Garrett Nussmeier Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
School: LSU
Class: Redshirt Senior
Position: QB
HT: 6’1
WT: 205 lbs
Background: Garrett Nussmeier was a 4-star quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class. Nuss is from Lake Charles, Louisiana, but played his high school ball for Marcus High School in Texas. Nussmeier was a top 100 player in the country, a top 15 quarterback, and top 15 player in the state of Texas. Nussmeier and Marcus High School went undefeated to win a district title in his senior season. Nussmeier was selected to play in the 2020 Under Armour All-American Game. Nussmeier committed to LSU over Baylor, Penn State, Texas, and others.
College: Nussmeier was the LSU backup for 3 seasons from 2021-2023. Many kids would have transferred schools to receive an earlier opportunity, but he stayed with the Tigers and it paid dividends. By 2024, he was ready to take over the starting job. Garrett was a prolific passer in 2024, eclipsing 4,000 passing yards in 13 games. In only 9 games in 2025, Nussmeier didn’t have the prolific season he hoped for. He passed for 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with 5 interceptions.
Strengths: Garrett Nussmeier possesses elite arm talent that combines all of the necessary traits of an NFL quarterback. He can attack defenses with touch to layer the ball over defenders, but he can also unleash those deep balls to access the third area of the field. His most valuable trait is his ball placement. He has accuracy that is second to none. Nussmeier can lead his receivers with the football or just put it on the numbers to make sure his guy can get it. A lot of the windows that Nussmeier attacks are extremely tight and he is able to fit the football in there to gash defenses. He does well to progress through his reads and never gets too stuck on a single one. Out of structure, Nussmeier does well rolling to his right and throwing on the run. As a runner, Nussmeier has a sneaky ability to make plays with his legs. While he may not be the type of runner that offenses scheme up designed runs for, he can hurt defenses with his legs out of structure.
Weaknesses: The top concern with Garrett Nussmeier is his lack of ideal size. While he will not be the shortest quarterback in the league, he does not have an elite frame. This frame brings questions about not only vision, but durability to withstand contact and an NFL schedule. Nussmeier has a talented arm and he knows it, he forces throws into nonexistent windows far too often, resulting in frustrating turnovers. Disguised blitzes and simulated pressures tend to give Nussmeier some problems. He struggles to adjust after the snap.
Conclusion: Garrett Nussmeier is a quarterback who has NFL traits and can be molded into a serviceable starter in the NFL. He might bring a lower ceiling than some but he also brings a higher floor. Minimizing the avoidable mistakes and turnovers in his game will lead him to a starting opportunity in the league.
Best Team Fits: LAR, ARI, NYJ
Player Comparison: Brock Purdy
Player Grade: Round 3 (76.6)
