LSU coach Brian Kelly noticed what a Heisman winner seems like two years in the past with Jayden Daniels and has one other prime candidate in Garrett Nussmeier forward of the 2025 season. So his opinion to reduce the hype practice on Texas quarterback Arch Manning is predictable, if not, anticipated.
In spite of everything, Manning’s lone collegiate begins got here in opposition to ULM and Mississippi State final fall.
“Look, we hear it every single day as a result of [Manning is] from Louisiana. … And pay attention, there’s one other man that hears it on a regular basis and that is Garrett Nussmeier,” Kelly mentioned throughout an look on ESPN’s Faculty GameDay Podcast. “He is dedicated, and greater than the rest, he is skilled. And on this league, you must see the bullets flying.”
Manning (+700) and Nussmeier (+800) are the Heisman frontrunners this season at FanDuel Sportsbook for related causes — each are front-facing skills inside top-15 packages anticipated to compete for spots within the nationwide title dialog.
The two signal-callers seize the highlight throughout opening weekend as Nussmeier and the Tigers have a marquee opener at Clemson, whereas Manning’s Longhorns battle defending nationwide champion Ohio State on the street.
“Now, Manning is extraordinarily gifted, however he is received to go do it,” Kelly mentioned. “And there is going to be a few days the place it does not come out the way in which it is purported to. How do you bounce again, how do you come again from that? How does it work the subsequent week in your gameplan? So there’s quite a bit on the market.
“I can see the evaluation of Manning, he is an excellent participant. However I am going to take the man that is been within the SEC and seen what it seems like.”
It is arduous to argue with Kelly’s level, and there are details behind his reasoning.
Nussmeier led a pair of second-half comebacks to topple nationally ranked competitors final season, together with a 13-play, 75-yard march in opposition to Ole Miss within the fourth quarter that featured a pair of fourth-down conversions. The Tigers received that matchup in extra time after Nussmeier accomplished a 25-yard cross to Kyren Lacy for the clinching rating.
Manning threw for 939 yards and 9 touchdowns with two interceptions as a redshirt freshman in spot obligation behind Quinn Ewers. Each of Manning’s begins got here with Ewers on the mend, and the one snaps he noticed down the stretch over the SEC Championship Sport and three Faculty Soccer Playoff video games have been in uncommon rush-only conditions.
Nussmeier, who’s projected to go No. 1 general in subsequent yr’s NFL Draft in keeping with CBS Sports activities’ newest mock, has significantly extra school expertise as a returning starter and is somebody who’s been across the LSU program since 2021.
Nussmeier completed with 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns final fall however was one of many SEC’s leaders in interceptions (12). The Tigers surrounded their returning signal-caller with ample expertise from the switch portal throughout the 2025 cycle with the nation’s top-rated class.
Offense won’t be the Tigers’ solely anticipated energy this season. A supply closed to this system informed CBS Sports activities final month that LSU’s defensive depth, a notable weak point so far Kelly’s tenure, is lastly as much as par with different elites across the nation.
The one manner Kelly will see Manning up shut is that if the Tigers and Longhorns meet in Atlanta for the SEC crown in December, or if the 2 groups attain the Faculty Soccer Playoff.