Former LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier overcomes a tough season to impress NFL scouts, capping his Senior Bowl week with MVP honors and a crucial boost to his draft stock.
Ex-LSU Tigers star quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has finished off a great week in Mobile, Ala. by taking home the MVP honors at the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl.
Nussmeier entered the week with a chance to win over some major favor from the NFL scouts after his down year with the Tigers. Only time will tell how much he helped his case, but people seem to be coming away impressed with his performance.
In the game, he went 5-for-8 for 57 yards, an interception (not his fault) and a three-yard rushing score.
The 23-year-old entered this past football season with Heisman hopes and a chance to be a top-five draft selection. It ended with him getting benched due to injury and the team's coach getting fired, a real disaster.
Nussmeier had suffered an abdominal injury before the year, and it held him back big time. The offense was majorly condensed and his performance was clearly lacking.
He finished out his college career by completing 67.4% of his passes for 1,927 yards with 12 touchdowns to five interceptions. They just simply weren't able to generate any big plays through the air.
That's something that Nussmeier hung is hat on in previous years. He had a big arm and would rifle passes into tight windows.
Senior Bowl week was a major opportunity for him. It's essentially a job interview for the entire NFL. Players meet with every team and get the chance to practice against top competition.
Nussmeier admitted that he still wasn't at 100% while practicing this week, but he still looked a lot better than he did during the year. He was praised by scouts all week.
In a week quarterback class, there is a chance that he could end up still being one of the first three or four passers drafted this offseason. This was a major first step towards making that happen.