Brian Kelly is coming in full throttle to register a national title on his resume, along with being the winningest current head coach in CFB. Fortunately, he’d have the services of one of the best QBs in the business, Garrett Nussmeier. The QB returned for one last season searching for that natty glory. But what would happen if that same promise of a star under the center started to fade? Brian Kelly probably had to plan for a similar contingency after the latest Nussmeier update.

4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, that’s what Garrett Nussmeier produced last year. And that’s exactly what Brian Kelly will have to replace if Garrett Nussmeier goes down for the season due to injury. Replacing him then would be a herculean challenge, as both Michael Van Buren Jr and Ju’Juan Johnson, being the backups, would not provide the promise of the same production. So, that’s probably the reason why Brian Kelly chose caution after Nussmeier’s latest injury.

According to the latest reports, Garrett Nussmeier didn’t participate in today’s fall camp practice and sat out due to an injury. “The latest on Nuss. The issue is a “tweak” to his knee after clipping a DL’s knee brace during a drill. Nuss sat out the rest of practice as a precaution. He rested yesterday and is expected to return to practice today with no indication of long-term concerns,” wrote LSU Football Report on its X account.

Nussmeier went through some injury concerns last year against Oklahoma after a sack in the first half. It was a shoulder injury, and X-rays later on revealed it not to be a major issue, as he made it back on the field for the final two minutes. “There was no way I was sitting it out,” said Nussmeier, showing grit and resilience at that moment. That incredible ‘fighter’ attitude is another reason why Brian Kelly’s plan with Nussmeier won’t be dampened.

Now, about the recent injury in the fall camp, it was probably a minor issue as the QB clipped a DL’s knee brace during a drill. It did cause some discomfort to Nussmeier. But now? According to CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer, Garrett is “fine” and will be continuing as usual from tomorrow onwards. But in that, Garrett Nussmeier is not leaving any stone unturned, as an insider told how well developed Garrett looked in the practice.

Garrett Nussmeier impresses at fall camp as Brian Kelly still touts room for improvement

Garrett Nussmeier could have easily gone to the NFL last year and would have been drafted by the New Orleans Saints as expected. For starters, the talent was there as he showcased last year, but the Saints also have his father, Doug Nussmeier, as the OC, making the plans even favorable for the QB. But he came back, and the primary reason was his love for LSU. “LSU means the world to me. Louisiana means the world to me,” said Nussmeier recently. Now, that same love for LSU is showing in his fall camp performances.

“As we were heading inside,@LSUfootball Garrett Nussmeier fired a rope deep down the middle to Trey’Dez Green, who caught the ball and kept trucking. You could hear the loud thud as Green made the reception, reflecting how hard Nussmeier threw the football. #LSU,” wrote Jacques Doucet on his X account, describing how impressive Garrett was in his throws. And that development is probably why even Brian Kelly is trusting the QB to do some crucial things by himself.

“He knows what those limits are in terms of managing a bad play and making it zero,” said Kelly as he highlighted the work that Garrett Nussmeier is doing to improve on his flaws. Of course, no player is perfect, and there are always some areas to improve. For Garrett, those would be turnovers (12 interceptions in 2024) and intermediate passing, as he was ranked 15th in the SEC for passing grade, even though he finished second only behind Jaxson Dart.