Nussmeier Aggravates Abdominal Injury; Van Buren Jr. could be QB1 against Arkansas

Garrett Nussmeier aggravated his previous abdominal injury today, per LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson. Nussmeier is now listed as probable, but at this point, it would probably be best for Nussmeier to sit out a game and see how he feels next week.

Frank Wilson said Garrett Nussmeier aggravated an injury in practice Thursday but is probable for Saturday against Arkansas.@1045espn @LASportsDotNet pic.twitter.com/pMdcUrmeD3

— Matt Moscona (@MattMoscona) November 14, 2025

LSU fans have been critical of Nussmeier this season after the hype of a Heisman Trophy, a College Football Playoff appearance and National Championship hopes all came crashing down. The Ole Miss loss hurt. The Vanderbilt loss was really the breaking point for fans. It wasn’t just Nussmeier receiving a critical response from fans.

Former head coach Brian Kelly and former OC Joe Sloan were also being torched online. Nothing was working, the offensive line was struggling, Nussmeier was struggling to make throws that he had previously had zero issue making, the rushing attack was invisible, and people had had enough. Fans began calling for the jobs of Kelly and Sloan, as well as the benching of Nussmeier, because it was clear that he wasn’t healthy.

Everyone wanted to see Michael Van Buren Jr. Van Buren Jr. brings in a different look, he is mobile and has a cannon for an arm. Sound familiar? While it is not fair to compare Van Buren Jr. to Jayden Daniels, when you look at the tape, the comparisons are valid.

In minimal playing time, Michael Van Buren Jr. is 18-27 for 224 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. On the ground, he has 15 carries for 24 yards with one touchdown. He brings a different look to the offense, and at this point, LSU needs all of the help that it can get, especially with a potential shootout against Arkansas on Saturday.