$3.1 million transfer portal QB strongly linked to five elite college football programs

The top-ranked player in the college football transfer portal is predictably drawing strong interest, and some serious heavy-hitters are now involved in the race to sign the quarterback.

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The top-ranked overall player in the college football transfer portal cycle is predictably getting some serious interest from major players at the top level, and it appears the star quarterback will have five schools to pick from ahead of the 2026 season.

Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt has visited with one SEC school this week and is preparing to meet with a College Football Playoff team out of the Big 12 today, with three other schools also involved, according to On3 Sports.

Where Leavitt has been

Kentucky is the SEC program that most recently hosted Leavitt on a transfer visit as the school underwent a change at head coach and also at the quarterback position.

Cutter Boley elected to transfer away from the Wildcats after the departure of head coach Mark Stoops and the hiring of Will Stein.

That leaves the school in the market for a proven commodity at the quarterback position to lead an offense that has recycled several signal callers in recent seasons and still struggled.

Where he’s going

One of the most-improved programs in college football this season is also scouting a new quarterback, as Texas Tech is said to be hosting Leavitt on an official visit over the weekend, according to the On3 report.

The offense had its ups and downs with Behren Morton in command at quarterback, but now with the veteran starter preparing to enter the NFL Draft, the Red Raiders are poised to be in the market for a proven replacement.

Leavitt certainly fits the bill, and Texas Tech has shown it’s willing to put serious money into its roster, as evidenced by last offseason’s spending spree that revamped their defense and helped put them in the College Football Playoff in 2025.

Who else is in play?

Three other notable programs all in need of something at quarterback are said to be in the mix for Leavitt, one in the Big Ten, another in the SEC, and a third from the ACC.

Oregon could potentially lose starter Dante Moore to the draft after the end of the school’s College Football Playoff run, and installing a player of Leavitt’s experience would be an instant answer at the most important position.

Although, that may not be the case, as ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel recently suggested that Moore could decide to return to the Ducks in 2026, and cited a feeling from inside the program that he might stay rather than enter the draft.

Lane Kiffin is also interested in the quarterback as he installs his first roster at LSU, and the school is reportedly preparing to make a serious investment in the transfer portal after marshaling their donors to the cause to inject big money into the project.

Quarterback and wide receiver are said to be primary objectives for Kiffin and his staff heading into 2026, and the coach has demonstrated his inclination to use the portal as much as needed.

Lastly, expect Miami to once again be in the market for a veteran quarterback as current starter Carson Beck prepares to enter the NFL Draft.

Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes have profited from the portal at the quarterback position recently, bringing on Cam Ward a year ago before scoring Beck as a transfer.

Leavitt could get serious money

Not long after it was reported that Leavitt intended to enter his name into the college football transfer portal, insiders speculated that he could have a windfall as a result.

Experienced quarterbacks are among the most coveted prizes in any transfer portal cycle, and one of Leavitt’s caliber could be in the market for some serious NIL cash.

“Sam Leavitt on the open market is going to command a significant amount of money,” 247Sports analyst Chris Hummer said of the quarterback’s market.

“We’re talking $3 million-plus, most likely. Although, in all fairness, I think teams really do have questions about Sam Leavitt’s injury and what that means moving forward. It’s kind of like the Carson Beck situation a year ago.”

Leavitt currently ranks No. 5 nationally with a $3.1 million valuation, according to the On3 Sports national player estimates, and is second among quarterbacks behind Arch Manning ($5.3 million).

What Sam Leavitt has 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.

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.

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.

(On3)