Garrett Nussmeier didn’t live the Hollywood script.
It set up that way when he returned for a fifth year with what looked like a loaded roster. Injuries derailed everything. It started with patellar tendinitis and continued with a torso injury that didn’t set sorted out until January.
My antennae went up in August when we saw multiple practices where Nussmeier didn’t throw the ball. Brian Kelly suggested it was just a pitch count. We now know that was a facade. Nussmeier’s play suffered. Kelly got fired. Everything has changed at the position entering 2026.
Lane Kiffin targeted Brendan Sorsby. Then Sam Leavitt. Then Demond Williams. Then Leavitt again. He was also able to acquire a little bit of depth at the position.
WHO’S BACK: NONE
WHO’S NEW: Sam Leavitt (Transfer- Arizona State), Huson Longstreet (Transfer- USC), Landen Clark (Transfer- Elon)
WHAT WE KNOW
Leavitt was one of the hottest commodities in the portal.
He’s started 24 college games between Michigan State (four) and Arizona State (20). The Sun Devils were 16-4 in his 20 starts where he threw for 4,513 yards and 34 scores. He also added more than 700 yards on the ground.
You can present Leavitt’s two years at Arizona State in different ways. He was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and amassed the most total yards by a freshman in Sun Devil history. That’s all really positive.
In two starts against Mississippi State, he completed just 20 of 42 passes for a total of 151 yards and threw two interceptions against one touchdown.
He also torched Texas Tech for 319 passing yards last year. Put that in the positive column.
Leavitt is a 6-foot-2, 215 pound athlete with a lot of physical gifts. Rivals called him the top player in the portal. The unknown is the recovery of his foot. Leavitt had Lisfranc surgery around Halloween, and it essentially kept him out of spring practice. When the media was allowed out, which was nearly daily, Leavitt was generally present and observing.
I’m told Leavitt has been fully cleared and his running with his teammates this summer. It’s now been more than two months since he got the screws taken out of his foot. Every indication is that he’ll be a full participant when camp breaks in early August.
Huson Longstreet was a five-star recruit by Rivals and 247sports when he signed with Lincoln Riley and USC. He’s only 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, but he has a strong arm and can run. Last season, he played in four games and went 13-for-15 for 103 yards and a score. The Missouri State game was his most extended outing. He completed all nine of his passes for 69 yards and ran for 55 more including a pair of touchdowns.
Landen Clark started for Elon in 2025. He set the program record for rushing touchdowns with 11. The 29 scores he accounted for were the second most in school history.
Clark is six feet tall and 190 pounds. He played quarterback and safety for Radford Hogh School as a prep player.
HUNT’S TAKE
Leavitt’s performance is probably going to dictate how this season goes. The defense is likely going to be rock solid. There are really talented skill position players all over the roster. The offensive line is not likely to dominate in a way that allows the team to simply rely on running the ball.
Leavitt is going to have to pilot the offense.
My concern level on the foot injury is minimal. He shouldn’t be showing any signs from the surgery as of August. And if healthy, Leavitt is a dream fit for Kiffin’s offense. He’s got great athleticism, plenty of arm and has played on college football’s big stages.
Kiffin loves quarterbacks who can improvise on the third down and create positive plays with their feet. Leavitt excels there.
He also didn’t turn the ball over on his last 178 throws of the year in 2025. That’s impressive considering how often he’s off schedule and extending plays.
I’m curious to see how often LSU runs Leavitt by design. He’s really good at it, but that increases injury risk. He’s such a vital piece to the machine. Jeopardizing that with read-option calls and designed runs is risky.
TOUCHDOWN LEAVITT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/cHKCsYXQF1
— Arizona State Sun Devils (@TheSunDevils) September 27, 2025
Ultimately, I think Leavitt plays at a very high level on an offense that ranks in the top four or five in the SEC.
The competition for his backup was very, very tight in spring, but Longstreet pulled away late. He outshined Clark in the final two scrimmages.
Longstreet and Clark are both similar to Leavitt in terms of skillset. They’re all just over 6 feet and can run. Arm strength is no problem, either. So, all three can pilot the same offense.
If Leavitt misses significant time, Longstreet is capable of running the offense. I think LSU is in a better spot with him behind center as opposed to the change in styles from Garrett Nussmeier to Michael Van Buren last fall. It would be less than ideal, but I think Longstreet would give LSU a chance.
That said, Leavitt’s production is the barometer for this team. I think he’ll be a real positive. If he’s an all-conference player, LSU will be a playoff team.
