It’s one of the state’s lesser-known cities in Oregon, about a half-hour south of Portland.
West Linn, with a population of 27,373, has become a growingly popular answer to some of the area’s questions about the top athletes that have graduated from the town’s high school – West Linn High School – that’s not located very far from the Willamette River.
For the previous three decades such names as former Philadelphia Phillies’ relief pitcher Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams dominated the topic until MMA fighter Chael Sonnen, former UCLA quarterback Cade McKnown and more recently, and NBA champion Peyton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics.
“I didn’t grow up doing that so much,” West Linn graduate Sam Leavitt, LSU’s first-year quarterback. “I grew up camping. Not insanely outdoorsy. I played sports and hung out with my friends. Did normal kid stuff. Played video games.”
Since leaving West Linn for Michigan State, transferring to Arizona State and helping the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff, Leavitt may very well wind up among the city’s favorite sons with a journey that’s expected to take him to the NFL.
Leavitt, considered the top signee from the NCAA’s Transfer Portal, has begun living up to his advanced billing with No. 15 LSU (6-2, 3-2 in SEC) enjoying an open date this weekend. The Tigers host No. 10 Alabama (6-2, 4-2) in a SEC matchup at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 in Tiger Stadium.
“I’m feeling good,” Leavitt told After Further Review host Matt Moscona in a recent interview. “I ran 90% today (Tuesday). I actually hit 94% in the game (Saturday’s 38-17 win over Auburn). I had to get warmed up. Early on I was kind of limping around. I think it was more so a confidence thing.”
Winding road
A dynamite debut in a 51-10 thrashing of Clemson on Sept. 5 provided a baseline for Leavitt to exhibit his dual-threat capabilities. He compiled 349 total yards of offense with three touchdowns, showing he was a more than capable runner with 119 yards and two TDs.
Leavitt’s right arm was efficient with 230 yards and another TD.
Considering that he missed all of spring practice and wasn’t cleared until the start of fall drills because of surgery to repair his Lisfranc injury, Leavitt’s covered plenty of ground for his third school since leaving West Linn High where he said recruiting interest was modest.
“(It was) Long time it took to get back in flow of football,” he said.
Leavitt initially injured his foot in a game against Baylor on Sept. 25, 2025. He managed to play through the pain until leaving a game with Utah on Oct. 11 and was ruled out of action on Oct. 25 when he reaggravated the injury against Houston.
He opted to transfer from Arizona State and became the object of an intense recruiting battle that first-year LSU head coach Lane Kiffin won and made Leavitt the centerpiece of his recruiting class.
The process paled in comparison to the interest coming out of high school where he spent his senior season and won the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and helped his team to a state championship in game played at Portland State.
“I didn’t have that many offers coming out of high school and I really wanted to play on the biggest stage possible,” said Leavitt, who passed for 3,184 yards and 36 TDs as a senior. “Kind of near the end of my senior year, I was getting a little more notice. I could have gone to Washington or Washington State. It’s not like I had a ton of options.
“Michigan State had been talking to me through my senior year,” Leavitt said. “I’m a pretty loyal person. I like to ride with people I feel like fully believe in me. They kind of gave me the opportunity to play in the Big 10. I went out there, played in a couple of games and gave myself an opportunity after my coach (Mel Tucker) got fired. I hit the portal like everyone on our roster did and landed at ASU and had a great two years there.”
Head coach Kenny Dillingham recruited Leavitt to Arizona State which also had offensive-minded assistants such as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo.
The combination of Dillingham, who had worked with Justin Herbert at Oregon, and Arroyo, who tutored Mason Rudolph during his career at Oklahoma State and Bo Nix at Oregon, made a compelling argument for Leavitt to sign with Sun Devils.
Leavitt propelled Arizona State to the CFP in his first season in Tempe, Ariz. He passed for a program-record 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns and added another 443 yards and five TDs on the ground.
He was named the Big 12 Conference’s Freshman of the Year and a second team member on the league’s postseason team. The Sun Devils finished 11-3 and were eliminated by Texas, 39-31, in double overtime in the first round of the playoffs.
Leavitt passed for 1,628 yards and 10 TDs, adding another 306 yards and 5 TDs, in seven games where his season ended because of his foot injury.
“They had a track record of developing quarterbacks,” Leavitt said. “I thought it was a real good opportunity. It wasn’t like I had a ton of options coming out of the portal. I had only played in a couple of games, had three touchdowns or something. That was kind of one of the best opportunities I thought I had.”
Bound for Tiger Town
After making his official visit to LSU, Leavitt’s recruiting process continued with a visit to Tennessee where Kiffin, unsatisfied with his stance in the race for the quarterback, also flew to Knoxville for additional discussions that eventually paid dividends with his commitment and subsequent signature on a scholarship.
Having to bide his time in the spring, and the summer’s offseason grind to allow his surgically repaired foot time to heal, Leavitt was more of a student of the game. He learned the system and threw to his future receivers until finally joining the team on the practice field for the start of camp in August.
LSU won its first two games of the season until delivering an uneven performance at Ole Miss. The Tigers trailed 24-7 at halftime and rallied behind Leavitt, who accounted for a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, to tie the game at 24-all in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
The Rebels, though, emerged in the final six minutes of play with a 32-24 victory.
Leavitt threw for 312 yards and touchdowns but turned into almost stationary passer in the pocket because of a pulled hamstring against Texas A&M that neutralized his running ability.
The injury hampered Leavitt’s ability to scramble, resulting in 25 carries over his next four games with 136 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think the majority of it was me being frantic,” Leavitt said of his initial thought of leaving the pocket at the first sight of pressure. “As the year progresses, the last three years of my collegiate career, I’ve gotten less and less frantic as the year’s gone on. Sit in the pocket, delivering balls while I’m getting hit.”
After LSU dropped a 35-34 decision in overtime at Kentucky, the Tigers began to reach a new trajectory.
Leavitt completed 76% of his passes – 63 of 83 – for 672 yards and 7 TDs without any interceptions in wins over Mississippi State and Auburn.
“You never figure it out,” he said. “You never arrive.”
Leavitt’s continued his daily grind in search of a level of play he may not ever obtain. It just won’t be for a lack of trying.
He does his best to take care of his body, first with 9-to-10 hours of sleep, healthy eating courtesy of a personal chef. His health and wellness plan – which originates from his home – is a comprehensive recovery and performance routine that aids in his recovery from injuries, and his frequent meditation contributes to a mental reset and improved focus.
“I just think it’s real hard-working people,” Leavitt said about the previous star-studded group from the West Linn area. “It attracts like-minded people. I didn’t move there until my senior year. You got there for a reason. It’s an incredible community. Nothing but love for West Linn.”
