Update: Sam Leavitt has officially signed with LSU, according to ESPN's Max Olson.
One of the biggest splashes of the college football offseason was made by LSU football, which was able to lure Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss during its College Football Playoff run to be its next head coach. Now, Kiffin has found his next starting quarterback heading into 2026.
Former Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt is expected to sign with LSU, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. He was also being recruited by Tennessee, Miami and Kentucky.
Leavitt emerged as one of the top young quarterbacks in college football during the 2024 season, when he led Arizona State to a shocking Big 12 Championship and an appearance in the CFP quarterfinals. His 2025 campaign started with high expectations, but it was derailed by a lingering foot injury that eventually ended his season.
The former four-star recruit started his career at Michigan State before spending two seasons in Tempe. In two seasons as the starter, playing only seven games in 2025, Leavitt threw for 4,513 yards and 34 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. He also ran for 10 scores on the ground and should bring that dual-threat ability to Baton Rouge next season.
Leavitt fits a similar mold as some of the quarterbacks that have had a lot of success with Kiffin at Ole Miss. He is an explosive player who can attack downfield with his arm and also be a part of the running game, both on designed runs and scrambles. Players like Jaxson Dart and Trinidad Chambliss have thrived in Kiffin's system with similar skills, which makes this a natural fit.
Kiffin has been hard at work building the rest of his offense in the transfer portal after the LSU offense failed to meet expectations in 2025 under Brian Kelly. In addition to Leavitt, the Tigers have brought in star wide receivers Jayce Brown from Kansas State and Eugene Wilson III from Florida, among others.
Leavitt should have plenty of firepower to work with next season, and he brings a level of excitement and explosiveness himself. As a result, Kiffin and company could have one of the top offenses in the SEC in his first season in Death Valley.
