$4 Million LSU Football Quarterback Predicted to Emerge as Elite Weapon for Tigers

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers sent shockwaves across the college football recruiting scene in January after inking Sam Leavitt, the No. 1 player in the NCAA Transfer Portal

The ex-Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback departed Tempe after two seasons where Kiffin and Co. won out for the top-ranked transfer over the Tennessee Volunteers and Miami Hurricanes down the stretch.

In what became a major talking point during Transfer Portal season, Kiffin hopped on a flight and met with Leavitt in Knoxville after the signal-caller's visit with the Tennessee Volunteers.

From there, the rest is history with Kiffin and the LSU Tigers' recruiting efforts getting the program over the finish line - inking Leavitt to a lucrative NIL deal in the process.

“I don’t know. I just know how I do things,” Kiffin said. "There’s a good and bad to it. I’m extremely competitive and I don’t really do well with no.

"So that just makes me more competitive when someone says no. So sometimes that happens in recruiting. They say no. But I think that’s my job. That’s my job to LSU.”

“I’m hired here to go sign the best players, regardless of whether that means I’ve got to go get on another plane or find a plane and show up somewhere, walk through Knoxville Airport to find the guy,” Kiffin continued. “That’s just kind of how I work and I like that because I think that wires in with Louisiana people, because I think that’s how they think. No jobs too small."

Leavitt arrives in Baton Rouge after a strong two-year stint at Arizona State - throwing for 4,652 yards and 36 touchdowns with 11 interceptions where he also added 816 yards and 10 scores on the ground.

Now, CBS Sports predicts LSU's new quarterback to be a star in the Southeastern Conference as a top-five signal-caller.

.@CodyNagel247 ranked SEC quarterbacks heading into the 2026 season 📈

What would you change?

Full breakdown + ranking 🔗 https://t.co/WfsMEQq0wf pic.twitter.com/34xOoDJpZo
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) March 3, 2026

"Leavitt was the top-rated transfer in this portal cycle for a reason. Even though his 2025 season ended with an injury after seven starts, the résumé is proven," CBS Sports wrote.

"He led Arizona State to a Big 12 championship in 2024 and plays with the kind of moxie Lane Kiffin covets in his quarterback. It's why he wasn't going to lose the bidding war for a leader wired for his system. The fit is obvious -- and dangerous.

Now, as the offseason continues, all eyes will be on the LSU Tigers with Leavitt looking to lead the program in 2026 alongside an elite offense.

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.