Why Sam Leavitt Will Prove He is A Top 10 Player in College Football

Now at the helm of the LSU Tigers, Sam Leavitt can prove he belongs as a top-10 player in college football

Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Houston Cougars at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The LSU Tigers knew they needed a big change this past offseason, which is why the program went after a new head coach, landing on one of the sport's most polarizing figures, Lane Kiffin, to lead them back to glory.

For Kiffin, taking over the Tigers was an honor and a benchmark to show just how far he has come as a head coach. For him to find success, though, he would need a quarterback who could be efficient in his offense and explosive on his own when needed to be.

In steps Sam Leavitt, an electrifying quarterback who won over the hearts of millions for his College Football Playoff performance against the Texas Longhorns two years ago. Now in Baton Rouge, Leavitt is looking to prove that he is one of the best players the sport has to offer.

Why Leavitt Will Be A top 10 Player This Year

ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) warms up before the game against the Houston Cougars at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 25, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's no secret that Leavitt is one of the most electrifying players in the sport when he is fully healthy, as he showed during the 2024 season, when he led the Arizona State Sun Devils to a College Football Playoff appearance. This past season, he fought through injuries but was still able to make the most of his time on the field, including leading a daring comeback against the TCU Horned Frogs on primetime.

Over the previous two seasons with the Sun Devils, he finished with 4,513 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, with only nine interceptions, and a completion rate of 61.2 percent. To go along with those numbers, he added 749 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 183 carries.

Those numbers, while they might not blow your mind, were electric considering he battled injury last season, and was sharing a backfield with Cam Skattebo the year before that. Now he's in a Kiffin offense, which has back-to-back years with a quarterback finishing third in passing yards, with a minimum of 3,973 yards.

Leavitt will find himself surrounded by more talent than he has played with, albeit against tougher competition. Kiffin will run the offense around him, expecting him to be the player he expects him to be, not the player he was needed to be, as in previous years.

That ability to pull magic out of a hat when needed is exactly why Kiffin believed that Leavitt was the right quarterback for the job. Now, as he hands him the keys to the offense, the two could be one of the best pairings in college football this upcoming season.

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