LSU football enters 2025 with high expectations. The return of veteran quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is a big part of that. Nussmeier enters his fifth year of college football and second as a full-time starter. Per BetMGM, Nussmeier has the second-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, only trailing Texas’ Arch Manning.

Nussmeier’s 2024 had ups and downs, but there was more good than bad. Nussmeier dazzled in the second half vs. Ole Miss, leading LSU on clutch scoring drives late to force overtime. In OT, Nussmeier delivered another big throw to Kyren Lacy to win the game.

Down the stretch of 2024, Nussmeier started to put it all together. From week 13 on, he was the top-graded passer in the SEC, according to PFF. In that same span, Nussmeier ranked second in yards per attempt and completion percentage. If LSU gets that version of Nussmeier throughout 2025, it will be a good year for the Tigers.

Here are three key stats LSU needs Nussmeier to improve on this fall.

Big-time throw percentage

According to PFF, a big-time throw is “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.”

Nussmeier has one of the best arms in the SEC and he can make any throw on the field. But on the year, Nussmeier’s big-time throw rate was 4.7%, which ranked 10th in the SEC. If Nussmeier is going to mount a Heisman campaign and lead LSU to a national title, that number needs to be better.

Over Nuss’s final three games, his BTT% was 7.8%. Expect more of that this fall.

Rushing yards

Nussmeier didn’t offer much of anything on the ground. On 25 carries, he totaled 93 yards for an average of 3.7 yards per run. He found the end zone three times.

LSU doesn’t need Nussmeier to be Jayden Daniels with the legs, but he’s athletic enough to be a threat in the red zone or pick up a first down. LSU’s rushing attack struggled in 2024 without the threat of a quarterback run. For the offense to reach its goals this fall, the unit needs more from the ground game. Nussmeier offering a bigger contribution will help with that.

Yards per attempt

Nussmieer averaged 7.7 yards per attempt in 2024, which ranked No. 11 in the SEC. Not all of that was on Nussmeier. Much of the blame can be attributed to the offense as a whole. For much of the year, the Tigers didn’t have a receiver who stretched the field. And with LSU not getting much from the run game, scheming up play action was difficult. Without a deep threat at wide receiver and without play action, it’s hard to generate a downfield passing game.

LSU needs more in this department. Nussmeier is good enough to deliver.

We saw what Nuss and the LSU offense did at the end of the year with Chris Hilton finally healthy on the outside. Now, LSU gets a healthy Hilton along with the transfer portal additions of Barion Brown and Nic Anderson — both capable of taking the top of the defense.

With an improved run game setting up play action and better talent on the outside, LSU can have one of the best deep attacks in the SEC.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: 3 key stats LSU football needs Garrett Nussmeier to improve this fall