LSU football backup listed as 2024 Heisman Trophy candidate

Tiger fans all over America are still riding the high of quarterback Jayden Daniels winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy. Still, that doesn’t exactly mean it’s too early to look forward to next season. On Sunday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports identified LSU football backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier as an early contender for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

LSU football backup quarterback listed as a potential candidate for the 2024 Heisman Trophy

Heading into this season, there was a heavy debate on who the starting quarterback would be for the Tigers heading into 2023. Advocates were divided between the running prowess and experience of fifth-year senior Jayden Daniels and the arm strength coupled with the youth of redshirt sophomore Garrett Nussmeier.

Fast forward to the present, and Daniels, having scored 50 touchdowns in 12 games, is the reigning Heisman Trophy recipient. Although Nussmeier, LSU football’s backup, had limited opportunities to showcase his skills, there’s no doubt he displayed serious potential when given the chance.

🗣️ BEST RECEIVER IN FOOTBALL @whyguard13

📺 SEC Network pic.twitter.com/HVOs9JeT9m

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 22, 2023

In his five appearances, he threw the ball 33 times for 196 yards and one touchdown. While the numbers won’t immediately pop out at you, it’s important to note that most of his time on the field came on short notice due to injury.

Nevertheless, he’s shown enough to get the attention of the national media, as he’s already emerging as a potential star to watch next season.

On Sunday, Brad Crawford of 247Sports unveiled his annual early Heisman Trophy watch list, and among several returning starters, that of current LSU football backup quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier.

EARLY 2024 Heisman Candidates, via @BCrawford247 🏈

READ: https://t.co/bhVONq5ua6 pic.twitter.com/ex1MfOWu7C

— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 10, 2023

With Jayden Daniels officially out of eligibility and heading off to the NFL, Nussmeier has some big-time shoes to step into. Still, if he can continue to show flashes as he has over the last two seasons, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be up to the challenge.

However, the Heisman Trophy is a completely different animal, so we’ll have to wait and see how easily he steps into a starting role in 2024.

Thank you for reading LSU Glory. For more LSU Glory content, covering all things LSU athletics, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on our Twitter account. It is thanks to your support that we can continue to grow into one of the fastest-growing and most influential LSU media outlets there is.