"LSU, I think will play for SEC championship": CFB insider drops massive prediction for Garrett Nussmeier & Co. in 2025 season

Garrett Nussmeier will return to LSU for one last year this upcoming season. On a personal level, the veteran star had a great 2024 season where he recorded 4,052 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

He also recorded an impressive QB rating of 80% while improving his NFL draft stock. Despite these stats, Nussmeier struggled to lead LSU into the playoffs. They wrapped up the 2024 season with a 9-4 record.

According to On3 insider J.D. PicKell, LSU will have a breakout campaign in 2025, and Nussmeier could play in the SEC championship game.

“I have a lot of excitement around Garrett Nussmeier, and I've said it a lot, man," PicKell said on his podcast on Tuesday (Timestamp: 42:00). "LSU, I think, will play for the SEC championship when it's all said and done here on conference title weekend. And a big part of that, to me, is the progress I'm anticipating from Garrett Nussmeier.

“I do think Garrett Nussmeier having another year where this is truly his offense, and he's comfortable in it to another degree, that's going to fuel positive dividends for the LSU offense. The other part of this right aligns with that, the perspective he has now walking into the octagon is different from what it was a year ago."

The Tigers will have some high-profile games this year, starting from Clemson in the season opener, Florida Gators in Week 3, Ole Miss in Week 5 and a blockbuster Week 9 matchup against Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama. Being in the SEC is tough and the schedule reflects that.

"We've mentioned this a few times, but I want to revisit it when you walk into a game in October, and it's essentially a college football playoff play in game that was Garrett, first time experiencing a year ago, like when they played Alabama last year in Baton Rouge, there's a massive spot,” PicKell added.

Garrett Nussmeier’s performance will have an impact on Brian Kelly’s hot seat status

The veteran coach will be entering his fourth year as the coach of the program. Since he joined LSU, Brian Kelly has been under the radar for his underwhelming record.

Fans sometimes fail to understand that the SEC is quite unpredictable and each game poses different challenges. However, the expectations at LSU are quite different.

Garrett Nussmeier needs to ensure that he beefs up his draft stock while leading the Tigers to a playoff game and records at least 10+ wins in the regular season. In the current scenario, it doesn't appear that Brian Kelly would have to worry, as the Tigers roster is filled with veteran talents and all of them are medically fit to play in 2025.