No. 1 transfer portal QB turns down three major college football programs

Sam Leavitt entered the transfer portal following a 2025 season that was disrupted by injuries and roster turnover at Arizona State, ultimately prompting a reset at the quarterback position.

Since formally entering the market, Leavitt has reportedly taken official visits to Kentucky and Tennessee, while also meeting with Miami as the Hurricanes evaluated transfer quarterback options amid their College Football Playoff run, with veteran starter Carson Beck expected to move on after the season.

As speculation has built around his recruitment over the past several weeks, it was reported on Monday that Leavitt is now expected to sign with LSU, choosing the Tigers over Kentucky, Tennessee, and Miami, the latter of which remains one win away from a national championship.

The decision is widely viewed as imminent and would pair Leavitt with new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, a coach with a well-documented track record of maximizing the performance of experienced transfer quarterbacks.

Sources: Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt is expected to sign with LSU. Leavitt’s pick comes after trips to Kentucky, Tennessee and Miami. He led ASU to the College Football Playoff in 2024 and has 4,652 career passing yards and 36 touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/sAol6XDodc
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 12, 2026

Leavitt’s 2025 campaign was cut short by a foot/ankle injury that required season-ending surgery, but prior to the injury, he had thrown for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games, while adding 306 rushing yards and five rushing scores.

He entered 2025 as Arizona State’s entrenched starter after a breakout 2024 season, and despite the injury-shortened year, his broader body of work remained highly attractive to portal suitors.

Across his career, one season at Michigan State and two at Arizona State, Leavitt has totaled 4,652 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns, along with 816 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs over 24 games (four at Michigan State, 20 at ASU).

His 2024 season at Arizona State, in which he led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and a CFP appearance, included 2,885 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns, along with 443 rushing yards and five rushing scores, production that helped elevate him to the No. 1-ranked player in the 2026 transfer portal cycle.

Leavitt also ranks among the higher-valued players in college football’s NIL landscape, carrying an estimated valuation of approximately $3.1 million, a figure that could see further growth in a high-visibility SEC environment such as LSU.

ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt. — ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) scrambles out of the backfield against the Houston Cougars at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LSU entered the portal cycle with an immediate need at quarterback, with starter Garrett Nussmeier out of eligibility and limited proven depth behind him.

Kentucky, Tennessee, and Miami have likewise pursued established portal options to stabilize their offenses ahead of the 2026 season, but LSU’s combination of SEC exposure, roster infrastructure, and NIL resources in Baton Rouge presented a more compelling landing spot.

Leavitt’s reported decision to choose LSU effectively removes a top-tier quarterback from the market, closing a major target for Kiffin while forcing the remaining programs to recalibrate their quarterback plans moving forward.

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