Brian Kelly discusses Garrett Nussmeier, how he views future at LSU

Brian Kelly has been high on Garrett Nussmeier since he first arrived at LSU, and it doesn’t look like it’s simply coach-speak.

While Kelly has opted to start Jayden Daniels over Nussmeier since arriving in Baton Rouge, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t see a path for the latter. Kelly sees a bright future for the young quarterback, where he’s leading the Tigers, as he explained the vision he’s cultivating for Nussmeier while speaking with the media.

“As you know, he has three years remaining. So you know, you look at the present, and he’s in an, obviously a situation where Jayden Daniels has been the starter,” started Kelly, via WBRZ 2. “He has to factor in alright, do I get an opportunity this year? Well, we had to make sure that he got meaningful reps with the first group, because we believe that he can lead us to a championship as well. But if it didn’t pan out for him this year, he still has two seasons of competition, and we know that that’s a lifetime in college football today. Many quarterbacks are going in the first round with one year. Joe Burrow obviously had two, but one great year put him as a first round pick.

“So I think Garrett’s smart enough to know that with three years, he puts himself in a great position to lead this program, and lead it to a championship.”

While Nussmeier has shown flashes, staying at LSU and backing up Daniels for one more season could do wonders for his future. Then, he would be ready to step in and lead the Tigers in 2024, finally getting his moment.

But that’s not to say Kelly doesn’t believe in the quarterback’s ability at present day. The Tigers leader waxed poetic on both his quarterbacks earlier in the offseason, believing them both to be capable of leading LSU to the promise land.

“Two starters. Both can win in the SEC. Both have played at the highest level,” said Kelly of his options, prior to the LSU Spring Game. “We’re blessed and fortunate. You know as well as anybody how difficult it is to have two. And, you know, I think it’s important that we continue to work both of them this Saturday with the first unit.”

Moving forward, it’ll be fascinating how Brian Kelly handles both Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier once again, but it’s evident LSU is in a great place under center moving forward.