LSU 2027 QB recruiting kickstarts with four intriguing offers

LSU took a big step in the 2027 cycle over the past 24 hours as head coach Brian Kelly, OC/QB coach Joe Sloan, and the Tigers staff dished out four offers to quarterbacks in the sophomore class.

The Tigers had not previously offered any prospects at the position, holding off through the spring and summer camp circuit. With a handful of games under their belts this fall, Sloan began the process of delivering the offers.

Five-star Elijah Haven and a trio of four-stars in Peyton Houston, Trae Taylor, and Colton Nussmeier all reported offers from the Tigers.

Here is a breakdown of each as a prospect as well as a read on their recruitments.

Analyst’s Take: “Elijah Haven is someone we’ve seen in person on multiple occasions and someone who continues to take steps forward upon each live evaluation. During in-game action as a sophomore for Baton Rouge, Dunham, Haven was superb, both moving the sticks, working and making decisions out of RPOs, as well as making big splash plays downfield, taking vertical shots outside the numbers, working on rollout passes, and also making plays with his legs, which he did to the tune of a game winning 65 yard touchdown. He is showing the ability to take over and dominate at the level of competition he’s playing at.”

“Overall, we love Haven’s command of the offense that he runs. We love his ability to drop back, maneuver in the pocket, and also launch downfield. He has a live arm with big play ability and we love the poise and control in which he shows all this. There’s still a lot of room for Elijah to grow in his game, but we already like where he’s, what he’s shown through his sophomore season and the long-term potential of his game.” – Sam Spiegelman, Rivals National Recruiting Analyst

Recruitment: LSU recently offered and joins a long list of schools such as Texas, Auburn and Baylor. Of those teams, LSU and Auburn, as well as Alabama, Michigan, and Texas A&M have all shown a ton of interest. He’s set to make his first round of visits to Tuscaloosa, beginning this weekend for the Georgia game, as well as games in Ann Arbor and College Station. Look for him also to get to Auburn down the road.

This recruitment is gonna be one of the more interesting ones to watch.

Analyst’s Take: “Peyton Houston is a prospect that has made the camp rounds allowing for multiple evaluation opportunities as well both practice and in-game live looks. In the early going of his career, he has shown a smart, polished style of play that highlights his ability to process what is in front of him at a high level. He throws well on the move, can throw with touch, and is not afraid to tuck the ball and create a play when one is not there. We love his calm demeanor he displays in the pocket and smooth delivery that offers both accuracy and pop. His ability to read a defense and process quickly is apparent as he is not simply a one-read passer.”

“Houston has the ability to hit big downfield, but his primary strength comes in the form of his accuracy in the middle of the field, where he throws with both timing and accuracy, routinely gashing defenses. The Shreveport standout commands his offense to near perfection, even on plays that breakdown, where he can direct traffic and orchestrate positive plays. Houston has started his sophomore season strong with 1,409 passing yards and 11 touchdowns in his first four games. He has added 314 rushing yards to go with it.” – Marshall Levenson, Rivals National Recruiting Analyst

Recruitment: The LSU offer will surely add a level of intrigue. But Houston already has a handful of standouts headlined by Oklahoma and Texas, both of which he camped at this summer as well as have made early season game visits this fall. Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Miami are others among his list of 20 offers who will likely receive a fair amount of attention throughout his recruitment.

The Sooners and Longhorns have a right to feel strongly about their status in his recruitment in the early going.

Analyst’s Take: “Trae Taylor (6-2, 180) is a prospect that burst onto the scene during camp season where he seemed to pick up a new offer daily. After seeing him in person a couple times, it’s easy to see why. Taylor has a great frame that will continue filling out as he moves through his high school career. He’s got a live arm that will get stronger. The thing I really like about his game right now is that he’s good at throwing the ball on the run which will allow him to fit into a variety of offenses. Taylor also has his best football ahead of him because this is his first season as the full-time starter. We should see significant growth in his game over time.” – Greg Smith, Rivals National Recruiting Analyst

Recruitment: [Taylor] has offers from around the country at this point. He took several spring visits to get initial looks at the schools interested in him. The Illinois native has taken visits to Purdue, Illinois, Notre Dame and Michigan this season. Because he’s been on the road just about every week, he’s gotten a good look at most of the schools that have offered him. Oklahoma, Michigan and Ohio State seem to be some of the early standouts but the offer from LSU is sure to shake things up.

Analyst’s Take: “Colton Nussmeier, a live-armed southpaw, flashed big potential in a reserve role as a freshman. He continued that ability this fall as a the full time starter, jumping out to a 3-0 start behind 568 yards passing and seven touchdowns to just one interception. Nussmeier, who has a great size at 6-foot-3, navigates the pocket well and delivers passes on time. He has shown he has the arm strength to attack vertically and stretch the field but he also can reel it in a bit when he needs to layer a pass or throw with some finesse.”

“While the sophomore lefty is not going to have many designed runs in the playbook, he has the feet to get out of the pocket and throw on the run. He will even have some designed boots to get the defense moving and out of position where he has shown he can attack outside the hashes. With that, he has shown some different arm angles to deliver the ball. There is a lot to like from the son of a longtime NFL quarterbacks coach, Doug Nussmeier.” – Marshall Levenson

Recruitment: Nussmeier has a quickly growing list of offers that is starting to reach across the country. Along with LSU, a number of the regional schools have entered the mix in TCU, Baylor, SMU, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. He has also added the likes of North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington. Texas will likely find their way in the picture at some point in the future to go with various national powers.

As the younger broth of Tigers starting QB Garrett Nussmeier, the connection to LSU will be a key storyline but this has the looks of shaping to be an active recruitment across the board. Next up, Texas and Wisconsin, who he also has ties to, look be potential major factors.