LSU football (4-1) arguably remains a puzzle five games through the 2025-26 campaign. Their supposedly signature victory, which ended an infamous run of season openers, no longer looks so impressive, as Clemson has since lost to both Georgia Tech and Syracuse. Brian Kelly's squad still boasts a fierce defensive attack, but its quest for SEC supremacy certainly took a hit after a Sept. 27 loss to Ole Miss. The No. 11 Tigers are unlikely to reach true title contender status without a healthy Garrett Nussmeier.

Injury speculation has circled the star quarterback, who has seen his Heisman Trophy aspirations and potential status as a top NFL Draft pick incur serious damage following an uneven start to his senior season. He can drastically alter public perception by leading LSU through a taxing stretch that includes October matchups against No. 20 Vanderbilt, No. 5 Texas A&M and No. 8 Alabama. But is Nussmeier healthy enough to do that?

His head coach provided an optimistic update regarding the signal-caller's lingering abdominal strain.

“He's feeling better and better,” Kelly told reporters on Monday, per LSU Odyssey.com's Lonn Phillips Sullivan. “We didn't do a lot with him {during bye week}. We wanted to use that as a recovery week for him. Obviously, he did a lot with VR, and stayed involved with everything we're doing, run game checks, splits checks, things of that nature. But we just cut him down from the throwing… Our expectations after talking to him is he feels good and he's ready to go.”

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Garrett Nussmeier aims to bounce back from injury 

LSU football fans earnestly hope that Kelly's words and Nussmeier's progress are reflected on the field in this Saturday night's home game versus South Carolina (3-2). Nussmeier has not looked like the player who captivated Baton Rouge with his impressive arm talent last year. Despite completing a career-high 67.3 percent of his passes, he has not displayed the same type of firepower this season.

The 6-foot-1 QB out of Lake Charles, Louisiana has thrown for 1,159 and seven touchdowns, while also tossing three interceptions. Considering what he has reportedly been playing through, a decline in production seems unavoidable. The Tigers may not be able to overcome a limited Nussmeier for long, though, so it is imperative that they properly manage this injury situation.

Brian Kelly says the 23-year-old is on the back half of his abdominal issue and should be equipped to give the team what it needs moving forward. The Garrett Nussmeier resurgence mission is underway, raising the hopes of LSU fans everywhere.