Measurables
- 6‘0.625 Height
- 205 lb. Weight
2025 Stats
- 194/288 Passing (67.4%)
- 1,921 Passing Yards
- 6.7 Yards per Attempt
- 12 Passing TDs
- 5 INTs
- 92.7 Passer Rating
- 14 Big Time Throws (4.5%)
- 10 Turnover Worthy Plays (3%)
- 7 Average Depth of Target
- 15 Sacks / 78 Pressures = 19.2% Pressure to Sack Rate
- 2.48 Time to Throw
- 59.1 Grade VS Pressure (57.6 Passing Grade)
- 24 Carries
- 64 Rushing Yards
- 2.7 Yards Per Carry
- 1 Rushing TD
- 1 Fumble
- 27 Yards After Contact
- 1.13 Yards After Contact per Carry
- 1 Missed Tackle Forced
Awards/Accolades
- Texas Bowl MVP (2024)
- ReliaQuest Bowl MVP (2024)
- LSU Football MVP (2024)
Strengths
- Son of Doug Nussmeier, Current Saints Offensive Coordinator and 2024 Super Bowl winner Eagles QB coach. Not to stereotype, but he plays exactly like a coach’s son. Strong command at the line, makes all of his checks, audibles, and protection calls. High Football IQ.
- Rapid Processor, Quick time to throw with quick movement through his progressions to get from 1st to 3rd read. Throwing motion is quick and compact, adding to the release speed.
- Strong Accuracy, able to throw with layers, touch, anticipation, and placement are all top end. Can get the ball reliably to all 3 levels.
- Knows exactly where the Blitz is coming from and knows how to adjust accordingly in the pocket.
- Able to read post-snap shifts and disguises quickly.
- Deceptively athletic, not a dual threat QB by any means, but can escape the pocket well and quickly, all while keeping eyes downfield.
Weaknesses
- Gunslinger through and through. Aggressively tries to fit balls into tight windows, which can be to his detriment. Often occurs when things break down against pressure or trying to throw on the move cross body. Some ugly picks on tape.
- Ball velocity is a bit above average, but his confidence in his arm talent is his biggest issue. Needs to learn his limitations on which windows he can’t fit into. His arm strength comes from good passing technique more than pure arm muscle, when form breaks down or he is rolling left his passes lose velocity and defenders have opportunities to close on the ball.
- Passing Against Pressure is a mixed bag and often depends on where and how the pressure is coming. Against blitz and outside rush he is able to identify and escape the pocket or step up into it. Interior pressure is devastating and causes confusion on where to move to. Panic can occur vs pressure, often when decision making becomes compromised and he puts the ball in harm’s way.
- Undersized and athletic limitations will lower him on team’s boards (and potentially not hit some teams baseline criteria).
- Was benched late in 2025 season and only began starting in 2024. Not the biggest sample size for a soon to be 24 year old QB prospect (February Birthday).
Draft Projection
Round 3-4 Grade
Nussmeier was ranked outside of my initial Top 100 Big Board, which had Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore (undeclared for the Draft),
Ty Simpson (undeclared for the Draft, could transfer from Alabama), Jayden Maiava (returning to College), and LaNorris Sellers (returning to College) all ranked. Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss has also quickly risen up boards and is awaiting the NCAA’s decision on if he gets extended eligibility from a prior Division II season with a medical redshirt or if he has to declare for the 2026 Draft.
That leaves Nussmeier competing with Miami’s Carson Beck, Oklahoma’s John Mateer (undeclared for the Draft), Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, and Penn State’s Drew Allar all fighting for the potential QB3 of the 2026 Draft. None of them have Round 1 or even Round 2 grades, and likely will all be available at varying points in Rounds 2-4 of the Draft (maybe even beyond) for QB needy teams that miss out on the Mendoza (and likely Moore) sweepstakes.
For a Colts team lacking a Round 1 pick and a potential QB need with Daniel Jones a Free Agent and coming off a torn Achilles and Anthony Richardson on the last year of his rookie deal and recovering from his freak accident orbital bone fracture (and with an unfortunately lengthy injury history already in his young career), Nussmeier and the others represent the best of the rest in the 2026 Draft if the Colts want to pursue another QB option but not want to spend additional cap resources in Free Agency (or via trade). Each QB in that tier has their strengths that a team could build around, but have plenty of warts on their profile that will likely cause them to be available well past the first round in this QB-starved NFL landscape.
Nussmeier could be an interesting fit with the Colts. The team still has a solid pass protection unit, especially with Quenton Nelson returning and 3rd Year linemen Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves still growing and making strides as starters to protect the interior of the pocket for Garrett. The Colts still have Tyler Warren at Tight End and Josh Downs at slot Wide Receiver, while the fates of deep threat/growing intermediate route runner Alec Pierce (Free Agent but likely a top re-signing priority), and big bodied possession Receiver Michael Pittman Jr (potential cap casualty/trade candidate) are up in the air. Jonathan Taylor manning the backfield gives Nussmeier a feature back to rely on to carry the rock.
Shane Steichen showed his ability to scheme around QBs with athletic limitations (Joe Flacco and Phillip Rivers), as well as QBs with quick triggers (Flacco, Rivers, and Daniel Jones) who know how to diagnose defenses pre-snap and quickly post-snap while having full command at the line. Nussmeier’s accuracy could be a great asset to pair with the Colts talented group of targets. The fit overall could make a ton of sense.
But the Colts would need to train the worst habits out of Nussmeier, which can take time. He would also cost the Colts a Round 3-4 pick, potentially even a Round 2 pick with the QB desperation in the NFL inflating how early QBs often get taken in the draft. That valuable draft capital could be otherwise used on fixing any of the Colts defensive holes (could make a case for picking any defensive position as a need) or addressing Wide Receiver should either Michael Pittman Jr. or Alec Pierce depart this offseason. QB is the ultimate need position, but is Nussmeier the right guy to add at this point of the Colts roster construction and is he worth the investment early on?
That will be a tough question for Ballard and the Colts front office to answer as they approach their 10th season with the team. Patience has run thin with the Colts fanbase, and change is approaching. Can Nussmeier save Ballard (and potentially Steichen’s) job, or would he doom it?
It wasn’t long ago Nussmeier was thought of as a Round 1 QB with some of his traits, but his 2025 regression and bad habits can’t be ignored either. Whoever takes him, be it the Colts or someone else, is going to hope they can work with the high level accuracy and Football IQ and get him out of his worst habits.
