The bags were packed, the goodbyes were said, and the train was probably about to leave Baton Rouge. But then came Brian Kellyknocking with feverish eyes on the door. And mind you, when Kelly comes knocking, you better answer that door. Don’t get me wrong, some things are pretty much inevitable, for instance, Kelly’s failure to sign Bryce Underwood. But, if things in LSU are considered, Kellynomics still reigns supreme. A similar thing has happened in the LSU camp very recently. And, it may well change the fortunes of Kelly and LSU going into the 2025 season.
Well, it’s not a secret that Brian Kelly didn’t have the best of his seasons in 2024. Sure, they started their campaign on a solid note (6-1), but a three-game losing streak post that killed all their playoff hopes. Undoubtedly, losing a 2 time Heisman winner quarterback (Jayden Daniels) to the NFL in the 2023 season wouldn’t have sat well with even the best of the best. But then came Garrett Nussmeier, a player who had spent much of his past two seasons in the shadow of Daniel.
And, boy, did he make his mark. 4,025 yards, 29 TDs, and moments of sheer exceptional brilliance throughout the season almost guaranteed him the top 5 NFL draft picks. And, after the end of the 2024 season, it was looking like Sayonara for Nussmeiner from college football and LSU. But then came the biggest turn for Brian Kelly.
Since a young kid, all I have ever wanted was to grow up and play in the NFL…God brought me to the LSU for a reason. I feel like my time at LSU is not over. I am officially announcing that I am returning for my final year of eligibility and I am fully committed to bringing this University a championship“. As these words poured out of Garret‘s mouth in a video posted by him, the bookmakers and football analysts were having a meltdown in their studios and offices. And why would they not, the QB’s return alone will change the fate of LSU going into the future and will drastically change the odds of how LSU will fare in 2025. But how exactly?
First and foremost, it has kept Brian Kelly very happy, “I think there was always this sense that he was going to come back, but we never took it for granted…We did our due diligence. We made our case as to why it was in everybody’s best interest for him to come back for another year and re-recruited him from that standpoint”. He added, “ All the things that go along with arguably the best quarterback in the SEC and maybe in the country”. The praise for his long-time pupil alone shows that Kelly is on cloud nine right now. But there is more to the anticipation than this.
