LSU's Garrett Nussmeier To Wear Coveted No. 18, Is This The Year Of The Tiger?

Tradition.

It's what makes college football the greatest sport on planet Earth.

Whether it's dotting the "i" in the Ohio State Marching Band's pregame show or touching Howard's Rock at Clemson, many of the finest football programs in the land have their fair share of traditions and superstitions.

The LSU Tigers have a longstanding tradition of their own, though maybe not as storied as the others I named.

Back in 2003, quarterback Matt Mauck led the Tigers to a national championship wearing number 18, and ever since then, the number has been given to a player that embodies what it means to be a great teammate and one who will make the sacrifices necessary to win it all.

The news dropped earlier today ahead of the first game of the season that veteran signal caller Garrett Nussmeier will don the prestigious 18 jersey in 2025.

It's been a while since the Bayou Bengals have bestowed the coveted number on a quarterback, though.

As a matter of fact, the last time a Tigers quarterback donned the number 18 was Mauck, over two decades ago.

This begs the question: is this LSU's way of saying Nussmeier is their ticket to a national championship this season?

I don't think so. But I also don't think he has to be.

I understand why they gave 18 to Nussmeier. He's a veteran and well-liked in the locker room, and many believe he has the talent to lead the Tigers to the promised land and even be a first round pick in next year's NFL Draft.

But if LSU ends up winning a title, I don't think Nussmeier will be the sole reason.

Head coach Brian Kelly and his staff dipped into the transfer portal and loaded up on the defensive line, an area in which they struggled last season.

Couple that influx of talent with the defense taking an expected leap in year two under defensive coordinator Blake Baker, and the Tigers could be elite enough on that side of the ball to not have to rely on the offense to carry them as they've had to in seasons past under Kelly.

If we are talking offense, however, the Tigers have a pair of running backs in sophomore Caden Durham and true freshman Harlem Berry that will turn some heads this fall.

Durham was sensational throughout his rookie campaign in 2024, and if the reports out of camp are to be believed, former five-star recruit Berry might be even better.

Ball control and a suffocating defense have won plenty of national championships in years past. Perhaps it does the same for the Tigers in 2025.

Personally, I'm not sold on LSU as a title contender.

I think they have to replace too much talent along the offensive line and I don't buy Nussmeier as anything more than a slightly above-average quarterback.

They also have to play a brutal schedule during the first half of the season.

But if the Tigers end up winning it all, I certainly wouldn't be shocked.

I just think the Nussmeier hype train is getting a little out of hand, that's all.

Then again, since we are on the topic of traditions, perhaps there is no greater tradition in all of sports than preseason hype.