren Lacy, I just don't see Nussmeier putting up Heisman-worthy numbers. Let's consider the glass-half-full take on Nussmeier and Co. for a second, though. The best-case scenario for the offense as a whole starts with the running game taking a step forward after then-freshman Caden Durham battled injuries a year ago. And -- as usual -- LSU will also have plenty of talent at WR. With leading receiver Aaron Anderson returning and Barion Brown (Kentucky), Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) and tight end Bauer Sharp (also from OU) providing a boost via the transfer portal, the Tigers will hardly lack for playmakers. I think the young LSU offensive line will experience some growing pains, though. The inexperience up front will make it hard for this offense to move the ball at times, starting on Aug. 30 vs. a Clemson D-line featuring projected 2026 first-rounders TJ Parker and Peter Woods. Unless the Tigers' unproven front five dramatically exceeds expectations, I would pencil in Nussmeier for similar numbers to last year's (plenty good enough for All-SEC contention, but not quite All-American or Heisman contention). It also doesn't help Nussmeier's Heisman case -- especially at shorter than 10-to-1 odds -- that he's at risk of being overshadowed by fellow SEC QB Heisman contenders Arch Manning at Texas and LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
USA Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 mock draft: Saints miss out on Arch Manning, still draft a local favorite
It's Mock Draft Monday, and this time we're checking out a projection from Bucs Wire's Andrew Harbaugh to see how the New Orleans Saints get better in 2026. Using the projected win totals from Pro Football Focus, Harbaugh had a decision to make with the Saints picking third overall and Arch Manning, a local product and star quarterback prospect for the Texas Longhorns, expected to be the first player off the board. Should the Saints trade up for him? What would it cost? Would it be worth it? In the end, Harbaugh has the Saints getting outbid for the first pick (owned by the New York Giants) after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up from No. 15. With the draft appropriately held in Pittsburgh next spring, the Steelers gave up their second- and third-round picks in 2026 as well as their 2027 first- and third-round picks to move up 14 spots and select Manning. That feels like an underpay to go from No. 15 to No. 1 in any year, but especially with the Giants needing a quarterback and having the nephew of their two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning on the board. Either way, it wasn't a deal the Saints could match, at least in this scenario. So who did they draft instead? Harbaugh has the Saints staying put at No. 3, where they selected LSU Tigers passer Garrett Nussmeier. Here's what Harbaugh had to say about that pick: The connection between New Orleans and the Nussmeier family is going to be hard to ignore this season, even with the contract that the Saints just gave Tyler Shough. The Saints' offense aims to be more dynamic and electric in the passing game, as Moore's offenses have demonstrated in the past. He's right about that: if the Saints are bad enough to be picking top-three in 2026, it'll be because Shough wasn't good enough to lead them to wins or even hold down the starting job, and his contract won't keep them from rolling the dice on another quarterback. Obviously Nussmeier's fraternizing with Kellen Moore at minicamp and, you know, his father being the team's offensive coordinator are going to drive speculation. But will it really matter on draft day? We'll see. Stranger things have happened in the NFL. Let's just hope the Saints beat these expectations and are closer to a playoff berth than a top-three draft pick in Moore's first year on the job.
USA Today
20-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Three breakout stars LSU football needs to win a national championship in 2025
LSU football's offense has the talent to be a national championship-level unit in 2025. The Tigers return veteran quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, signed the top-ranked transfer portal class, and return young pieces waiting to break out. LSU's offense fell short of expectations in 2024. A step back was expected after losing Heisman Trophy QB Jayden Daniels, but LSU's run game disappeared at times, and the Tigers' downfield passing attack was dormant for much of the year. Nussmeier worked the short and intermediate areas, but LSU wasn't taking the top off defenses. The last three games of 2024 were a different story. It started to click for Nussmeier and crew. That's the version of the offense LSU hopes to see all year in 2025. For that to happen, LSU is counting on a few players to break out. Today, we'll look at three returning Tigers LSU needs to emerge for the offense to play at a championship level. Tight end Trey'Dez Green Tight end Trey'Dez Green turned heads when he arrived at LSU. Standing at 6-foot-7 with freakish athleticism, Green was a five-star recruit in the class of 2024. Green didn't see much action in the first half of the season, but worked his way into the rotation in October. Green earned a target here and there, but didn't emerge until the bowl game, when LSU's starting tight end Mason Taylor opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft. Green caught six passes for 53 yards and two scores. The yardage total wasn't guady, but Nussmeier turned to Green in key moments, including two fourth-down conversions. Entering 2025, Green has star potential. Nobody questions Green's ability as a pass catcher, but the blocking needs to progress. LSU wants Green to be a complete tight end -- not just a big wide receiver. Tight ends that are blocking threats draw favorable looks in the passing game since defenses use bigger personnel to defend the run. "As you know, he came on as a true freshman last year, showed his ability clearly, especially in the red zone. We want him to be an every-down tight end. So that means you've got to block in line. You've got to be physical. Because I think we've already seen his gifts as a wide receiving tight end," Brian Kelly said at SEC media days. If Green figures it out, LSU will have one of the SEC's best tight ends. Given the threats LSU has at receiver on the outside, a dynamic threat would open up the entire field. "But now it's maybe some of the dirty work, if you will, where he's got to get his hand in the dirt and get after some people at the line of scrimmage. And he's done a great job. I mean, physically, he's more developed," Kelly said. Left tackle Tyree Adams This one goes without saying. Tyree Adams is tasked with replacing Will Campbell, one of the best tackles in LSU history. Campbell was a three-year starter for the Tigers before the Patriots selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. LSU turned to the transfer portal for offensive line help, but the Tigers' two additions, Josh Thompson and Braelin Moore, are expected to play on the interior. That's telling of the confidence LSU has in Adams at left tackle. Adams was a blue-chip recruit in the class of 2023 but didn't see real action as a freshman. He dealt with an injury in 2024 but was given a chance as LSU dealt with injuries at the left guard position. Adams struggled -- just as any offensive lineman playing his first SEC football snaps would. Campbell opted out of the bowl game, leaving Adams to work as LSU's starting left tackle throughout bowl practice. Adams showed progress in the bowl win. He looked fluid as a pass blocker, but run-blocking struggles persisted. Adams didn't waste time claiming LSU's left tackle job in spring practice, and there didn't seem to be much doubt about it. That speaks to the improvement LSU expects to see from its talented tackle this fall. Guard/Center DJ Chester Chester is the lone returning starter from LSU's 2024 offensive line, but he'll likely play a different position. Chester started at center last fall, but with Moore's arrival, Chester will play guard. Chester struggled as a redshirt freshman, but things started to click late in the year. Chester played his best football vs. Vanderbilt and Oklahoma in LSU's final two games of the regular season. Now, LSU hopes a move to guard can lead to a more consistent version of Chester all year. LSU's offensive line is the one question mark on this offense. Nussmeier is a Heisman contender at QB, the wide receiving core is among the SEC's most talented, and Caden Durham leads a dynamic group of running backs. The difference between LSU's offense being good and great could be the offensive line. If Adams and Chester take another step, LSU's offense should meet expectations in 2025.
