Nike must’ve thought they were getting ahead of the curve. Before the season kicked off, the brand bet big on LSU’s third-ranked Tigers making a national title run with QB1 Garrett Nussmeier at the center of it all. On paper, it looked like a winning move: fresh face of the program, Heisman chatter building, and the kind of hype machine Nike loves to align itself with. What they might not have factored in, though, is that Nussmeier is “clearly not healthy.” Hindsight’s a cruel friend, and right now, many are saying the Swoosh should’ve waited until September 27 to ink that deal. After the LSU Tigers’ 24-19 loss to Ole Miss, the chatter has shifted from Heisman to head-scratchers.

The postgame fallout has affected his composure, which is only human. As reporter Jacques Doucet noticed, Nussmeier walked off the field Saturday night with more questions than answers. Anger must be more about his finish with 197 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, as he wasn’t in the mood to discuss his health. When reporters pushed, he cut it off quickly. “I’m not going to answer any questions about my health right now,” Nussmeier said. “Obviously, I’m frustrated about the loss. We’re going to get back, watch the tape, and find ways to get better.”

That answer poured fuel on a fire that had been smoldering for weeks. Before the Florida game three weeks ago, Brian Kelly admitted his starter had been battling what he called a “torso injury” since the preseason. Still, the coach stressed that Garrett Nussmeier was improving each week. By the time LSU reached its off week, Kelly said the expectation was “full health”. He doubled down again before SLU, insisting he was ready to roll.

As seen, clearly against the Rebels, the picture looked anything but. One sequence in particular summed up the night. Midway through Q3, Nussmeier uncorked a deep ball from the Ole Miss 39 toward senior burner Chris Hilton. Hilton had the defender beat, but the ball floated short. Instead of a touchdown, LSU settled for a pass interference flag. These kinds of plays were the reason people are questioning how is he “Bayou Built,” as his NIL campaign suggested. On a night when the offense needed juice, the Tigers got sputters.

Kelly did shoulder some of the blame but didn’t mince words either. “Garrett Nussmeier has got to play better,” he said. “Every player on offense has got to play better, and we have to be more consistent on defense.” Coach is clear that QB is going to get “micro-managed when you lose games”, but he still isn’t accepting what is evident: “all I can tell you is he’s healthy.” Now look at him getting micro-managed by both the coach and the Bayou people.

Calls rise against Garrett Nussmeier

That silence only fueled the noise, and fans wasted no time letting it fly: “Nike needs to pull @Garrettnuss13 nil deal what an embarrassment to their brand.” One even added after the poor showing, “He needs to be benched.” Garrett already had +1500 Heisman odds before this game it will only increase after this.

Perhaps the harshest of the night, “dont wear 18. He lacks mental toughness.” Tough crowd, tougher timing. Sometimes the endorsement game can be just as brutal as Saturdays in the SEC. There were more, another post captured the mood, “That means he’s not healthy. If he was healthy, those are easy questions to answer.” Another cut even deeper: “Exactly because he’s hurt and BK won’t admit. BK TIME TO PACK YOUR BAGS.” It’s a wild twist in a season that was supposed to showcase LSU’s offensive promise.