LSU Football's Top Offseason Addition Sits Alongside Arch Manning for Major Award

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

The former 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.

In what became the storyline of the Transfer Portal, Kiffin flew to Knoxville to visit with Leavitt following his visit with Tennessee in order to sway the elite transfer to Baton Rouge.

“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."

“Find a way to go get it done. I think it’s a good match.”

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.

Now, the LSU Tigers signal-caller sits near the top in the preseason Heisman Trophy odds:

Arch Manning 6/1
Trinidad Chambliss 13/2
CJ Carr 15/2
Dante Moore 10/1
Josh Hoover 10/1
Julian Sayin 12/1
Sam Leavitt 13/1
Jayden Maiava 14/1
Jeremiah Smith 14/1
Darian Mensah 15/1

Updated 2026 Heisman Trophy odds:

Arch Manning 6/1
Trinidad Chambliss 13/2
CJ Carr 15/2
Dante Moore 10/1
Josh Hoover 10/1
Julian Sayin 12/1
Sam Leavitt 13/1
Jayden Maiava 14/1
Jeremiah Smith 14/1
Darian Mensah 15/1
John Mateer 16/1
Gunner Stockton 18/1
LaNorris Sellers 18/1…
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) February 16, 2026

“This place is built for championships with championship expectations. We understand that, but as an elite competitor, that’s exactly what you want, and that’s why we’re here,” Kiffin said at his introductory press conference.

"I know that we have, with the passion of LSU family and our LSU players, that we have everything to bring championship football back to LSU.

“It’s time for LSU to take its place back as the best program in all of college football. … I’m uniquely prepared at 50 years old for this job to have been so many places, done good things, made a lot of mistakes and made them really early on.”

More LSU News:

Elite LSU Football Running Back Impressing With Major Speed During Offseason Workouts

Kim Mulkey and LSU Women's Basketball Battling South Carolina for No. 3 Prospect

Every LSU Football Player That Received an Invitation to the 2026 NFL Combine

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.