Garrett Nussmeier is not playing because he re‑aggravated a lingering abdominal injury and, before that, had already been benched after a rough stretch of performances for LSU in 2025. Coaches have indicated he is simply not healthy enough to go right now and are being cautious about making the injury worse.

Quick Scoop

  • Primary reason: Nussmeier strained his abdomen before the season, played through it, then re‑injured it in mid‑November practice, which led to him being ruled out on game days.
  • Coaches’ stance: Interim coach Frank Wilson and the LSU staff have said he “wants to play” but “is just not able to at the moment,” emphasizing they do not want him to tear scar tissue or aggravate the issue further.
  • Depth chart impact: With Nussmeier sidelined, transfer QB Michael Van Buren has taken over as the starter, while LSU has had to juggle limited healthy scholarship options behind him.

Performance and Benchings

Before the injury flared up again, Nussmeier’s 2025 season had already gone off script compared with preseason hype.

  • He entered 2025 as a potential top NFL Draft quarterback but was benched after the team’s offensive struggles and an ineffective outing that led to LSU turning to Van Buren mid‑game.
  • Across nine games, he finished with under 2,000 passing yards and a modest touchdown‑to‑interception line, which cooled draft buzz and increased speculation that shutting down to heal and prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft might be in his best interest.

Injury, Opt‑Out Talk, and Today

There has been some outside speculation that, on top of injury, Nussmeier could consider ending his college season early to focus on his pro future, especially with painful, lingering core issues and LSU’s turbulent year. However, publicly, the line from LSU has stayed consistent: he has been ruled out because he is not medically ready, and his status has been monitored week to week rather than declared as a formal opt‑out.

In fan forums and social chatter, the usual debate is whether he was benched purely for performance, sitting because of injury, or quietly protecting his draft stock—most likely it is a mix of all three factors layered on top of a disappointing season.

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