Sam Leavitt Headlines College Football Injury Report Ahead of Week 3

There was one major name on college football's emerging injury report ahead of Week 3 action.

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As college football moves into Week 3 of the 2026 season, the newly mandated conference availability reports are creating some notable ripples across the country, especially with the surprising addition of one of the SEC’s highest-impact players heading into the game of the week.

Headlining a chaotic week on the injury front is surprisingly LSU starting quarterback Sam Leavitt, whose unexpected appearance on the SEC Football Availability Report has thrown the Tigers’ top-ten matchup against Ole Miss into something of an uproar.

Sam Leavitt: Doubtful for LSU vs. Ole Miss?

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LSU surprisingly listed Leavitt as doubtful this week, with reports indicating the standout transfer quarterback is battling a sore throwing shoulder and sat out a throwing session this week.

Because Leavitt finished last week’s victory against Louisiana Tech without any visible discomfort, the doubtful label, which in the SEC indicates a mere 25 percent chance of playing, has sparked some fierce debate.

Reports note that Ole Miss staff remain skeptical, viewing the listing as some strategic gamesmanship by Lane Kiffin ahead of his return to his old school. But if Leavitt indeed cannot start, LSU will rely first on sophomore Landen Clark and possibly freshman Husan Longstreet.

Wide Receivers Dealing With Injuries

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Beyond this week’s SEC clash, several other major programs are dealing with issues around key skill players, most notably Oklahoma, which suffered a devastating blow by ruling wide receiver Trell Harris out for the foreseeable future after he sustained a severe internal abdominal injury following a violent hit during the Sooners’ loss at Michigan last weekend.

Florida is monitoring a critical game-time decision regarding wide receiver Eric Singleton, who is dealing with an ankle ailment ahead of Saturday’s matchup at Auburn, and UCLA wideout Mikey Matthews is officially out against Purdue after suffering a leg injury a week ago.

Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Minnesota star tailback Darius Taylor is day-to-day with an undisclosed lower body injury, and given the Gophers are heavy favorites against Akron, they may simply choose to rest their premier rusher before conference play begins.

Line of Scrimmage Injuries to Watch

Impactful absences are also testing defensive and line rotations across the country, including at two SEC programs taking the field this weekend.

Fifth-year Florida defensive end Emmanuel Oyebadejo is listed as questionable with a lower body injury ahead of the Auburn game on the road.

Texas A&M is facing a minor test to its depth in the front seven ahead of hosting Kentucky, with defensive end Anto Saka listed with a 50-50 questionable designation.

South Carolina hosts Mississippi State in a matchup of SEC insurgent hopefuls, but the Gamecocks announced offensive tackle Josiah Thompson will not appear in the game, stretching their blocking depth a little thinner than expected against the Bulldogs.