LSU insider claims injury to Garrett Nussmeier could put Brian Kelly on the hot seat

The LSU Tigers will want to improve on their 2024 season, where they were expected to make the College Football Playoff. The Tigers ended their year with a 9-4 record.

Coach Brian Kelly does not want this to happen again, and one of the strongest ways to prevent it from occurring involves the Tigers' quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

LSU insider Matt Moscona spoke on how a "doomsday scenario" could start for the Tigers, which would put Kelly on the hot seat. On the latest edition of the "Locked on LSU" podcast, he said:

"The first and foremost scenario would be an injury to Garrett Nussmeier… Because if Garrett Nussmeier gets hurt and you are bringing in Michael Van Buren who did play for an injured Blake Shapen at Mississippi State this past season as a true freshman and boy did they struggle, they didn’t win a single conference game. So while I believe Van has the physical ability, he didn’t show that ability."(16:57)

Nussmeier became the Tigers' starting quarterback in the 2024 season, taking over from Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. He threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns and is likely to improve on these numbers in 2025.

Nussmeier is already being tipped for greatness and is the second favorite (behind the Texas Longhorns' Arch Manning to win the Heisman Trophy). If he remains healthy, the sky is the limit for LSU.

Who would replace Garrett Nussmeier if he were to get injured?

If Garrett Nussmeier gets injured during the season, things may go downhill for Brian Kelly. The backup for the Tigers in 2025 is Michael Van Buren Jr.

Van Buren transferred to Baton Rouge, with the freshman playing for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2024 He threw for 1,886 yards, 11 touchowns and seven interceptions.

The Bulldogs were one of the worst teams in the SEC last season, and while this is not solely because of Van Buren, he didn't help the team improve.

Now, he is potentially one bad tackle to Nussmeier away from leading the LSU Tigers. His prior form has shown that he could struggle though, and the teams may begin to lose games. This will not be good for Brian Kelly, who can not afford another lost season.