Latest Report Reveals Where Garrett Nussmeier Stands After LSU’s Saturday Scrimmage

For a few days this week, Baton Rouge was acting like the sky over Tiger Stadium had cracked open. Word spread that LSU’s star QB Garrett Nussmeier had suffered a major knee injury in camp. Heisman dreams, playoff hopes, and half the city’s optimism seemed to vanish in the rumor smoke. Brian Kelly, just amazed with how the rumor is circulating, hilariously cracked, “We have not amputated his leg.” Turns out, the QB is dealing with a case of patella tendinitis, a 1.5 out of 10 severity scale, per the HC. Still, for a fanbase conditioned to panic at the thought of life without QB1, this wasn’t nothing. So where does he stand at LSU’s fall scrimmage?

On Saturday, the so-called ‘injured’ Garrett Nussmeier trotted out with a black sleeve on his left knee. But as LSU staff writer Preston Guy gave a detailed X report on August 9, “he was a full participant.” There were no grimaces nor ducking reps. It was a steady day’s work where he completed 6-of-13 passes for 31 yards and three TDs with no interceptions in 11v11. He also recorded one run for four yards. In the red zone, he was efficient. And yet, late in practice, the fifth year senior limped slightly as he exited after a rollout scramble. So, what if QB1 isn’t at 100% in week 1?

What if Garrett Nussmeier’s limp becomes a real problem? Behind him, LSU has sophomore transfer Michael Van Buren, freshman Colin Hurley, and athlete-turned-QB Ju’Juan Johnson. Van Buren, a Mississippi State transfer, has been in purple and gold since before spring ball and the No. 1 backup. He’s more confident now, Joe Sloan says, more fluent in LSU’s language. “His approach daily, you’ve seen him mature and go into being a second-year player,” he said. Saturday, he went 4-of-7 for 46 yards and a touchdown, showing flashes of SEC starting quality. Still, flashes aren’t October road wins in Tuscaloosa.

If LSU’s offense struggled anywhere Saturday, it was inside the 20. Neither the first nor second unit found much daylight against the defense. Trey’Dez Green dropped a walk-in score, Zavion Thomas had a TD wiped by holding, and the O-line got little push. The few highlights came when the Tigers went under center. Caden Durham punched in a TD run, and Van Buren hit Green on a play-action strike. But it’s telling that the defense owned most of the day down there, especially when the offense’s playmakers are supposed to be LSU’s edge this year. Garrett Nussmeier’s exit move wasn’t a dramatic collapse but it was enough to remind everyone that his tendon might still have something to say before their August 30 Clemson clash. Here’s more on his case. 

Brian Kelly traces the root of Garrett Nussmeier’s knee concern 

By midweek, the injury rumor mill had churned out some wild theories. It had everything from torn ligaments to season-ending surgery. Brian Kelly put all of that to rest by offering a history lesson. “A lot of that is due to his 2023 Osgood-Schlatter surgery that he had when the tendon was irritated back then,” he explained. “This is just chronic, (pissed it off) a little bit and we’ll calm it down. I mean it’s tendinitis. Tendinitis is managed every single day around the world for all kinds of different ailments.”

In other words, Garrett Nussmeier isn’t dealing with something new or alarming. It’s just the flare-up of an old issue. Brian Kelly stressed there’s no tear, no fraying, nothing to keep him off the field beyond some careful workload management. He compared it to a bad ankle which is not ideal, but something athletes manage all the time. “He aggravated it a little bit, but he’s good to go,” he added.

The explanation did more than calm the room. It reframed the story entirely. What sounded like a looming disaster was actually just part of the grind that comes with being a college football QB in August. Brian Kelly’s candor made it clear. LSU’s offensive engine is still intact, and barring something far more serious, Garrett Nussmeier will be behind center when Clemson comes calling. Saturday’s reps said all you needed to hear. He was zipping passes, commanding the huddle, and showing the poise of a guy who knows this is his year. Baton Rouge can breathe again. Or, as the HC added, “The world is still round.”