What an up and down season for Brian Kelly and LSU! From winning the ReliaQuest Bowl last season with a 10-3 record, the Tigers fell 8-4 this season. They still have a chance to improve their record with a pending Kinder’s Texas Bowl against Baylor. But LSU wasn’t able to retain the talents they acquired earlier in the season with their biggest loss stemming from No. 1 QB Bryce Underwood’s flip to Michigan. This very reason could have provoked LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier’s decision which didn’t align very well with his girlfriend’s path. 

Amidst the questions arising on his future, Garrett Nussmeier finally announced his decision going forward. On Wednesday, he announced, “I feel like my time at LSU is not over. I’m officially announcing that I’m returning for my final year of eligibility, and I am fully committed to bringing this university a championship. My teammates, coaches and fans will get the absolute best out of me every single day.” In her latest IG story on December 12, Ella Springfield shared his announcement post with the caption, “So beyond proud of the person you are. Cannot wait to see all you do this next year!!”

Ella Springfield will be graduating from LSU this December with a degree in marketing and concentration in sales. But she’ll have to go on without Garrett Nussmeier after his decision to remain in Baton Rouge. Decisions and sacrifices like these are hard on any couple but the support that Springfield continues to harbor for her boyfriend is admirable. After all, with LSU losing their prime commit in Underwood, the 22-year-old is their best option to make up for their underwhelming season. 

We can’t really blame Garrett Nussmeier for their record as it’s his first start after serving two years as backup to Jayden Daniels. Besides, their losses are understandable as they’re against some of the top 25 teams like USC, Texas A&M, and Alabama. But his return to start another season is a welcome for Brian Kelly and the Tigers.

Garrett Nussmeier can build in 2025

LSU didn’t have a devastatingly bad season but it could’ve been better. Garrett Nussmeier completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 3,739 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 12 games. He suffered with turnover issues with four TDs to five interceptions in their three-loss streak. 

Perhaps, it’s for good that Garrett Nussmeier is staying back in college for one more season. That would give him time to improve his draft stock for 2026 because as of now, he isn’t among the top 100 overall prospects nor among the top 8 QBs big board of prospects for the 2025 NFL draft. But right now, it’s about what’s straight ahead. And that’s the New Year’s Eve Bowl game at NRG Stadium in Houston. As Brian Kelly said, “We love the venue in which we’ll be playing. Here’s what I know. The guys that will be fielding for this team will be 100% committed to getting a positive outcome.”

With Ella Springfield’s consistent support despite his decision, he better play like a real deal in 2025 to top the sacrifice.