Todd McShay believes Garrett Nussmeier is one of the top quarterback prospects slated to be available for the 2026 NFL Draft. Ahead of the 2025 college football season getting underway, he has him in Tier 1 of all signal-callers. The NFL Draft analyst waxed poetic about Nussmeier, although he’s a bit concerned about his knee. […]
Todd McShay believes Garrett Nussmeier is one of the top quarterback prospects slated to be available for the 2026 NFL Draft. Ahead of the 2025 college football season getting underway, he has him in Tier 1 of all signal-callers.
The NFL Draft analyst waxed poetic about Nussmeier, although he’s a bit concerned about his knee. Regardless, the quarterback’s intangibles have McShay comparing the LSU star to a former top overall pick at the next level.
“I’m really excited to see Garrett Nussmeier this year,” McShay proclaimed, via The McShay Show. “It bums me out when quarterbacks come into the season with like, a little bit of a cloud, ‘He’s got this tendonitis in his knee,’ and it’s a recurring problem. Maybe that’s why he looked like he wore down over the course of last season, not just because there was no run game. It was an atrocious run game, and he had to carry that team. (He’s) undersized. … Going off of the tape and seeing his ability to anticipate throws and his timing, the way he carries, the dude’s Baker Mayfield, man.
“Just the urgency he plays with, how much he trusts his arm, even to a fault sometimes. We want to see him find that sweet spot. He just plays the game with a knack. His dad, obviously, is a quarterback coach. He was a quarterback in the NFL. Quarterback coach for a long time. Now, he’s the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. It’s in his blood, right? It’s in his DNA, raging through his bloodstream. You can see it when he plays the game with a level of confidence and understanding and instincts that none of these other guys do.”
Alas, Nussmeier’s talent is obvious, but it’s his mental makeup that has McShay more excited than anything: “You want to be around this guy,” he added. “Whether it was basketball, baseball, football, everyone knows that guy. You know what I mean? ‘I want to be around Nuss.’ (He’s a) gamer. Just like, he’s got this, you know what I mean? Like, he’s got it. Every team that’s good has that. It’s tough to describe, but he fits that.
“So, I’m excited, but I’m also like, I hope it all comes together, because he’s so good and he’s got all the things you look for, but I also say this, recognizing he’s not as big as Drew Allar. He has a good arm, but it’s not like it’s not like Allar’s or some other guys. He’s not as mobile. Certainly no one’s as mobile as [LaNorris] Sellers.
“So, there’s going to be people inside each draft room that are like, ‘I’m just not quite as much a Nuss guy.’ I like him. I can see the late first (round). He’s fascinating, but I’ve got him No. 2 there in the Tier One.”
All told, Todd McShay has a lot of love for Garrett Nussmeier, and for good reason. It won’t take long to see the LSU star tested, as they’ll face Clemson in Week 1. That could send his draft stock into the stratosphere. A ton of eyes will be on that game, and on the SEC star quarterback.
Category: Football
