3 under-the-radar transfer QBs LSU should go all-in on to replace Garrett Nussmeier

This season has taken a terrible turn for LSU. First they lost to unranked Florida on the road, effectively ending their College Football Playoff hopes. And then they lost top-ranked 2025 recruit and quarterback, Bryce Underwood, to Michigan. 

If Garrett Nussmeier opts to head to the NFL Draft after the 2024 season, it could be nearly a full reset for second-year coach Brian Kelly and LSU. 

That said, there won’t be any shortage of options for Kelly to turn to as he looks to regroup his quarterback room. We know about the popular names in Dylan Raiola and Quinn Ewers that have circulated about hitting the transfer portal.

But what about the lower tier names that could be on the move and still make an impact? Here’s a look at who Kelly could turn to if Nussmeier leaves and the big-named transfers land elsewhere. 

3 under-the-radar transfer QBs LSU should go all-in on to replace Garrett Nussmeier

3) Conner Weigman, Texas A&M

Conner Weigman lost his starting job this season, ironically, against LSU. How funny would it be if he ended up in Baton Rouge? He hasn’t declared for the portal yet, but Marcel Reed seems to be the starter for the foreseeable future. 

If he does, he could land at LSU and be, at worst, a temporary fix while Kelly looks to the top high school quarterbacks to fill the hole in a season or two. Weigman wasn’t terrible early in the season. He just didn’t quite stay consistent. Since the win against Missouri, he kind of fizzled out. 

He just wasn’t helping the offense score and that was probably the biggest reason he got benched. Especially when Reed came in and instantly ignited this offense. One thing about LSU is they're going to have wide receivers around Weigman to help him succeed and make his job a little bit easier. 

If he struggled in an offense that featured high-caliber weapons around him, maybe he was the problem all along. But a fresh start could be what helps him revive his career. 

2) John Mateer, Washington State

While he hasn’t declared for the portal yet, quarterback transfers are a premium nowadays. Look at what Dillon Gabriel, Will Howard, Quinn Ewers have done this season. When you have a chance to get a good quarterback, you jump on it. 

And John Mateer should enter the portal and draw a lot of interest from some big schools. He’s thrown for almost 3,000 yards, nearly 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He’s a dual threat, too, rushing for over 300 yards. 

While Washington State’s strength of schedule isn’t anything to gawk at, he’s a talent you take a chance on. And he’s a sophomore which means he has a couple years to develop into that premier quarterback Kelly needs to borderline save his job. 

I’d be surprised to see Mateer return to Washington State. That said, he could be a sought after candidate after the big names come off the board. And with Cam Ward leading the charge at Miami, it might behoove LSU to develop Mateer. 

1) Air Noland, Ohio State

Ohio State is a bit overloaded at the quarterback position right now. With Julian Sayin making his way to the Buckeyes after Nick Saban announced he was retiring from Alabama, it created a logjam. Which means either Sayin is hitting the portal again or Air Noland. 

According to Ryan Roberts of A to Z Sports, it’s more likely Noland hits the transfer portal over Sayin. And it wouldn’t be the first time an OSU quarterback left for LSU. Some guy by the name of Joe Burrow made way from Columbus to Baton Rouge once upon a time. We see how that turned out. 

Not saying in any way that Noland is Burrow. But it wouldn’t be a shot for Kelly to replace his first option for a future quarterback with an equally younger and promising prospect in Noland. According to 247Sports, he’s drawing comparisons to Michael Penix Jr.

And while he had injury issues throughout his collegiate career, he also led Washington to the national championship last season so that’s worth something. 

We’ve seen moments of Noland getting in the game during garbage time, but we’re not quite sure what he will look like. But if he’s anything close to advertised, if he does hit the portal, Kelly should be really aggressive in getting him to sign with the Tigers.