Prior to the 2025 college season, LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier was viewed as a potential top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. After passing for 4,052 yards and 29 TDs, Nussmeier had Bayou buzz and his Tigers biography said the LSU offense was built around him, and he possessed the “it” factor.
But LSU’s season went off the rails and HC Brian Kelly was dismissed after the Tigers started 5-3. Nussmeier was benched during a 20-9 loss to Alabama the following week and he never took another snap. Nussmeier, who completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,927 yards with 12 TDs and 5 INTs, played through an abdomen injury throughout the season that limited his effectiveness.
Nussmeier was one of the players who drew the most attention at last week’s Senior Bowl. His pre-draft process could become one of the more interesting storylines this draft season.
“I’m getting there for sure,” he told NFL Network’s Rhett Lewis, Charles Davis and Daniel Jeremiah following a practice. “I’m still shaking off a little bit of rust off, I haven’t played football in three months. But I’m just grateful for this opportunity to come out here and play with the best and am looking forward to the rest of these couple of days and just blessed to be here.”
After appearing in 18 games at LSU from 2021-23, Nussmeier made a career-high 13 starts in 2024 and led LSU to a 9-4 mark while hitting on 64.2% of his passes. Then adversity struck in a big way and Nussmeier is hopeful he can regain momentum this spring.
“What a great experience first off to be out here at the Senior Bowl, a game I grew up watching as a kid and dreamed of playing it one day. So, I want to give thanks to them for having me out there,” Nussmeier said. “Just try to build chemistry with these guys, it’s awesome getting out here to play with so many talented players. These are all very special players out here, so learning how different guys move is a lot of fun for me as a quarterback, learning how to anticipate each and every guy’s different movements. So, it’s been a lot of fun getting to know these guys and I’m excited for the rest of the week.”