BY GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier senses something about this LSU team he has not felt since his first year with the Tigers in 2021.
“There is just so much confidence around the building that it just leads to this feeling that it used to be like,” he said Tuesday night. “I can remember as a freshman when Derek Stingley was out there and those guys. That’s how it used to feel. LSU used to feel like a confident, swagging football team, and I think you’re starting to see that now, yeah.”
Stingley was a consensus All-American as a true freshman cornerback in 2019 when the Tigers went 15-0 and won the national championship. Because of injuries and COVID-19 in 2020 and more injuries and saving himself in 2021 for the 2022 draft, Stingley never duplicated his freshman season. But he always had that swag right up to going No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft. So did other members of the team.
But the swag and bravado was false as LSU followed a 5-5 season in 2020 by going 6-7 in 2021 when Nussmeier played in only four games and was red-shirted. Still, he appreciated the confidence and sees it among his teammates now. He just hopes it leads to a better season.
“I think there’s a growing confidence around this building,” he said. “People have seen that even since spring ball. We have a lot of confidence and swagger on each side of the ball.”
Such feelings tend to happen in August and do not always pan out. But LSU is more experienced and talented this season than last when the Tigers went 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the Southeastern Conference. This is because of the No. 1-ranked NCAA Transfer Portal class and some key returnees – junior linebackers Harold Perkins and Whit Weeks, junior wide receivers Chris Hilton and Aaron Anderson, senior wide receiver Zavion Thomas and Nussmeier, who is a fifth-year senior and a Heisman Trophy candidate after throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024.
GARRETT NUSSMEIER KNOWS WHERE HE MUST IMPROVE FROM 2024
“On defense, you’ve got guys like Whit Weeks and Perk just leading,” Nussmeier said. “And on offense, you got guys like Aaron Anderson, Barion Brown (a senior transfer receiver), Zavion Thomas. It’s definitely been the most competitive fall camp I’ve been a part of since I’ve been here. The offense wins a day. The defense wins a day. If you look at both sides of the ball, we’ve got athletes everywhere. We’ve got guys who make plays. It just speaks to the fullness of our team.”
Nussmeier has four deep threats in Hilton, Anderson, Brown and Thomas.
“We’ve got a lot more speed,” he said. “We’ve got a lot more guys who can go take the top off a defense. That’s something that will help open up our entire offense. The versatility of our offense is a lot. We can do a lot of different things with a lot of personnel. What you’ve seen is what you’ll see on Saturday.”
No. 9 LSU plays at No. 4 Clemson on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC).
And Nussmeier will be at full speed after an overblown episode with tendinitis in his knee early in camp.
“I still don’t understand how word got out,” he said. “I mean it was very subtle. It wasn’t like a big deal. I didn’t go down. I didn’t get carted off. I walked off the field. And there wasn’t even media there, so, it’s a weird world we live in I guess. But it was pretty funny, seeing all the different things.”
Nussmeier is no longer even wearing the protective sleeve on his knee.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he said. “I’m cool, 100 percent.”
And ready to showcase the new LSU, and prove it’s not just August talk.
“This is not just about the last four weeks getting ready for Clemson,” Nussmeier said of preseason camp. “We’ve been working on our identity and who we want to be for the last six months. Just staying true to that, and showing people what we’ve been working on, who we’ve established ourselves as. If we do that, it will be a good outcome.”
Nussmeier almost dropped a hint about some new offense from second-year coordinator Joe Sloan, but he stopped himself.
“I think coach has done an unbelievable job just bringing different ideas, and different looks. I think our offense is going to be something that, uh,” he said and audibled.
He decided to lay off the swag for now.
“I think there will be a lot of carryover on offense, but I think we’ll be better at it,” he said.
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