Ed Orgeron elaborates on discussion about Garrett Nussmeier's redshirt

LSU freshman quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was expected to redshirt prior to last week’s game against Alabama. But after Nussmeier showed disappointment he did not play, that plan changed. Head coach Ed Orgeron had a conversation with Doug Nussmeier, Garrett’s father and current Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach, and now the plan is for Nussmeier is to see the field.

“It was whether we were going to play him and burn his redshirt year,” Orgeron said during the SEC’s Wednesday teleconference. “They asked me to make the decision, I was protecting Garrett, I wasn’t gonna put him in and just burn his redshirt. I wanted to make sure that the family and I was on the same page. There’s nobody dictating me doing nothing. I run this program.”

He continued: “And let me tell you something – his daddy’s a football coach – he’s a good man, there was nothing like that ever said. Doug is a good man and Garrett. It was just whether we’re gonna play him, give him a chance to get the starting position and burn his redshirt year. That’s a decision – to me – a family has to make, and they made that decision, so we’re going for it.”

More on Garrett Nussmeier playing Saturday

LSU’s quarterback room is seeing a different look this week. Max Johnson has started at quarterback for the Tigers this year, but Garrett Nussmeier is likely to see more of the field over the final games of the season. LSU coach Ed Orgeron updated the quarterback situation on Thursday, where he said that both Johnson and Nussmeier will get opportunities.

“About what I expected,” Orgeron said of LSU’s quarterbacks. “Every day they were competing. One day Max would do well, the next day Garrett would do well. I think Max still has the edge. There was nothing glaring to say Garrett should be over him. But we got to see full speed action. They’re both going to get their chances.”

The two-quarterback system will debut against Arkansas in an old rivalry series which finds new life with Sam Pittman on the opposite sideline.

“I had talked to his father Doug, who I respect a lot,” Orgeron said. “We had talked on Thursday, they had to be snaps that were significant and that if we put [Nussmeier] in, he’s going to play the rest of the year. I didn’t feel like it was the time to throw him in there for a couple of plays and then us burn his redshirt year, I didn’t want to do that to him. He came into the office yesterday and was adamant about playing. His father called Jake and said ‘hey listen, here’s the plan. He wants to play, let him play.’ So that’s what we’re doing. Obviously, right now, it looks like he may not redshirt, depends how the game goes. But that’s his choice and that’s what he wants to do.”