LSU Country

Tennessee Emerging As Serious Threat To Land No. 1 QB Transfer, LSU Football Target

Lane Kiffin and Co. hosted the prized signal-caller this week, now officially arrives for his trip in Knoxville.
Zack Nagy|
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Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt has officially arrived in Knoxville for his visit with Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers, according to multiple reports.

Leavitt checks in as the No. 1 rated signal-caller in the NCAA Transfer Portal with Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers remaining in pursuit of his services after a multi-day stay in Baton Rouge this week.

The Sun Devils quarterback arrived in the Bayou State on Monday afternoon and remained in town until Wednesday, a source familiar with Leavitt's process told LSU Tigers On SI, but he's now off to his next trip.

Leavitt now has visits to Kentucky and LSU under his belt with the Tennessee Volunteers emerging as another team to monitor in his process after arriving on Wednesday.

"I think Sam Leavitt is still evaluating his options. He obviously hasn't committed to LSU - that didn't happen on the visit," On3 Sports' Pete Nakos said. "There have been some conversations when he gets to campus. He missed the back half of the season.

"It's unclear if he'd be able to return for spring ball and how that could look... I'll tell you this I do think Tennessee has a legitimate chance to land Sam Leavitt."

Leavitt didn't play the full length of the 2025 season due to a foot injury, but managed to finish with 1,628 yards passing and 10 touchdowns. He threw three interceptions while also rushing for 306 yards and five scores.

The Arizona State signal-caller rounded out his 2024 campaign throwing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns as the Sun Devils reached the College Football Playoff under head coach Kenny Dillingham in Leavitt's breakout year.

Leavitt remains a top target for the LSU Tigers, but as of Tuesday night, there is a new name to keep tabs on for Lane Kiffin and Co. in the Transfer Portal: Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

Williams Jr. is coming off of a standout season with the Huskies where Jedd Fisch and Co. inked their franchise signal-caller to a new deal just five days ago - making him one of the sport's highest-paid players.

But Williams is now eyeing other programs as they look to lure him out of Seattle for the 2026 season with lucrative deals on the table - departing the Huskies in a decision that sent shockwaves across college football.

He's appeared in 26 games across two seasons with the Washington program - starting two as a true freshman in 2024 and all 13 of the team’s games in 2025 as a sophomore.

Across his first season with the Huskies, Williams completed 78.1 percent of his passes (82-of-105), while throwing for 944 yards and eight touchdowns.

Then, Williams had his "money year" as a true sophomore in 2025 after taking that next step.

The dual-threat became the program's starting signal-caller where he led the Huskies to a 9-4 record while completing 256-of-354 attempts (70 percent) and throwing for 3,065 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

LSU has quickly emerged as the team to know in his process where it remains an intriguing storyline in Kiffin's pursuit for his first signa-caller in Baton Rouge.

More LSU News:

LSU Hosts No. 1 EDGE Transfer as Lane Kiffin Pushes For Ex-Penn State Defender

LSU Football Hosting Elite Florida Gators Transfer For Visit, Former Five-Star Recruit

Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky Wildcats Among Teams to Watch for LSU Football Transfer

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

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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