The Brian Kelly era at LSU began with optimism, as fans hoped he’d take the program back to the heights of their 2019 season. Last season, it came to a crushing end after the Aggies thrashed the Tigers at Baton Rouge. Among many things that plagued LSU’s 2025 season, the drop in Garrett Nussmeier’s production epitomized its offensive struggles. However, the QB was never fully fit, and Kelly’s treatment didn’t help his case, according to a former Tiger.

“I don’t think he [Kelly] protected him [Nussmeier] in a way that he would make certain comments after the game, and he would basically put it on him. Like, ‘we got to get better quarterback play. We got to make that throw,’” LSU legend Tyrann Mathieu said. “That’s part of it, bro. Part of the reason why he lost that locker room, too. That whole team, that whole building knew what that kid was going through, yet…”

“I think Brian Kelly was sort of feeling the heat. And the first person he could think of to sort of carry that burden, it’s unfortunate, but he put that sh-t on that boy.”

Mathieu, who earned the name ‘Honey Badger’ for his relentless playing style during his time at Baton Rouge, initially welcomed the Kelly hiring. In a 2022 interview on the Rich Eisen Show, he called Kelly a ‘cool dude’ and a ‘bright mind.’

To people following the program, his comments appeared as a bridge between the old-school LSU culture and what Kelly was trying to build. However, like LSU fans, the former Chiefs safety also gave up on the idea that Kelly would ever bring a national championship to the program. The Nussmeier treatment was the final straw.

In 2024, Garrett Nussmeier threw for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns. Following the end of the campaign, there were murmurs that he may leave for the pros. However, the LSU QB1 returned for another year with the aim of leading the Tigers to a national championship. But the 2025 season turned out to be a disaster for the QB. His production dropped to just 1,927 passing yards and 12 touchdowns.

Post-season reports confirmed what many LSU fans were talking about. Their QB1 was playing through an injury. It was revealed that Nussmeier suffered a torso and abdominal injury on Day 2 of fall camp. That hampered his ability to throw the ball. Moreover, the poor O-line play made his life even more difficult.

During Nussmeier’s struggles, Brian Kelly publicly denied that any physical limitation was to blame. He even lashed out at reporters when the rumors swirled that the QB may need a season-ending surgery. While Kelly’s public denials could be interpreted as an attempt to shield his quarterback, they also raised questions about why he was even playing against SEC defenses when he wasn’t fully fit.

“That just wasn’t gangster, bro. You got to think about it. But he’s 20, dude is 67 years old, still operating in that realm. I’m saying once again, I’m raising my hand, saying, boy, I don’t want to be that guy when I’m 60… I just didn’t respect that, you know. I ain’t had no respect for that. At all,” Matthieu said.

Brian Kelly expressed disappointment over his tenure at LSU

Over his four-year gig at LSU, Kelly had a 34-14 record, which may be respectable at some programs. However, at LSU, every season is a championship-or-bust. To make matters worse, Kelly’s Tigers didn’t even sniff a playoff appearance, despite playing two years in the new 12-team format. Whatever little momentum they’d get with a tough win would be lost with a defeat the very next week.

“We came there to build a program, and you know, we didn’t get a chance to finish it. So I think the overriding emotion in that respect is, you know, disappointed that we didn’t get to finish the job,” Kelly said last week.

The Tigers are now in the Lane Kiffin era, another coach who has promised big but failed to reach the mountaintop of college football. Will it be a different story this time around?