Why Sam Leavitt Could Explode in Lane Kiffin's New LSU Offense

LSU football has seen major success from transfer quarterbacks in recent years, especially when they come from Arizona State.

Jayden Daniels bet on LSU back in 2022, and that worked out for the Tigers and him, earning the program's third Heisman Trophy, hearing his name as the No. 2 overall draft pick and cementing his status as one of the most entertaining quarterbacks that LSU has seen.

Sam Leavitt knows LSU's history; he knows Daniels' and Lane Kiffin's history with producing quarterbacks.

The Fit of a Lifetime

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

Kiffin's reputation as a "quarterback whisperer" dates back to tutoring Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez at USC and to producing Jaxson Dart, Trinidad Chambliss and Matt Corral at Ole Miss.

Kiffin knows how to turn almost any quarterback into college football royalty in his offensive scheme, but recently, he's raised the bar with the level of success he's produced.

Leavitt will be no different.

And Kiffin knows that.

At the time of his hiring, LSU needed a clear answer at quarterback after Garrett Nussmeier exhausted his eligibility and backup Michael Van Buren Jr. transferred to South Florida. He was left with little option and a large roster budget.

Kiffin hosted Leavitt on campus in Baton Rouge for a handful of days, but Leavitt took a trip to Tennessee after his visit to LSU. Not as a sign of LSU's visit being bad, but just to weigh all the options.

Kiffin knew that he wanted Leavitt to be his signal caller in 2026, so he made sure Leavitt knew that even if he was in Knoxville, Tennessee, he was Kiffin's top target.

So Kiffin flew to Knoxville to meet Leavitt in person between his Tennessee and Miami visits to keep LSU in the mix, and signed him not long after that.

Leavitt's dual-threat profile lines up perfectly with the kind of mobile and clean passer Kiffin has favored throughout his career.

Leavitt's Impressive Resume

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils offensive lineman Leif Fautanu (79) and quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) and running back Cam Skattebo (4) celebrates after the Sun Devils defeat the Iowa State Cyclones and win the 2024 Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Leavitt is a redshirt junior with two seasons of starting experience under his belt already. His numbers alone speak to his play.

He has a career mark of 376-of-612 passes for a 61.4 career percentage, good for 4,652 yards and 36 touchdowns with 816 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

But his ability to orchestrate an efficient offense is remarkable.

In 20 starts at Arizona State, he led the Sun Devils to a 16-4 mark. In those 20 starts, he also led his team to the Big 12 championship and a first-round appearance in the College Football Playoffs, falling to Texas in double overtime.

That season garnered him some real preseason and NFL Draft hype ahead of his 2025 campaign.

It ended up being disappointing, due to a season-ending foot injury that cut his year off at the halfway mark.

In the seven games of his redshirt sophomore campaign, he went 145-of-239 for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns before it all ended.

The injury leaves room for questions to be asked for Week 1, but Kiffin has said that the recovery process has gone well so far, and that Leavitt is trending towards being fully healthy for LSU's opener against Clemson.

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