College Football HQ

$4 Million QB Ranked No. 1 SEC College Football Transfer

The most talked about transfer wound up at the SEC football powerhouse that was the subject of the most talked about coaching move this offseason.
James Parks|
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin went straight to work living up to his Portal King nickname after emerging as the subject of the most consequential coaching move in college football this year.

Kiffin wound up at LSU and eventually signed the No. 1 overall transfer class comprised of 40 commitments, but perhaps none as vital as his new quarterback.

Sam Leavitt was Kiffin’s big target at the most important position, and ended up the jewel in LSU’s crown in an active and promising offseason.

Leavitt was considered the top-ranked quarterback in the country when he entered the transfer portal, and he held onto that No. 1 position in the latest edition of the SEC transfer portal player rankings looking ahead to the 2026 season.

Leavitt also leads NIL values in 2026

Not only is Leavitt considered the top-ranked quarterback to enter the transfer portal in the 2026 cycle. He’s also regarded as the most valuable.

Leavitt currently ranks No. 1 nationally among quarterbacks that transferred during this season’s cycle in total estimated NIL value.

LSU’s new signal caller is worth $4 million in total NIL valuation, according to the updated On3 Sports national player rankings this cycle.

That figure represents a notable jump from earlier this month, when experts calculated Leavitt to be worth $3.1 million, an increase of roughly 29 percent in value.

Leavitt now sits No. 4 nationally overall in the NCAA when it comes to NIL player valuation rankings this coming season.

What he's done on the field

Leavitt initially began his college football career at Michigan State back in 2023, appearing in four games with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions before making the move that would put him on the national stage.

The quarterback made a bombshell transfer to Arizona State in the 2024 offseason, a decision that propelled himself and the program to a historic effort that year.

College Football Playoff bound

Leavitt helped lead the Sun Devils to a 10-2 regular season campaign and beat Iowa State by a 45-19 count to win the Big 12 championship and put the school into the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.

That season, Leavitt was responsible for 2,885 yards passing with 24 touchdowns against 6 interceptions, rushing for another 443 yards and 5 additional scores.

Leavitt won the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honor and was named Second Team All-Big 12 for his efforts after posting the most passing yardage for a freshman quarterback in Arizona State football history.

Injury intervenes

But his 2025 season was ultimately cut short by a Lisfranc injury after the Sun Devils’ game against Houston.

Leavitt passed for 1,628 yards with 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, rushing for 306 yards and another 5 scores in seven appearances this fall.

Now, considered the best quarterback to transfer in the SEC this offseason, Leavitt hopes to return to form and give LSU and Lane Kiffin a foundation to make a run at the playoff.

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

Home/Transfer Portal