One of the biggest storylines heading into SEC play was who the top quarterback in the conference is, and who will be the top picks in the NFL draft. The two standouts to many analysts were LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.
Both of these stars’ seasons have fallen short of their hype, though, with Nussmeier looking like he’s lost the gunslinging skills that made him a top prospect, and Sellers struggling to put up points with his arm and win games.
The two will meet at Death Valley on Saturday, and what once looked like a top quarterback battle has turned into a battle between two underperforming offenses. How good exactly are these two, and where should fans expect these quarterbacks to be picked in the upcoming NFL draft?
Nussmeier went into this season projected as the 10th pick in CBS’s Early Mock Draft behind Arch Manning and Sellers.
Nussmeier was seen as having one of the highest floors of all players in the draft after showing off his arm talent in his junior season. He threw for 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, confirming that he is talented enough to carry an offense with his arm.
Although the first five games of 2025 made many forget about Nussmeier’s excellence last year.
He has struggled against mediocre defenses and not had a Heisman-worthy performance. He consistently performed with around 200 to 250 yards passing but lacked rushing upside —a key skill that many NFL offenses now want their quarterbacks to possess.
Scouts may still appreciate Nussmeier’s pocket passing skills, but more offenses are shifting away from prototype quarterbacks like this. They also definitely won’t be happy with some of Nussmeier’s decision-making, with one of the quarterback’s biggest issues being his tendency to throw interceptions.
Overall, pocket passers are becoming less desired by scouts unless the quarterback is still able to put up impressive numbers and carry his team to wins. Nussmeier has not been able to do this and has regressed over the past year.
Many teams might still be interested in the flashes of arm talent he has shown, but it’s hard to envision Nussmeier being scouted for a starting role. Unless he starts performing again, a Day 2 pick seems a likely scenario for the LSU quarterback, possibly a late second- or third-round selection to a smart offensive coaching staff.
I think with the right pieces around him, Nussmeier’s arm talent can be properly utilized. He could be developed into a solid NFL pocket passer, similar to players like Mac Jones or Spencer Rattler.
Sellers is the more desired quarterback based on playstyle alone. Analysts projected him to be a top-five pick, with many thinking he could go No. 1 with his one-of-a-kind arm and scrambling skills.
Those scouts are looking for quarterbacks who can open up a defense with their legs, and Sellers has shown rushing upside recently after running for 80 yards against Kentucky.
Unfortunately, he has only broken 200 passing yards twice this year and has been unable to efficiently put up points.
The Gamecocks dropped from their top-10 ranking to a 3-2 record after consecutive losses to Vanderbilt and Missouri.
Although Sellers is having a statistically worse season than Nussmeier, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he is still picked first of the two. He’s a more unique prospect and three years younger than Nussmeier, which is huge to scouts looking for a franchise quarterback.
Sellers’ talent doesn’t come often in 20-year-old draft prospects. Having three extra years for a coach to develop a quarterback helps the player avoid rushing into it and learn an NFL offense before reaching the same age as most quarterbacks entering the draft.
Sellers will likely still be a first-round pick even with the poor performances. So many quarterbacks in today’s draft get picked for NFL potential, while they are not yet NFL-ready.
Players like Anthony Richardson or Jalen Milroe are examples of players who were not seen as having the skill set of a prototype NFL quarterback, but still were drafted off their potential to be elite dual threats.
Sellers still has the second-best betting odds to be picked No. 1, and it would be unsurprising if a team desperate for a quarterback took a chance on him early in the first round. If he decides to enter the draft this offseason, bet on Sellers being a late first-round pick.
Both Nussmeier and Sellers are still talented quarterbacks who deserve a chance in the NFL, despite dropping in the tiers of starting college quarterbacks. Both still have the rest of the season to turn themselves around and get their names back at the top of draft boards.
