LSU Football Awaiting NFL Draft Decisions from Trio of Key Pieces
Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers wrapped up the 2024 regular season last Saturday after an impressive 37-17 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners.
From there, it was time for players to begin making decisions regarding their futures in Baton Rouge.
Kelly and Co. have seen 10 members of the 2024 roster reveal their intentions to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, but there are also NFL Draft questions that will need answers.
The Tigers will lose starting offensive lineman Will Campbell and dynamic tight end Mason Taylor to the 2025 NFL Draft where they will forgo their final year of eligibility.
Campbell became the first player to make the decision regarding his future. Other players such as wide receiver Kyren Lacy and offensive linemen Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier are out of eligibility and must enter.
Now, there are three draft-eligible players who will make a decision whether they will return to Baton Rouge or enter the 2025 NFL Draft.
Three Draft-Eligible Players to Watch:
Garrett Nussmeier: Quarterback
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has wrapped up his first season as the starting signal-caller for the Tigers after a rollercoaster year.
The redshirt-junior quickly became one of the most productive quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference, but it certainly didn’t come without its fair share of hiccups.
Nussmeier ended his first season as the starter tossing for 3,735 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on nearly 500 passing attempts. He completed over 63% of his throws in 2024.
It was a year of growth for the Louisiana native. Nussmeier has waited his time to take over for the Tigers and he wouldn’t have changed a thing. It’s all a learning lesson.
“This year was a huge growth year for me. I said it in September, and I still stand on it. I hope that I would be a better player now than I was in September, and I think that that was proven to be true. I think that our team got better throughout the year. We got closer, and we got better,” Nussmeier said on Saturday after the victory over Oklahoma.
“Whatever things we had to fix and the red zone scoring, we have improved on that a lot. So, I am so happy for us, so happy for our team, and the things that we have worked on. For me, personally, I think that I have continued to get better, and I have continued to grow my game. I am looking forward to continuing to do that heading into the off-season.”
Nussmeier and Co. dealt with challenges in 2024. It was a rollercoaster ride after dropping a Week 1 contest to Southern Cal before riding a six-game winning streak. From there, LSU lost consecutive matchups to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida.
It was a stretch that had Nussmeier fall back on his faith to get back into a clear-minded state, but the program, led by their QB1, bounced back. LSU won back-to-back games to end the year over Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.
“There have been a lot of changes in the building, and I know Coach (Brian) Kelly has talked about guys that have kind of taken control and taken leadership, and it’s been huge for us. I think it will be something that will continue to grow throughout the offseason,” Nussmeier said.
Now, with the 2024 season in the rearview mirror and the Tigers awaiting their bowl selection, it’s officially the “offseason” with players beginning to make their decisions.
Nussmeier, however, has not made one yet.
“I have not decided about that. I have not had discussions, any conversations I wanted to leave that until after the season. I didn’t want to go over that. I can’t really tell you where I’m at right now or what I think,” Nussmeier said.
“I know that I love being here at LSU, I know I love this team, this school, this organization, and this fanbase. I’ll get into those conversations probably early this week and try and figure everything out from there.”
Brian Kelly is hopeful he returns: “I’m hopeful that (Nussmeier’s) gonna make a decision that he comes back. He has not told me that he is but I’m hopeful that he makes that decision. If he does, I think it’s going to put our program in a really good position.”
Harold Perkins: Linebacker
LSU linebacker Harold Perkins took Baton Rouge by storm during his true freshman campaign with the Tigers in 2022.
A player shot out of a cannon on every snap, Perkins quickly emerged as a player NFL scouts would be keeping tabs on during his college career.
After a stellar campaign in Year 1 with the program, there was slight regression in 2023 after the LSU coaching staff struggled to find his ideal role.
Then, fast forward to Perkins’ junior campaign in 2024 and it had an abrupt ending with the star linebacker suffering a torn ACL early in the season.
A player who was receiving first round buzz in the 2025 NFL Draft, despite Perkins’ usage remaining a question mark, it was a brutal blow for the program.
Now, Perkins has a decision to make: Stay in Baton Rouge for one more season or bypass his senior year and enter the 2025 NFL Draft.
He’s slipped down draft board due to injury and usage issues, but it’s clear an organization would be willing to take the “risk” for such a talented athlete.
Perkins returned to the sidelines on Saturday night for LSU’s Week 13 matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores to support his teammates.
He’s finishing the early stages of his recovery, according to head coach Brian Kelly, with a focus now on getting back up to speed.
“He’s doing really well in his recovery talking to Owen Stanley, our athletic trainer,” Kelly said on Monday. “He’s been in the building quite a bit now that he’s passed the early stages of the repair. Now, it’s about hard work.”
Has Perkins made up his mind yet? Would the Tigers openly want Perkins back in Baton Rouge for the 2025 season?
No, Perkins hasn’t finalized a decision, but the answer is obvious on if the Tigers would want him back next fall. He’s a freakish athlete with tools any program would salivate over.
“I don’t know that he’s made that final decision. I know he’s weighing the options. Clearly, we would love to have him back, but we know that those decisions are not easy.,” Kelly said. “We’ll support him in what ever he decides and provide the resources necessary to make the best decision for him and his family.”
He’s as productive of a player as they come and LSU will certainly hope to persuade a return.
Emery Jones: Offensive Line
The third critical Tiger that is eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft is LSU right tackle Emery Jones.
The junior offensive lineman has garnered significant NFL attention, but there could be a piece working in LSU’s favor: More reps at the interior offensive line position.
According to most NFL scouts, there is a spot for Jones at the next level as a guard, but he’s played most of his time in Baton Rouge as a tackle.
Can LSU piece together a sufficient NIL package in order to persuade him to return to school next season? Time will tell, but there is certainly a chance he comes back. There will be significant dialogue over the next few weeks between Jones’ camp and others to detail where his current draft range is.
