National Analyst Reveals Stunning Prediction for LSU Football's New Quarterback

LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt remains in headlines this offseason after signing with Lane Kiffin and Co. in January as the headliner to the program's No. 1 Transfer Portal Class in America.

The ex-Arizona State Sun Devils signal-caller departed Tempe after two seasons with Kiffin and Co. winning out for the No. 1 overall transfer over the Tennessee Volunteers and Miami Hurricanes down the stretch.

“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.

LSU Tigers Football. — Oct 18, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Now, Leavitt has arrived in Baton Rouge where he will look to lead the Bayou Bengals. ESPN's Greg McElroy weighed in on Leavitt and the new offensive identity.

McElroy's Take: New Offensive Identity

“The LSU Tigers are fascinating, not just because it’s a quarterback change, but it’s a coaching identity change and a quarterback change all at the same time,” McElroy said. “… In 2026, LSU isn’t trying to replace a starter necessarily. They’re trying to reinstall a completely different offensive identity that can immediately contend for a national title.

“Lane Kiffin offenses, historically, are going to be driven by quarterback play, not just in volume, but in the way they can put stress on the opposing defense. Sam Leavitt’s mobility and creativity matter because modern defenses are built to kind of suffocate structure.

"… When the quarterback can extend plays and when the entire defensive structure changes because of the quarterback movement, that becomes a lot more difficult to defend.”

“The analytical question for LSU becomes how quickly can they build timing and chemistry?” McElroy said. “Portal quarterbacks can raise ceilings really quickly, but in the early weeks of the season, that’s where seams show up from time to time. The timing routes are maybe just a half tick late. The protection checks aren’t fully automatic.

“The receivers and the quarterbacks are maybe seeing the leverage of a defender a little differently. And, in the SEC, being just a half beat late becomes a pick six. LSU is both really dangerous but also pretty volatile too because there might be a bit of a learning curve there.”

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