LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier pumped up his draft stock at the Senior Bowl
MOBILE, Ala. — Former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier had plenty to prove to NFL scouts over the Senior Bowl week.
Nussmeier had a disappointing final season, including an abdominal injury that forced him to miss LSU’s last three games.
“I’m just trying to be myself,” Nussmeier said. “Trying to go out there and show that Garrett Nussmeier is enough. A healthy, confident Garrett Nussmeier is a good player. I just want to show that I belong on the next level because I truly believe that I do.”
Nussmeier was considered one of the top quarterback prospects heading into the last college football season.
“At the halftime of the Alabama game, they decided to try something different,” Nussmeier said. “Things weren’t working. If you saw me on the sidelines, I was still me. I had a responsibility as (number) 18 to still be that guy.”
Nussmeier tried to push through the injury in practice the following Tuesday.
“Things were going back to normal that next week and Tuesday in practice I tried to rip a throw and reinjured my ab, at the time which we still thought it was a core injury,” Nussmeier said. “So, we never fully knocked it out.”
It was just a bumpy road the rest of the way.
“From there, we tried week to week to be able to get me to play,” Nussmeier said. “It got to a point where the play where I decided I can’t do this, I was throwing a front-side shallow. If you know ball, that’s an 8-yard throw. Immediately after I threw it, I bent over in pain.”
All things were on the table after that issue popped up.
“At that point, I knew, if I can’t throw and front-side shallow then I’m not effective,” Nussmeier said. “I can’t help my team win. From there it wasn’t really a decision, it was kind of forced upon me.”
Surgery was a consideration.
“At this point, we don’t believe I’m going to need surgery,” Nussmeier said. “We’ve got other plans. Hopefully, we knocked it out.”
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, after winning the Heisman Trophy and guiding the Hoosiers to the national title, has surpassed Nussmeier at the top quarterback entering the draft.
Alabama’s Ty Simpson is slotted by some as the No. 2 quarterback. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Simpson going to the Jets with the 16th overall pick in his latest mock draft.
Nussmeier, Arkansas’ Taylen Green and Illinois’ Luke Altmyer were the quarterbacks for the American team. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson and North Dakota State’s Cole Payton were the quarterbacks for the National team.
In 2024, Nussmeier completed 333 of 525 passes (64.2%) for 4,052 yards for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Over nine games in 2025, he completed 194 of 288 passes (67.4%) for 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Nussmeier appeared fully recovered and showed elite ball placement on most of his throws during the American team practices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Nussmeier contemplated entering the draft after the 2024 season.
“It was a tough decision,” Nussmeier said. “One, I always dreamed about playing in the NFL. That’s been my goal my entire life. But at the same time, my dream has always been to lead LSU to a national championship.”
Nussmeier’s father Doug, a former quarterback, is currently the offensive coordinator for the Saints. The elder Nussmeier has also coached at the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles.
“I’ve being around (the) facility in Dallas,” Nussmeier said. “I’d love to go play for the Steelers and play for coach (Mike) McCarthy.”
Coming back from the injury was an arduous task.
“Retrain from the ground up,” Nussmeier said. “I built up so many bad habits just to try to get the ball out of my hand because of the injury. It was a struggle at times.”
Nussmeier believes the injury is behind him.
“Just going back through and being able to use my body the right way,” Nussmeier said. “Being able to finish through. Rotate through with the football is something that I’ve been focusing on.”
Nussmeier had the normal battery of interviews with all 32 teams over the course of the week.
“It’s been tough,” Nussmeier said. “My foundation in Christ as a son of God that’s what helped me to get through all of the adversity that I’ve been through in college.”
LSU fans gave Nussmeier an ovation when he was introduced on Senior Night. It has been a tough season that led to the firing of coach Brian Kelly.
“I’m a Tiger for life,” Nussmeier said. “I’ll always bleed purple and gold no matter what. I’m forever for the Tigers.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
