The familiar faces of LSU football reunited under the bright lights of Arrowhead Stadium this week as former Tigers teammates Garrett Nussmeier and Mansoor Delane took the field together for the first time as Kansas City Chiefs.

During Friday's rookie minicamp, the two rookies found themselves on opposite sides of the ball—Nussmeier under center as a quarterback and Delane locking down the secondary as a cornerback. And if Nussmeier had his way, he wouldn't be testing his old teammate anytime soon.

"I probably won't throw his way," Nussmeier said with a grin. "He's a great player. It's been cool to have him around, to have a familiar face for sure."

The pair shared the field during LSU's 2025 season, a campaign that saw the Tigers finish 7-6 and ultimately cost head coach Brian Kelly his job. While the season fell short of expectations, Delane emerged as a bright spot, recording two interceptions and 11 passes defended. Nussmeier, meanwhile, experienced a challenging senior year after a standout junior season where he threw for 4,502 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In 2025, his numbers dipped to under 2,000 yards and just 12 touchdowns.

But Nussmeier isn't letting that define him. "I believe everything happens for a reason, and I believe what I went through last year was meant to be," he said. "Having gone through that, I've grown from it. I've become a better player, a better person, a better man. I'm grateful for the struggle because I know it's going to help me going forward."

A major factor in his decline? A nagging oblique injury that flew under the radar. Chiefs vice president of player personnel Ryne Nutt explained the impact: "He was the odds-on favorite to be one of the top quarterbacks taken this year. He was battling through an oblique that people didn't know about that was bothering him the whole year. If you're a quarterback and you can't torque your hips and bring them through, the ball maybe doesn't come out with as much velocity as you want."

That injury likely contributed to Nussmeier sliding to the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, despite many projecting him as a Day One or Day Two pick after his 2024 campaign. But his resilience hasn't gone unnoticed by those who know him best.

"He's a competitor," Delane said of his former quarterback. "He's a leader. That's what you want in a quarterback."

Now, as both players begin their NFL journeys with a franchise known for developing talent, the LSU connection might just be the foundation for something special in Kansas City.