Latest with Kentucky and top-ranked transfer Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt

Once the transfer portal opened in college football, Kentucky was instantly linked to Arizona State transfer QB Sam Leavitt, the top-ranked player in the entire portal. That buzz came to fruition once he entered the portal with a "do not contact tag," which was followed by a visit. All of that was after Cutter Boley's departure. Now, as we move forward in the recruitment, it's looking like a two-team battle for Leavitt after some interesting developments.

On Sunday, we got much more clarity on where things stand in the top transfer's recruitment. Texas Tech has now picked up steam with another top quarterback transfer, Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby, after Leavitt did not visit Lubbock, which alludes to a battle between the other major players in the recruitment, Kentucky and LSU. Now that Tech seems to have zeroed in on another quarterback, things are now much, much clearer with Leavitt. LSU was one of the top contenders with Sorsby, and are now fading with him since Texas Tech is looking like the overwhelming favorite. That leaves the Wildcats and Tigers in an all-out battle for the top transfer. With Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss running into eligibility issues, new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has turned to Leavitt, who will be taking a visit to Baton Rouge this week, according to On3.

Kentucky is clearly pulling out all of the tricks to try and land the coveted transfer quarterback. Following Boley's departure, that has allowed Will Stein to be able to hand-pick the perfect guy for his high-scoring offensive system that is built around whoeever is under center. Stein is known for having an exciting and high-scoring offense, and someone like Leavitt would be excellent for his system. Last season, the Arizona State star played just seven games after dealing with a foot injury that required season-ending surgery on Oct. 31. But, the season before that he led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff. Here's how NFL Draft Buzz describes his game:

"Leavitt slots perfectly into modern spread concepts emphasizing pre-snap motion and designed rollouts. His ability to create magic outside structure mirrors Josh Allen's early career development path, though without that elite wingspan. Picture him orchestrating Ben Johnson's Lions offense, where quick decisions and precise ball placement would amplify his strengths while minimizing durability concerns. Teams running heavy play-action schemes will appreciate his ability to sell fakes while maintaining downfield vision."

It's going to be tough for Kentucky to beat out a program like LSU for the best player in the portal. NIL runs deep in the LSU program, but can Stein make a massive statement to begin the new era of Kentucky football?