Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
By Hunt Palmer
Over the last week and a half, Lane Kiffin and his staff have brought in over two dozen transfers.
None of that was going to matter without a quarterback.
Once Michael Van Buren hit the portal, LSU’s quarterback situation was empty. Trinidad Chambliss was the hope. Brendan Sorsby visited. So did Sam Leavitt. He left town when Demond Williams hopped in the portal. Then Williams was drug out by the contract he signed.
Leavitt clearly became the target, and Kiffin got him.
Now the rest of the roster can take shape, and LSU can be taken seriously. Without a signal caller, it was just window dressing.
WHAT WE KNOW
Leavitt’s star shined bright in the Valley of the Sun. And he’s hurt.
Both of those things are true.
When he was healthy, Leavitt was a dynamic playmaker, fierce competitor and the freshman pilot of a College Football Playoff offense.
He set the Arizona State freshman record for total offense in 2024, a mark which was eighth best in school history. His 3,328 total yards earned him Big 12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year.
Pro Football Focus graded him an 88.9 for the season which was 12th best in the country. He made a ton of big plays and avoided disasters. His eight pass plays of over 50 yards led the Big 12, and Pro Football Focus only tagged him with five turnover-worthy throws for the season, third fewest in the FBS.
In 2025, he played through pain much of the fall before Lisfranc surgery cost him November. The numbers weren’t as good, and neither was Arizona State.
Leavitt played in seven games and finished with 1,628 passing yards for 10 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Two of those picks came in Starkville in a game the Sun Devils really gave away.
After producing six three-plus touchdown pass games in 2024, Leavitt didn’t have one in 2025.
His rushing ability has been impressive. Leavitt ran for 749 yards and 10 touchdowns in his 20 games at ASU. He’s authored plenty of highlight reel runs with both his quickness and pure speed.
SAM LEAVITT FOR 6️⃣#Big12FB | 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/9ETcQL8Gn0
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) December 7, 2024
On top of his speed and passing prowess, Leavitt is also a relentless competitor. His fiery demeanor is evident on the field.
THE FIT
Leavitt fits the mold of a Kiffin quarterback.
His measurables are similar to Jaxson Dart and Matt Corral. Both of those guys were good athletes with good arms. Chambliss is probably a tad shorter and more dynamic with his legs, but all three guys are between 5-foot-11 and 6-foot-2 and somewhere in the neighborhood of 210 lbs. They can all run and throw.
From there, a lot of Kiffin’s system takes over.
Leavitt loves to hit the deep ball. Kiffin’s offenses have been among the nation’s best over the last five seasons at producing big plays. The Rebels have finished first, second and third nationally in 20-plus yard passes the last three seasons.
Sam Leavitt drops a dime to Jordyn Tyson on 3rd & 2 — 57 yards to the house! Touchdown Sun Devils! 🔥🙌
Score: TCU 17, ASU 7 | 2Q 4:51#ForksUp #CollegeFootball #TCUvsASU #Big12FB pic.twitter.com/F8KU9fqdHQ
— CTreySports (@CTreySports) September 27, 2025
Add in the gaudy yards per catch numbers from incoming transfer wide outs Jackson Harris (19.7), Jayce Brown (16.6), Tre Brown (20.1) and others with the talent of Tre Wilson and Nic Anderson, it’s a really, really great fit on paper.
Now, how much of that fit is compromised by missing all of spring ball? That’s the question we can’t answer in January. How much does the surgery limit Leavitt’s running ability? That’s another one that will take nine months to figure out.
If Leavitt is the same player he was in 2024 and August of 2025, LSU’s offense can take off. If he’s dealing with pain or lack of mobility, it’s a crap shoot.
TD OF THE YEAR?? 😱😱
JORDYN TYSON AND SAM LEAVITT ARE A CHEAT CODE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wnhYfrLLaC
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 14, 2025
HUNT’S PROJECTION
I’m going to count on modern medicine and the otherwise healthy body of a 21-year-old. Recovery time is 8-10 months for Lisfranc surgery. I’ll split the difference and say Leavitt is a full go on August 1.
At that point, it’s time to cram for the test that comes five weeks later.
The skill guys around Leavitt are plenty good enough to produce a great offense. There are still major questions on the offensive line.
I just find myself circling back to this – Kiffin has produced with every quarterback he’s coached. He walked into Oxford during a global pandemic, inherited a 4-8 roster and got Corral to throw 29 touchdowns in 10 games without a cupcake on the schedule.
That Ole Miss team was ninth in America in explosive plays and 12th in scoring. I’d call those circumstances a lot more challenging than a quarterback with a healing foot.
I think Leavitt and the LSU offense will probably be better in late October than early September, and that isn’t great considering Clemson, Ole Miss and Texas A&M are on the September slate. But there’s very little reason to suggest this coach and that talent level and proven college production won’t jive.
I think Leavitt throws for 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. I think he runs for 450 more. I think LSU is a top five offense in the conference.
It’s tough to suggest Leavitt will be 100 percent ready to handle the tempo and game-speed reads right away, but Kiffin will know that and create a plan for Clemson that makes life a little bit easier. LSU’s defense should be able to pick up some slack that the early Ole Miss defenses couldn’t, too.
I think Sorsby and Williams would have been lower-risk portal additions, but Leavitt offers high upside for year one of the Kiffin era.
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