Things haven’t gone to plan for LSU football quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, and he may have hit his lowest point with the Tigers on Saturday, Nov. 8 against Alabama.
Nussmeier, a Heisman Trophy candidate entering the season, was benched by interim coach Frank Wilson in the third quarter against the Crimson Tide for sophomore Michael Van Buren. The projected first-round pick entering the season entered the matchup having lost three of his last four games before his coach, Brian Kelly, was fired.
Nussmeier hasn’t looked himself this season after passing for an SEC-leading 4,052 yards in 2024. LSU spent big in the transfer portal ahead to get him weapons to throw to in 2025, but it hasn’t paid off.
Here’s what to know of Van Buren, a backup quarterback with rare starting experience in the SEC.
Who is LSU backup QB Michael Van Buren?
Van Buren, a sophomore transfer from Mississippi State, started eight games for the Bulldogs last season as a true freshman.
Van Buren showed flashes of potential in 2024, passing for 1,886 yards with 11 touchdowns to seven interceptions, adding five rushing scores. He threw for three touchdowns in back-to-back games against Georgia and Texas A&M last season.
Michael Van Burn 247 rating
A four-star recruit in 2024, Van Buren flipped his commitment from Oregon to Mississippi State in 2023 after Jeff Lebby was hired by the Bulldogs. He opted to transfer ahead of the 2025 season after Blake Shapen returned for Mississippi State.
Van Buren was the No. 15-ranked quarterback and No. 239 player nationally in 2023, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He attended St. Frances Academy High School and hails from Bowie, Maryland.
Van Buren led St. Frances, a high school powerhouse, to the 2022 high school national championship against IMG Academy, although IMG opted out of the game.
Michael Van Buren stats
Here are Van Buren’s year-by-year stats in college.
2024 (Mississippi State): 140 of 256 passing (54.7%) for 1,886 yards with 11 touchdowns to seven interceptions; 69 carries for negative-12 yards with five touchdowns
2025 (LSU): 13 of 16 passing (81.3%) for 172 yards with two touchdowns; nine carries for 23 yards with a touchdown