With Brian Kelly beginning his fourth season and highly-touted quarterback Garrett Nussmeier returning, there were national title aspirations in Baton Rouge. However, after a 5-3 start (2-3 in the SEC), the Tigers’ playoff hopes faded, leading to Kelly’s mid-season firing and the replacement of Nussmeier by Michael Van Buren at quarterback.
After the season, LSU moved quickly to fill its coaching opening by hiring Lane Kiffin from rival Ole Miss. However, despite Kiffin’s arrival, the quarterback position remains unsettled.
Michael Van Buren’s LSU Future in Question as Transfer Portal Looms
At the moment, LSU’s quarterback situation is thin, with just two players: Van Buren and walk-on Emile Picarella. With LSU losing its top four wide receivers, it is imperative that its quarterback brings experience and the ability to create plays under pressure.
Van Buren previously transferred and, in 2024 at Mississippi State, threw for 1,886 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding five rushing touchdowns. Last season at LSU, Van Buren passed for 1,010 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions, with 129 rushing yards and a score. His PFSN QB Impact score was 73.6, slightly behind Nussmeier’s 75.9.
If LSU moves on at quarterback for 2026, Van Buren likely leaves. Like most quarterbacks seeking starting roles, his projected NIL valuation is 307K.
“My guess is LSU’s starting quarterback isn’t on their roster,” Shea Dixon, who joined Matt Musso on After Further Review: LSU, explained. “So to take back where it’s easy to understand, if you have Michael Van Buren in there saying hey, look even here’s a good NIL package to be our backup quarterback or compete or whatever it may be. You’re sitting there thinking Look I’ve started what, 16, 17 games for two different SEC schools, I’m about to be a junior and I still don’t know if I’m going to be the starter.”
As a result, Van Buren may enter the transfer portal. “I wouldn’t blame him at all for saying Hey, look, I need to go find somewhere where I am definitely going to be the starter so I can put film out there and all of those things,” Hummer added.
Kiffin’s experience with transfer quarterbacks could help LSU. At Ole Miss, he transformed transfer Jaxon Dart into an NFL starter and found backup Trinidad Chambliss in the portal. When Simmons was injured, Chambliss stepped up and helped the Rebels reach the Sugar Bowl against Georgia Saturday night.
Building on past success, Kiffin now turns to the transfer portal, once more, to find LSU’s quarterback.
Is Brendan Sorsby the Answer for LSU?
Bobby Burton of On Texas Football reports that former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby is “most likely headed to LSU.”
Sorsby should be one of the most sought-after players on the portal. The 6’3, 235-pound junior from Texas played at Indiana before transferring to Cincinnati, where he threw for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions, and rushed for 580 yards and nine touchdowns, earning a PFSN QB Impact Score of 88.2.
Texas Tech was seen as the frontrunner for Sorsby; however, LSU is making a strong push.
“Texas Tech is the school most commonly linked with Brendan Sorsby,” 247 Sports‘s Chris Hummer said. “However, other teams have emerged as teams to follow. I would put LSU in that camp. The Tigers are making a strong push for Sorsby.”
“People are reporting Texas Tech. here is a lot of momentum there but there are other teams aggressively pursuing Sorsby in the portal,” Hummer added.
As LSU battles Texas Tech, a recent star in the portal, for Sorsby’s commitment, the contest could be transformative for Kiffin and the Tigers. In particular, securing Sorsby would not only answer LSU’s quarterback question but could also set the tone for a new era in Baton Rouge.
With the portal opening on Jan. 2, all eyes will soon be on LSU. The coming weeks could define the Tigers’ immediate future and establish Kiffin’s impact from day one.
