Brian Kelly has a Garrett Nussmeier succession plan in place with latest transfer win

For a team that largely underachieved this past offseason, Brian Kelly was somehow able to take some unwanted pressure off his plate. Not only is he getting starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier back for one last ride, but he just successfully nabbed Michael Van Buren Jr. out of the transfer portal. As a freshman, Van Buren took the SEC by surprising in his eight starts for Mississippi State.

The idea is that Nussmeier will start next season before turning pro in 2026. By that time, Van Buren will be ready to rock under center in Baton Rouge. In recent years, LSU has been a bastion for quarterback transfers. Look no further than its two most recent Heisman Trophy winners in Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow before that. There may not be a better succession plan in place in college.

To be quite frank, I thought that Van Buren might be a candidate to start next season at LSU. This was assuming that Nussmeier decided to take his talents to the NFL. However, given that he is the son of a former NFL quarterback in Doug Nussmeier, it probably serves him to gain another year's worth of starts under his belt before entering the NFL Draft. Nussmeier seems every bit an NFL prototype.

By landing Van Buren, the transition could be as seamless as it was going from Daniels to Nussmeier.

My only concern about LSU heading into next season would be the state of the team's entire defense.

LSU lands former Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren Jr. in the portal

Although we did not see a quarterback come close to winning the Heisman Trophy this season, LSU has been one of the better programs in recent years of turning those boyhood dreams into reality. The weird part in all this is LSU was not known for its great quarterback play in the years between Burrow and Bert Jones. Now, it seems as though it is a place where you can exceed exponentially.

Right now, I feel more inclined than I should to say LSU is a serious College Football Playoff contender next year. Defensively, they still have a ton of holes, but another year under Blake Baker may help bridge the gap for the Bayou Bengals. So much of this team's success will be contingent on the right arm of Nussmeier. Should he get hurt or falter, then LSU has an excellent one to turn to in Van Buren.

While I fully understand that football is a team sport, having the right quarterback room can help elevate any team's ceiling. It can take a 6-6 team and turn it into a nine-win one. If you have a 10-2 roster, the right quarterback can win you a national title. Nussmeier has been a good college quarterback so far but has yet to be great. Van Buren might actually be the more talented of the two.

Regardless, Van Buren is a phenomenal pickup for LSU, one that helps breed success in the long run.