After a bumpy 2024, things are looking in the right direction for LSU as they prepare to take a step into the 12-team College Football Playoff.
With quarterback Garrett Nussmeier — a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft — expectations are high for the Tigers, with Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt ranking them ahead of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina.
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Klatt ranked the Tigers No. 7 in his preseason rankings, ahead of other SEC powerhouses. It’s all on the back of their star quarterback.
“I believe in Garrett Nussmeier more than Gunner Stockton,” Klatt said. “So, you might be yelling right now, ‘Do you trust Brian Kelly more than Kirby Smart?’ The answer is no, but those guys aren’t on the field. As you know, at some points, when you’ve got basically a tie between these teams, you’ve got to think to yourself, well, who do I trust most at quarterback.”
Nussmeier, a four-star recruit in the 2021 class spent three years on the bench, backing up Max Johnson and Jayden Daniels before finally getting his chance to start in 2024. He led the Tigers to a 9-4 record, throwing for 4,043 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
“So, let’s take a look at the ninth, eighth, and seventh-ranked teams on my list,” Klatt said. “Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. Well, they go in order of who I believe in at quarterback. Alabama, don’t know at all. Haven’t seen it at all. Gunner Stockton is now at eight with Georgia. Why? Well, we’ve seen a little bit. Do I totally trust it? Nah. Number seven LSU, yes. Garrett Nussmeier is going to be one of the top picks in the NFL Draft. I believe in him. Second year as a starter, fifth in the program. He sat behind Jayden Daniels. He’s seen it done at a high level.”
Klatt is also high on the LSU defense, which could be a strong unit under second-year defensive coordinator Blake Baker.
“The defense finally took a step forward in their first season under Blake Baker — their defensive coordinator,” Klatt said. “They’re gonna have Whit Weeks back at linebacker. Harold Perkins is back after tearing his ACL early last year. He’s gonna stay at that star position this year. They’ve got the hybrid linebacker, safety, that star kind of position. I think that fits him,” Klatt said. “They’ve got the number one ranked Transfer Portal class. They’ve got 17 transfer players coming in. Number two by average player ranking. So, not just quantity but quality.”
The only question for the Tigers: how high can a Brian Kelly-led team fly?
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“The only thing working against them in my estimation is I think Brian is going to have to take a team above what he has ever taken a team,” Klatt said. “And then their schedule is tough. So, they miss Georgia and Texas, but they’ve got a season opener on the road against Clemson. Don’t love that game for them. They’ve got to go against South Carolina, Florida, and [Texas] A&M. Those are at home. Then they play Alabama on the road, Ole Miss on the road, Oklahoma on the road. That’s LSU.”
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