Week 9 SCOUTING NOTEBOOK: The Nussmeier rollercoaster, Nic Scourton and more
By Jack Brentnall
After nine weeks of football we are really starting to get a good feel for what the 2025 NFL Draft has to offer.
When it came to reviewing the film this week there was plenty to digest, including a wild game from a highly-touted quarterback and a stunning performance from Travis Hunter.
Here are some of the things that caught my eye in Week 9.
Forget the Nuss Buss - this is a rollercoaster
There was a moment when, after throwing his third interception of the night, the camera zoomed in on Garrett Nussmeier, showing the face of a man who seemed to be as shocked by his own decision making as the rest of the country. That pretty much encapsulated what was a wild and often maddening performance against Texas A&M.
Coming into Week 9, there was plenty of hype surrounding Nussmeier. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler even went so far as to declare him his midseason QB1. Through the first half, Nussmeier showed why so many NFL evaluators are enticed by his game. He did an astute job of managing pass protection against a good Aggies defense, played with measured aggression, and made some really impressive throws. Then came the second half.
Nussmeier looked like a different player for much of the second half as he struggled with accuracy and made several rash decisions, turning the ball over three times.
The first of his interceptions came on a dangerous throw back across his body on third down. It got worse from there. His second saw him completely misread the coverage and deliver the ball straight to Aggies corner BJ Mayes. He saved his worst for last. Once again, Nussmeier completely failed to see linebacker Taurean York covering his running back, throwing the ball straight to the defense. That play ended any chance of an LSU comeback and capped a Jekyll and Hyde performance from Nussmeier.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this sort of performance from Nussmeier. The Ole Miss game in Week 7 was another rollercoaster, with as many spectacular plays as there were mad ones. Nussmeier now has three multi-interception games this season and his nine picks are the most of any SEC passer.
I still think there is a lot to like about Nussmeier. He is clearly a very smart pre-snap operator and he probably has more NFL throws on his resume than any other draft-eligible quarterback. The lack of consistency is the big worry at the moment though, and with each week that passes it feels like a return to school in 2025 would be a smart move.
Nic Scourton impresses against LSU tackle duo
On the other side of the LSU-Texas A&M battle there were a few players that really caught my eye. One of those was Aggies edge rusher Nic Scourton.
This game looked to be one of Scourton’s toughest tests of the season. The LSU tackle duo of Will Campbell and Emery Jones is one of the best in the country, with the former talked up as a potential top five pick and the latter as a top 50 selection. Whilst both sides had their moments, Scourton was more often than not the victor.
He finished the game with a season-high seven pressures, including one sack. He was also responsible for four defensive stops, the most of any Texas A&M player. His performance against Campbell was particularly encouraging. Scourton has several big wins against Campbell, showcasing some nice hand usage and the ability to counter as a pass rusher.
Scourton’s interior pressure was instrumental in forcing Garrett Nussmeier off his spot when he threw his first interception. He also had a nice inside counter to beat Campbell on Nussmeier’s second interception.
These are the kind of games that make for essential viewing for NFL scouts, and Scourton will certainly have won himself some more fans in front offices up and down the league with this performance.
The Nic Scourton Spin^TM really is a thing of beauty when he whips it out. pic.twitter.com/k0ddYzo14G
— Dalton Miller (@DaltonBMiller) October 28, 2024
Travis Hunter is back
The last couple of weeks had been uncharacteristically quiet by Travis Hunter’s standards. A shoulder injury limited him against both Kansas State and Arizona, but he made his return to full time play in spectacular fashion this weekend.
Hunter was pretty much ever-present for Colorado on both sides of the ball against Cincinnati, playing 70 of 73 offensive snaps, and 64 of 65 defensive snaps.
He made his impact felt on both sides of the ball too. Hunter finished the game with nine catches for a career-high 153 yards, adding two touchdowns. Every single one of his catches went for either a first down or a touchdown and he had a perfect passer rating when targeted.
On defense he was arguably even better. Cincinnati tried testing him several times, and had no real luck in doing so. Hunter was targeted six times by the Bearcatas. On those plays, he forced two incompletions and allowed just two catches for a total of nine yards. His 42.4 passer rating when targeted was the lowest on the team and is the second lowest of his season so far.
This was the kind of game where Hunter made it abundantly clear why he is being talked up as a Heisman candidate and potential future No. 1 overall draft choice. The next few months will be filled with endless debate about whether he is best placed to play receiver or cornerback, but he showed against Cincinnati that he has what it takes to be a dominant force at either spot.
The start-stop ability is exceptional but Travis Hunter looking back as he catches the ball so he can see where the defender is at is elite stuff.#Colorado pic.twitter.com/1QpEzpKJKH
— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) October 27, 2024
Luther Burden underwhelms against Alabama
I mentioned in my Week 9 watchlist column that this would be a big week for Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden. He hadn’t lived up to his preseason hype and his production was down across the board compared to 2023. A good outing against Alabama would have helped, but he ended up with his quietest game of the season.
Burden finished the game with three catches for three yards. Only one of those catches came beyond the line of scrimmage. Missouri tried to get him involved as a runner but he scarcely had any more impact there, with two catches for 15 yards.
There are certainly mitigating factors for Burden. Missouri was without starting quarterback Brady Cook for a large portion of this game and replacement Drew Pyne played terribly. That said, these are the kind of games that a potential top ten pick should be taking over. The ability to be a difference maker in spite of less than ideal surroundings is what makes elite receivers so special.
In a week where several of Burden’s positional rivals had huge outings, it is hard not to see this as a real disappointment. There is still time for Burden to show what he is capable of, but it feels like he is losing ground on his competition with each week that passes.
JACK BRENTNALL
HEAD OF NFL DRAFT CONTENT
Previously the founder of The Jet Sweep, Jack joined The Touchdown as head of Draft Content in 2024. A Scouting Academy alumnus, Jack has been Covering the NFL Draft since 2020. Follow him on Twitter @Jack_Brentnall.