No. 1 transfer portal QB named ‘biggest wildcard’ quarterback in college football

After coming into the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, LSU’s 2025 campaign collapsed into a messy finish. The Tigers went 7–6, and the season ended with Brian Kelly dismissed in late October following a stretch of SEC losses, including an ugly 49–25 home defeat to Texas A&M.

LSU moved quickly to replace Kelly, hiring Lane Kiffin on Nov. 30, 2025. Kiffin immediately rebuilt the staff, bringing several figures with him from Ole Miss, and leaned heavily into the transfer portal to retool LSU’s talent base around a clear “win-now” window.

With starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier set for the NFL, Kiffin addressed that urgency by landing Sam Leavitt through the transfer portal, who was long rated the top available quarterback. Leavitt chose LSU after visits to Miami, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and the move was widely viewed as one of the marquee portal additions of the cycle.

Despite the optimism surrounding Leavitt, On3 analyst J.D. PicKell labeled him the “biggest wildcard” of the 2026 college football season on a recent episode of "The Hard Count," arguing that the difference between chaos and celebration in Baton Rouge could hinge on how Leavitt performs.

"If LSU goes out and wins eight games this year under Lane Kiffin in year one, with that portal class, with that quarterback, it's not going to be chill," PicKell said.

"It's going to be 'What the heck is going on? Lane Kiffin, we're giving you everything you need to go win at a high level. Why are we not doing it?' And the first player you look at for LSU if they don't achieve what they're supposed to achieve this year is who's playing quarterback for you."

ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt. — Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) scrambles out of the backfield against the Houston Cougars | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Leavitt exploded onto the national stage in 2024 at Arizona State, completing 61.7% of his passes for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He helped guide ASU to an 11–3 record, a Big 12 title, and a College Football Playoff appearance.

While his production dipped in 2025, totaling 1,628 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, he appeared in just seven games before a foot injury required season-ending surgery.

Even so, Leavitt’s 2024 ceiling, combined with his dual-threat ability (443 rushing yards in 2024 and 306 in 2025), is a major reason he entered the portal as the nation’s top-rated transfer quarterback.

For LSU, the addition represents extreme upside, a rapid return to contention if Kiffin and Leavitt click, along with extreme risk, as failure would amplify scrutiny on the head coach, the athletic department, and LSU’s transfer-first approach.

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