No. 1 transfer portal QB strongly linked to four college football programs

The NCAA transfer portal is officially open for any college football players seeking different destinations for the 2026 season. The portal is open for a two-week period, closing on Jan. 16.

Thousands of players chose to enter the transfer portal in the weeks after the 2025 regular season ended. At the Power Four level, these announcements have led to a realignment of starting quarterbacks.

The first quarterback that decided to search for a new school was former Arizona State starter Sam Leavitt. He will have two seasons of eligibility at his third school.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder began his college football journey at Michigan State under Mel Tucker in 2023. He appeared in the four games needed to keep a redshirt, completing 15 of 23 passes for 139 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Tucker was let go for cause in the middle of the season, and Leavitt entered the transfer portal the following offseason.

Leavitt started all 14 games for Arizona State in 2024. He passed for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 443 yards and five touchdowns. He guided the Sun Devils to a 12-2 overall record, Big 12 Championship victory and College Football Playoff appearance.

Leavitt was recognized as the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and received All-Big 12 Second Team distinction. His 2,885 yards are the most by a freshman quarterback in Arizona State history.

A foot injury limited Leavitt's 2025 season to just seven games. He passed for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions and accumulated another 306 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

While Leavitt is sure to draw plenty of interest in the coming weeks, he has entered the portal with a "do not contact" tag, meaning he likely has a destination in mind. Pete Nakos of On3 reported that four different schools were in the mix for Leavitt on Saturday.

Kentucky

The Wildcats are a team that has found itself in the mix for Leavitt since the portal opened. Kentucky figures to be a more quarterback-friendly offense now that it has hired Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.

Kentucky will have to address its quarterback depth in the transfer portal since Cutter Boley departed for the portal. The Wildcats are confident in incoming freshman Matt Ponatoski, but Leavitt could be the bridge they need to a potential multi-year starter.

Oregon

Dan Lanning during the Orange Bowl. — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the years between the end of Mario Cristobal's tenure and the beginning of the Dan Lanning era, the Ducks have turned portal-heavy at quarterback. Anthony Brown (Boston College), Bo Nix (Auburn), Dillon Gabriel (UCF and Oklahoma) and Dante Moore (UCLA) have all started for Oregon from the transfer portal.

The other draw for Leavitt to Oregon is its proximity to his hometown. He is from West Linn, Oregon, a suburb just south of Portland and about an hour and a half north of Eugene.

Miami

Mario Cristobal following the Cotton Bowl. — Miami head coach Mario Cristobal leaves the field following the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Mario Cristobal's approach at quarterback has featured a turn to portal acquisitions in his last two seasons with the Hurricanes. Miami has produced a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft with Cam Ward (Washington State) and is in the midst of a College Football Playoff run with Carson Beck (Georgia).

It would not be a surprise if the Hurricanes once again decided to take a look at the transfer portal in the 2026 offseason. Leavitt has been a target for Miami since before the portal opened.

LSU

Lane Kiffin has a reputation with successful transfer portal quarterbacks. Jaxson Dart (USC) was a first-round draft choice in the 2025 NFL draft, and Trinidad Chambliss (Ferris State) is in the midst of leading Ole Miss on a College Football Playoff run.

As a program, each of the last two quarterbacks to transfer in and start for LSU have Heisman Trophies to their names. Jayden Daniels transferred from Arizona State to LSU in 2022, a path Leavitt would take should he choose the Tigers.