LSU Football Quarterback Receives Major Prediction After Making Move to Tigers

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LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt headlines the No. 1 Transfer Portal Class in America with Lane Kiffin and Co. pulling out all the stops this offseason to land the top-ranked player in the market.
The former Arizona State Sun Devils signal-caller departed Tempe after two seasons with Kiffin and Co. winning out in the Leavitt sweepstakes over the Tennessee Volunteers and Miami Hurricanes down the stretch.
In what became the storyline of the Transfer Portal, Kiffin flew to Knoxville to visit with Leavitt following his visit with Tennessee in order to sway the No. 1 transfer to Baton Rouge.
“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.
“Find a way to go get it done. I think it’s a good match.”

Now, Leavitt has been labeled a player with the "most to prove" in 2026, according to CBS Sports, as he gears up for a critical season with the Bayou Bengals.
"Leavitt's health is the major concern. He missed a majority of the 2025 season with a foot injury that's also expected to keep him out during spring practice. That already presents a major setback as he enters a new system at LSU," CBS Sports wrote.
"Foot injuries can also be tricky for quarterbacks -- especially those like Leavitt who are major playmakers with their legs. If he can put the injury behind him, Leavitt will no doubt be a favorite for the Heisman, especially since he gets to play for one of college football's best quarterback gurus in coach Lane Kiffin. "
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, all eyes are Leavitt in 2026 with a chance to be a difference maker for the LSU Tigers in Kiffin's inaugural season at the helm of the program.
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Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics.
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