Nick Saban calls one LSU Tigers star an all-time college football sleeper heading into 2024 season

The 2024 college football season is officially underway and that breeds discussion of both the new College Football Playoff and emerging stars in the sport.

It's no secret that the LSU Tigers are loaded with potential. The Reese's Senior Bowl watch list had an astounding 18 Tigers on it while they were also the only team with three prospects in Dane Brugler's top 20 .

Of those 18 players, they included quarterback Garrett Nussmeier who has gotten a lot of buzz. On College Gameday Saturday morning, Nick Saban heaped praise on Nussmeier, calling him an all-time sleeper.

“ I think LSU, I think Garett Nussmeier is gonna be one of the all-time sleepers in college football this year at Quarterback. LSU always has skill guys, talk about all the receivers they lost. You could shake a tree in Louisiana and get a guy to fall out.”

Nussmeier was a four-star quarterback recruit per 247 Sports out of Flower Mound, Texas where he played in 6A high school football. The son of longtime football coach Doug Nussmeier, Garrett is entering his third season and ready to take over the starting job after sitting behind second-overall pick Jayden Daniels.

It won't just be Nussmeier's talent that can take him over the top, he will have the top two offensive tackles in the country protecting him with Will Campbell on the left side and Emery Jones Jr. on the right.

It's not just the offensive line - which has four players on the Senior Bowl watch list - but the wide receiver group is talented. Led by former Louisiana transfer Kyren Lacy and Liberty transfer C.J. Daniels, there is a plethora of hyper-talented weapons for Nussmeier to throw to. You have that kind of talent at your disposal, it can skyrocket you to the next level.

Very few people know football more than Saban does, so when he says something, it's best to pay attention.