LSU Tigers football coach Brian Kelly is rooting for his guy, Garrett Nussmeier, to be the 2025 Heisman Trophy Champion all the way through, no matter how much of an early favorite Arch Manning becomes.
Kelly has seen the best and the worst days in the SEC.
Based on that experience, the Tigers coach strongly feels that Nussmeier is more likely to last the gruelling schedule better than Manning might.
"Look, we hear it every day because Manning is from Louisiana. … And listen, there’s another guy that hears it all the time an that’s Garrett Nussmeier. He’s committed, and more than anything else, he’s experienced. And in this league, you need to see the bullets flying," Kelly said on ESPN's College GameDay.
"All I’m saying is, Nussmeier has seen it. I can see the assessment of Manning, he’s an outstanding player. But I’ll take the guy that’s been in the SEC and seen what it looks like. He knows what he’s going to get.
"There’s a confidence he’ll bring each and every game through experience, maybe even through some scar tissue, that’s going to allow him to be, I believe, the best quarterback."
Heisman-worthy QB or not, Nussmeier is a sure-shot favorite as a top QB this season.
In fact, he is widely believed to be the silver lining that brings Kelly out of his national championship drought in Louisiana and proves the Tigers are the "dark horse" they are expected to be this season.
In other words, Kelly needs this "best QB" aspect of Nussmeier to play out well this season, as his job might be on the line.
Everyone expects nothing less from the standout QB.