BATON ROUGE — In most instances where teams lose a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, there would be loads of questioning about how that player would be replaced and swelling doubt of how the offense will perform after the departure.

What LSU football is doing this season is rare.

While Jayden Daniels is gone, and now going through practices with the Washington Commanders, Tigers coach Brian Kelly knows who's taking over the offense and has said this offseason how comfortable he is in handing over the "keys."

It's now junior Garrett Nussmeier's turn. He's waited in the wings behind Daniels the last couple of seasons. He got his first chance to start in the ReliaQuest Bowl, as Daniels sat out preparing for the NFL, and performed beautifully in LSU's rallying 35-31 win over Wisconsin. Nussmeier went 31-of-45 for 395 yards and three touchdowns.

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LSU also welcomes back Rickie Collins behind Nussmeier and added Vanderbilt junior transfer A.J. Swann, who has a handful of starts under his belt, as well as freshman Colin Hurley.

LSU football quarterback options

Starter: Garrett Nussmeier, Jr.

Reserves: Rickie Collins, R-Fr., A.J. Swann, Jr., Colin Hurley, Fr.

Nussmeier takes over for Daniels and from the outset has looked capable of guiding the Tigers' offense with little to very little dropoff, if any.

The 6-2, 198-pounder looked very solid during spring practice for LSU and it didn't appear that new co-offensive coordinators Joe Sloan and Cortez Hankton held anything back from his learning curve into being the presumptive starting quarterback.

Throughout all spring drills, Collins and Swann battled for the No. 2 role behind Nussmeier. Collins played in one game last season for the Tigers, the 72-10 win over Grambling. He completed both of the passes he threw for 3 yards while running for 19 yards. Last season, at Vanderbilt, Swann started six games, going 107-for-196 for 1,457 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Swann also started six games his freshman campaign in 2022, throwing for another 1,274 yards and 10 TDs.

The upside

For Sloan and Hankton's sake, having a guy that's been with the program for a couple of seasons is a huge asset for their transition into full-time playcalling — as well as for Nussmeier's familiarity with Sloan, his position coach, and expectations.

Under Mike Denbrock with Daniels operating at QB, LSU's offense was one of the best in the country, ranking No. 1 in total offense with 543.5 yards per game, 10th in rushing offense at 204.5 yards per game and third in passing with 338.9 per game.

Due to Daniels, as well as receiver duo Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. being gone, the Tigers' offense will operate a little different. Nussmeier can't run like Daniels and the expectation is that Mason Taylor at tight end could be more involved in the passing game. All that considered, Nussmeier still has a good chance to be one of the top QBs in the SEC.

One question or concern

Who will backup Nussmeier?

As far as LSU quarterbacks are concerned, it's the biggest question for the position room heading into the 2024 season. Much of the preseason practice talk will be centered around the performance of Collins and Swann.

Both left spring drills neck-and-neck in the primary backup competition and the battle will only ramp up during the fall. How Swann and Collins attack and approach the competition could be a positive for LSU in the event the team would have to go to a reserve signal caller. The two would push each other to get better each day in practice.

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Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz atbdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: What LSU football's QB room looks like heading into fall camp