SEC rivals Garrett Nussmeier, Ty Simpson vying to be QB2 in 2026 draft
Garrett Nussmeier was two practices into the 2025 season when the LSU starting quarterback derailed the entire year.
Nussmeier strained an oblique muscle that limited his ability to not only throw the deep ball but any pass without experiencing shooting pain.
Head coach Brian Kelly didn't fully disclose the nature of the injury until he began to be pressed about Nussmeier's health. Eventually Kelly shared more details but was fired before the season ended.
"My injury occurred in fall camp -- Day 2, practice two of fall camp. How much did it affect me? I think it was pretty evident," Nussmeier said of the impact of his injury on his performance. "I really wasn't able to throw the football. I had a stabbing pain in my ab every time I went to go throw the football."
The son of Saints offensive coordinator and former NFL quarterback Doug Nussmeier, Garrett Nussmeier had 52 touchdowns and 24 interceptions for the Tigers in his career, throwing for 7,699 yards.
LSU shut him down with three games remaining in the 2025 regular season with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. It wasn't the season he envisioned when considering whether to return to LSU after a sensational 2024 campaign.
But he started to rebuild his case as the QB2 in the 2026 draft class at the Senior Bowl. One of his chief competitors for that billing is SEC rival Ty Simpson of Alabama. Simpson said he met with the New York Jets' brass, which included head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and came away flattered with their appraisal of his talent.
The Jets have the No. 2 pick in the draft behind the Las Vegas Raiders, who are widely expected to use the selection on Heisman Trophy winner and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Whether there is another QB in the draft class worth the freight in the first round has been a common debate. Simpson doesn't have any doubt after just one year as the starter for Alabama.
"First off, I think I'm ready. I'm a franchise quarterback," Simpson said. "Alabama prepares you the most for the NFL ... The Alabama locker room is as close to an NFL locker room as you can get."
Among questions from pro suitors for Nussmeier to answer -- besides proving his health -- are whether he can hold up in the NFL with a relatively small physique and if he has the arm talent to be a QB1.
He said the injury was impossible to heal in-season because rest and gradual rehab weren't possible while trying to prepare for a game every seven days.
"It was a frustrating deal, and it wasn't LSU's fault. It wasn't the doctor's fault. They did a great job of taking care of me and the trainers there," Nussmeier said. "It was just a rare deal. It was just a thing that we really didn't figure out what it was until about two months ago."
Nussmeier has mostly recovered physically and regained strength in his core over the past month.
"Feeling much more like myself, which has been exciting," Nussmeier said. "Learning how to retrain myself, get rid of the bad habits that I had created and just to be able to get to throw the football like I know I can."