Colton Nussmeier: The future Bulldog’s dad is an NFL offensive coordinator
Family ties.
That’s the first read to describe what Georgia football is getting in 4-star QB commit Colton Nussmeier.
Nussmeier has a much different background than the typical UGA signal-caller. His father, Doug Nussmeier, is the offensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.
Doug Nussmeier has spent 11 years as an NFL assistant. This fall will be his 12th season as an offensive coordinator in college or pro football. He has called plays at Florida and Michigan, but the unique wrinkle here is that he was at Alabama from 2012 to 2013.
He was on staff with future Georgia coach Kirby Smart. Those two won a national title together under Nick Saban.
It’s rare to identify a future Georgia player who knew Smart and his family before he became head coach at Georgia. Especially one where the connection doesn’t come from Smart’s playing days in Athens.
“He was with him at Alabama,” Colton Nussmeier said. “I’ve known Kirby for a while. It is kind of a full-circle moment. I grew up with his kids. I know his kids. Growing up with someone that my dad knows. My mom is friends with his wife. Just knowing what I’m getting from who is going to be my head coach and just knowing he’s a great guy and I’ve known a lot about him.”
The Nussmeier family business is quarterbacking. His father played five years in the NFL after a prolific college career at Idaho, where he won the Walter Payton Award. That hardware is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I-AA. He threw for 10,824 yards during his collegiate career with the Vandals.
Garrett Nussmeier, Colton’s older brother, was just picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the NFL draft. He was the starting QB for 23 of the 40 games he played for LSU.
Although it may seem like a trivial story, Garrett was with Colton for his official visit to UGA last month.
His LSU Tiger brother even wore a Georgia shirt in the family picture from that visit.
“He just did it to support me,” Colton Nussmeier said.
It was a family thing. Not many SEC siblings would do something like that.
“We went to the store to get some gear and then we went back to the hotel,” Colton Nussmeier said. “We were coming down to the lobby for dinner. I’m down there, and he comes down in a Georgia polo, and I was pretty surprised, but yeah, it was pretty funny.”
For the record, Garrett’s shoulders did not burn while rocking the “Power G.”
“He said it felt weird,” Colton said.
Colton is a lefty, for all the David Greene fans out there. He stands not quite 6 feet, 4 inches, and weighs 210 pounds. He’s the nation’s No. 17 QB and No. 216 overall prospect for 2027 on the 247Sports Composite. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him as the No. 17 QB and No. 215 overall.
Nussmeier made big news in June
Nussmeier created two sets of headlines last month. The first was his commitment to UGA.
“It is everything,” he said. “I get to go to school at Georgia. Play football at Georgia. The whole staff. Get to play for Kirby Smart. Coach (Mike) Bobo. All of them. Just growing up. Watching them on TV. Seeing a big program winning games. Winning national championships. It is just very exciting for me to be a Georgia Bulldog.”
The second was a tougher news cycle. He’d moved from a Marcus High program that won five games last season to a Denton Ryan team that is an annual state title contender.
The UIL, the governing body of the Texas high school athletic association, placed that under review. After a lengthy process, it was determined he moved for athletic reasons, and he was declared ineligible for his senior season.
Senior years are special, but the need to play this fall is enhanced for Nussmeier. He had an injury-plagued junior season and saw action in only eight games. There’s the possibility he could find a new school to play for in Texas or Georgia. The New Orleans metro area is also a possibility given his father’s employment with the Saints.
He said he wants to play somewhere this fall to have that senior season.
“I’m just trusting God,” Nussmeier said. “I know he’s got a plan. You know stuff happens for a reason. I’m just going to trust him and keep praying and good things will happen.”
He’s spent the past month serving as a dedicated recruiter for the class. He worked on the flip from 4-star receiver Jamir Dean from Penn State. He also tried to help with 5-star WR Eric McFarland III, but he ultimately chose Texas A&M.
The 4-star has been active on social media with all UGA targets.
“I’m part of the staff now recruiting-wise,” Nussmeier said. “I’ve got to recruit the best to get people around me to go win a national championship.”
