Garrett Nussmeier's final season in Baton Rouge didn't go as planned. Nussmeier entered the 2025 season among the Heisman favorites after throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. Unfortunately, injuries plagued Nussmeier's senior season, as he was never able to reach the level he operated at in 2024.
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In total, Nussmeier finished the 2025 season by appearing in nine games and throwing for 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions.
As he prepares for the Senior Bowl, Nussmeier is opening up about what his experience was like this past season.
Garrett Nussmeier opens up about injury-plagued 2025 season
Speaking with Jacob Hester and Matt Flynn on Off the Bench from The Senior Bowl in Mobile, Nussmeier explained that he couldn't use his core this season.
"I couldn’t use my core. So, I was throwing the ball without a core. I’ve been having to go back from the ground up and retrain myself and get back to finishing throws and rotating through the ball. I’m actually using my core now. It’s been nice. The ball is definitely coming out a lot different."Garrett Nussmeier
It was clear to Tiger fans that Nussmeier wasn't 100% healthy early on this season, as he was unable to throw the ball down the field with the same conviction that he showed last season. Known as a great deep-ball thrower, Nussmeier simply wasn't able to make the throws down the field that fans were accustomed to seeing.
He still completed a strong 67.4% of his passes, but his yards per game average dropped significantly from 311.7 in 2024 to 214.1 in 2025. It didn't help that the offensive line in front of him struggled mightily throughout the 2025 campaign.
Nussmeier battled through the nagging injury and started every game through the end of October, but it eventually became too much to continue playing through. He was benched in the 2nd half against Alabama on November 8, and then missed LSU's final three regular season games against Arkansas, Western Kentucky, and Oklahoma, as well as the Texas Bowl against Houston.
Now, Nussmeier is preparing for the Senior Bowl, which takes place this Saturday, January 31 in Mobile. The Tiger gunslinger has a lot to gain, and is looking to show NFL organizations he can still be a strong quarterback at the highest level.