LSU’s Dynamic Duo Emerge as Surprising Contenders on Maxwell Award Watchlist for 2025 Season

Nussmeier and Durham each enter their second seasons as full-time starters in Baton Rouge. Both earned AP preseason All-SEC second-team in July.

As the 2025 college football season looms ever closer, a fresh buzz surrounds LSU’s dynamic duo—Garrett Nussmeier and Caden Durham—each landing a coveted spot on the Maxwell Award watch list. This accolade, reserved for college football’s premier offensive talent, last danced in LSU’s palm thanks to Joe Burrow’s electrifying 2019 campaign—a season that crowned the Tigers national champions and etched Burrow’s name into history. Now, Nussmeier and Durham are stepping into the spotlight, both gearing up for their sophomore seasons as starters and carrying the weight of high expectations after snagging spots on the AP preseason All-SEC second team. Nussmeier, an experienced hand entering his fifth collegiate year, showcased his arm with over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024, inching tantalizingly close to becoming LSU’s all-time passing leader—while forging new connections with a fresh cadre of receivers. Meanwhile, Durham, fresh off a standout All-SEC freshman season, racked up over a thousand total yards and a crisp 9.3 yards per carry, morphing into a versatile threat who’ll take the reins as the feature back, helping balance an evolving and improved LSU offense. Exciting times are ahead, and if you’re as intrigued as I am by the unfolding saga of these Tigers, don’t miss out on the full story. LEARN MORENussmeier, entering his fifth season of college football, threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. He begins his second season as the starter this year and is under 4,000 yards away from becoming the program’s all-time leading passer. He used the offseason to build chemistry with a slew of new receivers and working on different parts of his game.Given to the top offensive player in college football, the Maxwell Award last went to an LSU player in 2019 when Joe Burrow took it home. He is the Tigers’ lone recipient and won it after leading them to the national championship.Ahead of the 2025 college football season, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Caden Durham were named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award

Coming off an All-SEC freshman season, Durham finished with 1,013 total yards and averaged 9.3 yards per carry in 2024. He developed into a versatile weapon and will be the feature back in 2025 to balance out an improved passing game.