LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier is projected to be among the top quarterbacks in college football this season, and the Tigers handed him a prestigious honor just before Week 1.
The fifth-year senior was awarded LSU’s No. 18 jersey, which is handed to a player each season that embodies leadership qualities and championship intangibles. He’s the first quarterback to earn the honor since Matt Mauck in 2003.
The Tradition
Garrett Nussmeier has been awarded the number 18 and becomes the first quarterback to wear it since Matt Mauck pic.twitter.com/3tcx1EL1EG
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 24, 2025
Coincidentally, Mauck was the last quarterback to wear the number, which started the tradition after he led the Tigers to the national championship that season.
“About time we got another (quarterback) in there,” Mauck said on a call with Nussmeier, which was posted to LSU’s football account on X. “… I just sent out a text to somebody, they had asked me what I thought. I said, ‘today’s college football, guys like you would transfer to another place. So, I think there’s nobody better on that team that embodies what 18 is about more than you.”
Nussmeier was named a permanent captain alongside star linebacker Whit Weeks on Sunday, Aug. 24. He wore No. 13 in his four seasons prior to 2025.
The 6-foot-1 signal caller passed for 4,052 yards with 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions last season, and is widely considered one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy in 2025. He’s also expected to be one of the top quarterbacks of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Some of LSU’s best players in recent memory have donned the No. 18 jersey, like cornerback Tre’Davious White, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson and defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo. Linebacker Greg Penn III and running back Josh Williams held the honor in 2024.
A former four-star recruit, Nussmeier served as a backup from 2021-23 before taking the starting role in 2024. The Tigers are hoping Nussmeier can lead them to a better finish in 2025 after ending the year with a 9-4 record last season.
Awaiting Nussmeier is a huge Week 1 matchup against Clemson and fellow quarterback Cade Klubnik, another top Heisman contender in 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier earns Tigers’ No. 18 jersey