Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
For the first time since taking over as the head coach at LSU, Lane Kiffin will meet with the media on Wednesday afternoon. Here are the three things I want to know.
1. What’s the latest on Sam Leavitt’s injury and is there an expectation as to when he’ll be at 100 percent?
Spending $5 million on a quarterback in this current era of college football isn’t groundbreaking. At least two quarterbacks got something similar, Darian Mensah at Miami and Brendan Sorsby at Texas Tech. That doesn’t include whatever Oregon paid for Dante Moore to return to school for 2026. The spending isn’t the concern, it’s spending it on a player that isn’t currently 100 percent.
Leavitt suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in September last season at Arizona State. He then re-aggravated it in October and missed the rest of the season. The injury is very real, and sadly, there’s no way to expedite the healing process.
Former LSU DB Brandon Taylor had a similar injury during the Alabama game in 2010, but was ready to go by the start of the following season. Everyone heals differently, but Leavitt should be ready to go for Fall camp.
Are there any updates with that, though? Usually coach speak is the worst, in one ear and out the other, hollow response you can get at press conferences. In this case however, it would probably make a lot of people in purple and gold sleep a little easier at night to hear some positive news on their prize portal acquisition.
He has a long way to go but there’s no questioning that former Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt has big time tools. Makes a couple plays a game that keeps you coming back for more.
Will be interesting to see if Lane Kiffin can get the most out of him with LSU. pic.twitter.com/vplWw3q3sQ
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) January 25, 2026
2. Has the plan of attack for constructing a roster at LSU versus Ole Miss changed given the immense in-state talent in Louisiana?
One of the most fascinating parts of Lane Kiffin transitioning from Ole Miss to LSU is that the talent available in Kiffin’s backyard has changed tremendously. At Ole Miss Kiffin was much more focused on building his roster with a foundation in the transfer portal. That’s one of the reasons why he finished in the top four nationally for four consecutive years in transfer portal team rankings. He clearly isn’t going to abandon what’s been working for him, and if you need proof look no further than this year’s No. 1 ranked portal class he assembled during his second month on the job at LSU.
Will that be the primary focus, though? Louisiana always has a bumper crop of talent in the state from the high school ranks. That’s especially the case in 2026 and 2027. The 2027 class alone has five five-stars all of which are ranked in the top 18 nationally of the initial On3 player rankings.
Clearly there will be an emphasis on in-state recruiting, but will it ever be at the expense of acquiring talent from the portal? Better question, will the allocation of NIL dollars from the portal be shifted to the high school ranks over the next recruiting cycle in an effort to land those players despite having way more question marks and uncertainty about how much they can produce and contribute at the next level?
This why lane came too. FIVE players from Louisiana in the top 20 2027 class. pic.twitter.com/FEGlg9yd7V
— 🅻eavitt 🆂eaton 🆄niversity (@HesOurHeaux77) February 3, 2026
3. What’s your favorite restaurant in Baton Rouge, so far?
Journalists will roll their eyes at this question, but I don’t care. I have to know. Is it Stab’s? Is it Superior Grille? Is it Elsie’s Plate and Pie? We get it Lane, you’re in your health and wellness era, but I have to know where the cheat meal is coming from and if you have any recommendations for the rest of us before the next date night.
Bonus points if you answer any of these in a fake Southern accent like Brian Kelly did when he first got here.
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