There’s a lot of flash in college football, and LSU’s No. 7 jersey is the definition of electricity, worn by phenoms like Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, and Ja’Marr Chase. It’s the number for playmakers the Tigers expected to light up the scoreboard and have every young Louisiana fan dreaming they can be next. 

But No. 18 tells a different story, one that’s quieter, deeper, and maybe even more inspiring. At LSU, No. 18 is about leadership, grit, self-sacrifice, and earning total respect across the locker room. If No. 7 is for the headline-makers, No. 18 is for the heart of the team, someone who Brian Kelly calls “A player who brings all those traits of someone who leads in an extraordinary manner,” because it covers character on the field, in the classroom, and out in the community.

It all began in 2003, when Matt Mauck steered LSU to a national championship and then, in a gesture that’s become Tiger legend, handed No. 18 to fullback Jacob Hester, a two-star recruit who worked his way into stardom and led the Tigers to another title four years later. From there, Hester helped turn one simple act of generosity into a tradition that now stands as LSU’s highest badge of trust.

Since then, some of the program’s most respected names have put on the jersey: Bennie Logan, Tre’Davious White, and more. The selection each August is a signal to fans and teammates alike: this is the player you rally around. Until this year, only one quarterback had ever worn No. 18, Mauck himself. But after four patient, devoted years in Baton Rouge, Garrett Nussmeier joins him, making LSU history all over again.

Matt Mauck’s reaction couldn’t have felt more genuine, and reporter Preston Guy caught it for everyone on social media. In his X post, Guy shared Mauck’s words: “Absolutely love it! Not only has he been a great player he has stuck with LSU when other kids would have transferred! Loyalty and being willing to work for something rather than given to you is missing in today’s college football. Waited his turn worked his butt off and I can’t think of a better #18!!”  When the originator of the tradition celebrates you for loyalty and perseverance, there’s real weight behind it. Mauck knows what it takes to carve out greatness in purple and gold, and Nuss’s checking every box only adds to the meaning.

The second half of Mauck’s praise shows why No. 18 went to Nussmeier and not someone else. In an era of transfer portals and instant-gratification moves, Nussmeier stayed put through recruiting hype, coaching transitions, and fierce competition. He waited patiently behind Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, learned every aspect of LSU’s playbook, and seized his chance in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl. Nussmeier also earned the title of permanent team captain, one of just two players given that honor alongside linebacker Whit Weeks. With teammates and coaches backing his leadership and loyalty, Nussmeier now carries the full weight of 18’s legacy.

As LSU charges into a pivotal season, expectations around Nussmeier couldn’t be higher. He’s a dark-horse Heisman contender, widely seen as a future first-round draft pick, and the key figure for a roster loaded with championship potential. But more than any stat line or award, it’s the No. 18 on his chest that speaks loudest. It’s the number that connects him to the program’s foundational values and to a legacy of leaders who carried LSU through every high and low. For Nussmeier, it’s a chance to leave a mark that lasts, to inspire future Tigers, and maybe, just maybe, to add another unforgettable chapter to the story Matt Mauck started two decades ago.

Garrett Nussmeier’s window of opportunity

Garrett Nussmeier returns as LSU’s unquestioned QB1, and analyst Josh Pate says the Tigers’ fate hinges on whether the offense can finally “get more balanced” after finishing 107th nationally in rushing yards last fall. On his Late Kick show, Pate framed the challenge this way: “For all the talk coming out of spring about how they felt good about the offensive line, I’m not so sure that’s maintained itself in fall camp. … That’s why I’m leading with the LSU tailback room.” His point is that even with a rebuilt front five, Nussmeier can’t vault into the Heisman race if defenses never respect the run, something head coach Brian Kelly has also acknowledged all summer.

Pate drilled even deeper by spotlighting sophomore back Caden Durham: “Caden Durham, he is RB1 on a team that was 107th in rush yards per game last year. I look at Garrett Nussmeier … and in order for him to be one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and be in the Heisman race, it actually goes well above and beyond him. They’ve got to be more balanced on offense.”

That assessment dovetails with the faith LSU’s locker room has shown in its quarterback. Teammates voted him a permanent captain and handed him the coveted No. 18 jersey, a tradition reserved for players who embody leadership and self-sacrifice. The honor is meaningful, but it won’t hide offensive predictability; Nussmeier admitted this week that “the best play-action fake is a hand-off that’s worked all game.”

Suppose Durham, five-star freshman Harlem Berry, and the retooled line deliver even modest balance. In that case, the red-shirt senior has the arm talent to validate preseason talk of first-round upside and push the Tigers into playoff contention. If they don’t, then Garrett Nussmeier risks finishing his Baton Rouge story the same way the last three LSU seasons ended: good, but short of great.