”I’m leaving LSU today” Garrett Nussmeier explains why he wants to depart from the LSU Tigers…

‘He backs up what he does by doing’ is how Garrett Nussmeier rose to prominence as an LSU football captain.

Garrett Nussmeier spent the last three spring practice cycles either as the understudy or in fierce competition for the starting job. Now, he enters his senior year as the new face of the offense that is coming off one of its best seasons ever.

Expectations are high for any new quarterback, but there’s hardly any bigger pressure than replacing a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who led the best offense in college football.

That’s what Nussmeier is tasked with in 2024, but despite the pressure coming with his new role, his mindset hasn’t changed.

“I’ve just tried to do my job and do what I feel like I’ve always been taught to do as far as leadership goes,” Nussmeier said.

Despite only having one start in his college career, Nussmeier returns to the offense in 2024 as one of the group’s most experienced players. He’s one of a handful of players who have been with Brian Kelly since he arrived at LSU, allowing him to understand the expectations within the program.

Kelly calls him a “natural leader,” and someone players listened to even before he became a starter.

“He has the ears of everybody on the offense,” Kelly said. “He backs up what he does by deed. If he says he’s going to do something, he does it and he holds others accountable.”

Nussmeier is one of the examples of how LSU is becoming what Kelly describes as a “player-led” team. That starts with putting an emphasis on the smaller details that Kelly has preached since arriving at LSU.

Whether it’s organizing throwing sessions with the receivers or watching film together, Nussmeier said he’s using his experience as a starting quarterback during his career before college to understand how he needs to play the role of the starting quarterback.

Another facet of his leadership is setting the expectation within the locker room.

Nussmeier told reporters that 10 wins wasn’t the team’s goal anymore, but made it clear that the goal isn’t strictly tied to results.