Brian Kelly reveals update on QB Garrett Nussmeier's health

On Wednesday morning, LSU head coach Brian Kelly used the weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference to share the latest on a lingering injury to starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

With speculation swirling around Baton Rouge, is Nussmeier as healthy as Kelly maintained over the past two weeks, or has the torso injury that Nussmeier suffered in fall camp worsened to the point where decisions at the position have to be made moving forward?

On Wednesday, with the Tigers sitting at 4-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play entering the first of the program’s two bye weeks this season, Kelly said surgery is not being discussed and Nussmeier is on track to start when LSU returns to the field vs. South Carolina in two weeks.

“This is misinformation,” he said relative to speculation on Nussmeier needing in-season surgery.

“That’s misinformation. Those are not based on any facts. They are quite silly, actually. And I know you have to ask the question, so I am certainly not throwing you under the bus for asking it, because people want to know. But this is misinformation.

“Yes, early on he had an ab strain, not a core injury in terms of a core injury (we have to) deal with. And, it’s been slow to heal. But, as I had mentioned, he is on the back side of that. He is getting rest this week. He will be the Garrett Nussmeier he needs to be as we get into the very difficult part of our schedule.”

When LSU beat Florida to move to 3-0 just two weeks ago, Kelly revealed Nussmeier suffered a torso injury in fall camp, which explained some of the head-scratching results from the passing game across the first few weeks of the season.

Then, Nussmeier looked sharp throwing and running the football in a blowout win over Southeastern the following game, and Kelly said Nussmeier was as healthy as he’d been since fall camp.

When LSU dropped the team’s first game of the 2025 season this past weekend in Oxford on an afternoon when Nussmeier was 21-of-34 passing for 197 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, it – simply put – didn’t look like Nussmeier was any more healthy than he had been the first three weeks of the season.

Then began speculation as to the truth of Nussmeier’s health, which was driven by both LSU’s starting quarterback and Kelly staying mum on health-related questions in the postgame press conference following the loss.

“I’m not going to answer any questions about my health right now,” Nussmeier said.

Kelly’s response: “All I can tell you is that he’s healthy.”

Kelly’s response matched his update shared the week prior, though Nussmeier’s play on the field in Oxford – and across most of the month of September – spoke to a quarterback who was seemingly battling an injury that hampered his ability to throw the football.

Across the 4-1 start, Nussmeier ranks 15th among the 16 SEC starting quarterbacks in pass plays of more than 30 yards (4). That’s far from the gunslinger LSU fans grew to know in his debut as the team’s starter a year ago, as does his average yards per completion of just over 7 yards – which also ranks among the bottom of quarterbacks across the conference.

Beyond comments on Nussmeier being “healthy”, Kelly’s postgame press conference after the 5-point loss to Ole Miss brought with it his view of LSU’s starting quarterback – and everyone from coaches to players – needing to execute at a higher level.

“Garrett Nussmeier has got to play better,” Kelly said. “Every player on offense has got to play better.

“We weren’t very good on third down, right. We’ve been a really good third down team. We have to be better on third down, and that’s not just Garrett, you know. We’ve got to get open. Our coaches got to get our guys in a position where they can make some plays. And, look, you saw it. We struggled with completing the deep ball.

“I mean, the quarterback is going to get micro-managed when you lose games. I get that. Look, all I can tell you is, you know, he’s healthy. And, you know, again, I think he would tell you, just like Tyree Adams would tell you, just like Chris Hilton would tell you, Bauer Sharp would tell you. We need to play better and more consistent on the offensive side of the ball.

“I don’t want to go too long on the answer, but this is not a Garrett Nussmeier problem. This is an entire football team of guys doing their job at a higher level.”

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