If Garrett Nussmeier can’t get his act right, he could plummet down the draft stock. Last month, the LSU quarterback lost approximately $197,000 in NIL value after struggling through a brutal 2025 campaign. His inconsistency and interceptions cost him commercially, dropping his NIL value from $4 million to $3.8 million. But now there has been another deduction from his purse.

After week 11, Garrett Nussmeier saw a similar drop of around $150k. Now, the 23-year-old is carrying a purse worth $2 million, ranked at No. 22, just below Alabama’s Ryan Williams ($2.1 million). Harsh truth? Sure. His recent 20-9 loss against Alabama was the main reason for this fall. Starting strong, he was 9-for-9 early, showing flashes of his potential.

But as the game wore on, the often porous LSU offensive line failed him. Alabama’s defense, dropping seven or eight in coverage, made it nearly impossible for Nussmeier to find open receivers or run the ball effectively. In other words, they shut him down!

That’s when interim coach Frank Wilson made a bold call in the third quarter, pulling Nussmeier in favor of backup Michael Van Buren Jr., a Mississippi State transfer. The thought was to shake things up offensively and disrupt Alabama’s defensive rhythm. Though Van Buren showed early promise with a quick 17-yard completion, it quickly fizzled.

The Bama defense allowed just 3-for-9 passing the rest of the way. Nussmeier went out completing 18 out of 21 passes for 121 yards with zero touchdowns. Yeah, you read that right. The same thing happened when his value took a hit the very first time.

It’s a mix of physical struggle and on-field hiccups. A nagging torso injury has clearly limited Nussmeier’s mobility and power. Despite that, he continues to run LSU’s offense, though the plays haven’t quite clicked. There were no 300-yard passing games this season, and they struggled to get it going.

By Week 7, he’d been intercepted five times and sacked seven. Nussmeier’s NIL value drop came right after a 20-10 win over South Carolina, where, although he threw two touchdowns, those two interceptions stood out. Nussmeier currently has a QBR of 72.7, ranking No. 28 nationally. However, we shouldn’t put all the blame on Nussmeier.

The Tigers’ O-line doesn’t help the cause

The Alabama game was a wake-up call for interim HC Frank Wilson. He went as far as to name the real culprit behind LSU’s downfall this season. And guess what? It’s not just Garrett Nussmeier; it’s the entire LSU offense. Wilson pointed to a disastrous running game that made life miserable for LSU.

“We need to take care of the ball a lot better than we did,” Frank Wilson said later. “Three (fumbles) on the ground, two of them picked up by the opponent. And that was the difference in the game for us. So I told the team, ‘Pick your heads up. You fought. You competed.’ There’s no moral victory, but there is a lot to be said for how we played the game.”

Notably, the Tigers racked up only 2.3 yards per carry and a mere 59 yards on 26 rush attempts against Alabama’s brutal defense. Alabama wasn’t great in the game either. LSU’s ground attack was basically non-existent. Sure, Harlem Berry lit up briefly with a 37-yard dash, but then he faltered as he managed just 29 yards on 11 other carries in the game. Backup runners Michael Van Buren Jr. and Caden Durham barely moved the needle with a combined five yards. But without a credible run threat, the offense became one-dimensional. That, in turn, forced LSU into long third-down situations with just 5 of 14.

As for the former Heisman favourite Nussmeier, he couldn’t act on anything. His passing lacked zip and explosiveness; safe check-downs and short throws ruled the day, but those plays couldn’t spark momentum. Wilson’s frustration is basically with the turnovers.

It haunted LSU with three fumbles, two of which were picked off by Alabama, swinging the game decisively. Costly penalties, dropped passes, and play calls that lost timing or momentum signaled a team laboring under multiple issues.