After a whirlwind of a quarterback search, it appears that Lane Kiffin has found his guy. Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt committed to LSU on Monday. Leavitt visited LSU, Tennessee, and Miami last week before settling on the Bayou Bengals. Meanwhile, LSU hosted big-name quarterbacks at a frenzied pace akin to speed dating. In the end, the two parties might have not only made one of the strongest matches of a prospect to a program but also one of the most consequential combinations on the national stage.
Sam Leavitt to LSU
What’s the Big Deal?
Leavitt left high school as a four-star prospect and the best overall player in the state of Oregon. He originally enrolled at Michigan State, where he played minimal snaps as a freshman. From there, he went to Arizona State and flourished as a full-time starter.
The Sun Devils were an afterthought in the Big 12 leading up to the 2024 season, projected to finish last in the conference. Leavitt was a big reason why Arizona State overachieved by winning the conference while earning a bid to the College Football Playoffs. 247Sports’ top-ranked overall player in the portal passed for over 2,800 yards and accumulated over 400 rushing yards in 2024. He pushed Texas to the limit with his dual-threat ability before losing a double-overtime classic in the playoffs.
Leavitt suffered a Lisfranc injury in September in a game against Baylor but continued to play for another month, which shows his toughness as a player. He eventually opted for surgery in October. To this point in his career, he’s showcased a strong arm, exceptional running ability, and the intangibles needed to elevate his teammates.
What Does This Mean for LSU?
LSU made waves last week while adding standout wide receivers and edge defenders to an essentially new roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Every commitment announcement evoked “yeah, but” comments from the fanbase regarding the lack of quarterbacks and offensive linemen. While the Tigers still have work to do on the offensive line, the quarterback position looks light-years better than it did a week ago.
Leavitt joins Elon transfer Landen Clark as the latest quarterback signees for LSU. Clark is a slightly smaller dual-threat quarterback who excelled at a lower level but committed to LSU with tempered expectations for his first year. As for Leavitt, high rankings bring high expectations. There’s an obvious but critical reason Kiffin flew to Tennessee to see Leavitt in the middle of his visit with the Vols – LSU needs elite play at the position. The Tigers went all in (of course, after Washington’s Demond Williams was ruled out as a possibility) to land Leavitt. Mission accomplished.
Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr. now know their quarterback and can begin to build an offense around him. Sure, it will involve a healthy percentage of what we saw at Ole Miss in 2025. But every quarterback is different, and the staff will add tweaks and wrinkles to accentuate Leavitt’s strengths. The quarterback is the first step to developing the identity of the offense, and the staff now has him in place.
Off-Field Ramifications
This signing is obviously significant for the 2024 Tigers on the field. Subpar quarterback play is one of the biggest culprits behind Brian Kelly getting the boot from the “Boot” known as Louisiana. Leavitt has the tools to help in the run game but also buy time in passing plays, which helps LSU in two of its biggest problem areas of 2025. He’s an offensive game changer now under the tutelage of a brilliant offensive mind in Kiffin.
Off the field, this is a statement. The new LSU staff won’t throw money at every highly ranked transfer prospect in the portal. But it will go all in with effort and funds on the players it deems most important to the program. This statement might “shock” the college football world, but LSU fans are a tad impatient. Kiffin’s seemingly slow start in the transfer portal gave some instant buyer’s remorse and fostered doubt. But this group of coaches has trusted its evaluations, extending offers to unproven players from obscure places. Leavitt’s commitment reinforces that when it comes to the must-haves, LSU will be a considerable adversary for any program in competition.
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