Garrett Nussmeier feels 100 percent after dealing with "stabbing pain" in abdomen in 2025

Just before the start of the 2025 season, former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was the co-betting favorite to be selected at No. 1 overall in the 2026 draft.

A lot has changed since then, with the Raiders now widely expected to select Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in April after he won the Heisman Trophy and the CFP national championship, going an undefeated 16-0 with Indiana.

Nussmeier, on the other hand, had a season marred by an injury suffered early on in training camp, as he detailed during his Friday press conference at the scouting combine.

“My injury occurred in fall camp — Day 2, practice two of fall camp,” Nussmeier said. “How much did it affect me? I think it was pretty evident. 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 ball. And we weren't able to figure out exactly what it was.

“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. 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 added that he has been making a lot of progress over the last month.

“And so, [I’m] 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.”

As Nussmeier put it, not being able to use his core as he was accustomed to was a tough adjustment and led to those habits.

“[W]hether it was arm angles or things with my feet and trying to turn around my hips and set up my abs and things like that — so just more of learning how to use my abdomen again as I'm throwing the ball,” Nussmeier said.

Fortunately for Nussmeier, he’s more than on the mend and should be as effective as he expects to be for any team that selects him in April.

“It was just a rare deal, and I won't get into the specifics of what it was, but now being able to attack the actual injury and rehabbing, I'm feeling a lot better,” Nussmeier said. “I'm at 100 percent, if not close to it, and starting to feel like myself again.

“It's been awesome.”