With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books, it’s never too early to look ahead to the following year’s draft. There’s already a ton of hype around next year’s quarterback class. This includes the likes of Arch Manning and LSU’s signal-caller, Garrett Nussmeier. However, only one will go at No. 1 overall.
According to college football analyst Brad Crawford recently predicted on 247Sports that Nussmeier will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This shows the amount of confidence that Crawford has in Nussmeier not only as a draft pick, but also as a quarterback entering what is sure to be his final year at the college level.
247Sports’ Brad Crawford Predicts LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier Will Be No. 1 Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
LSU quarterback Nussmeier will return to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season. He returns with some unfinished business after his first season as a starter last fall. Nussmeier, the Tigers’ signal-caller in 2024, will look to build off a productive redshirt junior campaign for the Bayou Bengals with the chance to take that next step.
The Lake Charles native decided to bypass the 2025 NFL Draft. This came as a bit of a surprise to many, as he had a chance to be a Top 5 quarterback taken in this year’s quarterback class. Instead, he’ll return to LSU for his final season of eligibility under Brian Kelly.
Nussmeier will look to further develop in this offseason, following an impressive 2024 campaign. He totaled 4,052 passing yards, and 29 touchdowns in just 13 games played. However, he might want to cut down on the interceptions number as he threw 12 picks in 2024.
With the offseason now in full swing, the praise has been coming in for Nussmeier, especially from 247 Sports college football analyst Crawford. Earlier in the year, 247Sports revealed their predictions for the Top-10 quarterbacks of the 2025 season, seeing Nussmeier coming at No. 2, falling just behind Clemson’s signal-caller Cade Klubnik, but still Crawford is very high on Nussmeier.
Crawford took to X, formerly Twitter and kept his post short, but impactful.
View this post on Instagram
However, next year’s quarterback class is immensely deep with Nussmeier having to contend with Klubnik, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Miami’s Carson Beck, and even South Carolina’s quarterback LaNoris Sellers who’s been listed as the one to watch for the 2025-26 college football season.
Crawford from 247Sports revealed his projections for Nussmeier in 2025 and what would make him “No. 1 overall pick potential” for LSU. For 2025, Nussmeier is projected to complete 344 passes of 499 yards, 3,899 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions. Here’s what Crawford had to say about Nussmeier.
“When he’s on, Garrett Nussmeier has No. 1 overall pick potential. When he’s off, the quarterback who once backed up Jayden Daniels can get in his head a bit leading to mistakes. Consistency trumps all with Nussmeier, who was elite in the fourth quarter in wins over Ole Miss and South Carolina, but struggled during losses to Alabama and Texas A&M.
“Brian Kelly and LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan hopes he’s Heisman-level in 2025 and the Tigers have done all they can to ensure his weaponry is top-end around him. Three portal wideouts should help.”
KEEP READING: Tennessee AD Breaks Silence on Nico Iamaleava’s Exit: ‘Our Fans Really Get It’
Kelly and company went out and brought in near double-digit signees on offense via the NCAA transfer portal to build around Nussmeier. Nussmeier is now surrounded by some elite-level talent in 2025, and it’s truly time to sink or swim.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and baseball!
