Why LSU Left Sam Leavitt at Home for SEC Media Days

LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt is surprisingly not attending SEC Media Days with his new team.

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt looks over at the sidelines during the first day of fall practice in Tempe, Ariz. on July 30, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The LSU Tigers are set to have new head coach Lane Kiffin and three players in attendance for SEC Media Days in Tampa on Thursday.

However, new LSU starting quarterback Sam Leavitt is surprisingly not among the group of Tigers that will be fielding questions from the media.

Alongside Kiffin, LSU is sending linebackers TJ Dottery and Whit Weeks and tight end Trey'Dez Green, but fans have questions about why Leavitt won't be attending. Though the team likely won't come out and reveal an actual reason why Leavitt isn't at SEC Media Days, LSU fans can piece together the clues.

Injury Questions

Leavitt has yet to speak publicly since joining the Tigers. Instead of throwing him to the wolves at SEC Media Days, perhaps LSU's SID team decided it best to save his first media appearance as a Tiger for fall camp with local reporters in Baton Rouge.

If he were one of LSU's attendees at SEC Media Days, he would likely be hit with a ton of injury questions among other things that would simply take time away from some of the prep and rehab he still has to get through.

It's pretty clear that this factored in to LSU's decision not to bring him. There simply isn't any other logical reason why the Tigers wouldn't want to have their new quarterback represent the program on a national offseason stage.

No disrespect to Dottery, but let's face it: he's not as prominent of a name to college football fans as Leavitt. After all, the Tigers were already bringing Weeks along, so why add another linebacker to the list? It doesn't make much sense, signaling a clear effort by LSU to give Leavitt a break (for now) from media duties.

Leavitt could have gotten the chance to talk about why he chose to join Kiffin at LSU and what the process was like with choosing the Tigers out of the portal. Instead, fans will have to wait a bit longer to hear from him.

LSU's SEC Media Days slate begins on Thursday. Kiffin will take the podium at 9:05 a.m. CT to kick the day off followed by Dottery, Green and Weeks in that order.

The Tigers will have a chance to make the first impression on the final day of the event.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.