Garrett Nussmeier is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft, as the junior from Lake Charles, Louisiana, had a promising 2024 campaign and is looking to take his game to another level in 2025.
Nussmeier tossed 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions with a 64.2% completion rate and 4,052 yards last year and led LSU to a 9-4 record with a bowl win over Baylor. The 23-year-old showed his pinpoint accuracy and poise in the pocket and posted productive numbers despite playing in a tough SEC conference with a number of stout defenses.
There will be plenty of quarterback-needy teams in next year's draft that would love to add Nussmeier, but NFL Rumors' Ethan Woodie predicts the Tigers signal-caller will land with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Round 1.
"Opinions on Nussmeier are varied, depending on how much you buy into his upside vs. the inherent risks in his playstyle. There might not be a better middle-field passer in this class, as Nussmeier has phenomenal arm strength to fit passes into tight windows and the touch to layer throws over lurking zone defenders. He’s athletic enough to make plays on the run and he’ll stand tall under pressure to make plays. The next step for him is to read his progressions faster and take fewer risks with the football," Woodie wrote.
The Steelers are likely to be in the quarterback market next offseason, as the team only has Aaron Rodgers on a one-year deal, and Will Howard has an uphill battle to prove himself as the quarterback of the future.
Nussmeier would be a solid fit in Pittsburgh and give the franchise a potential long-term answer at the sport's most vital position. He could be the next great NFL quarterback to come out of LSU, following in the footsteps of Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels.