Sam Leavitt commits to LSU: Top transfer portal QB expected to join Tigers for Lane Kiffin's first season
Leavitt will join Kiffin in Baton Rouge as LSU looks to rebound in 2026
Sam Leavitt, the No. 1 player in the transfer portal, is expected to land with Lane Kiffin at LSU.
The former Arizona State quarterback is expected to sign with the Tigers, sources confirmed to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, as Kiffin's full-court press to bring in the redshirt junior paid off with a commitment on Monday. Leavitt helped lead the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff appearance as a redshirt freshman in 2024. And while injuries ended his sophomore campaign after seven starts in 2025, he remained highly productive when he was on the field. Now he'll get the chance to work in Kiffin's offense as the former Ole Miss coach takes the reins in Baton Rouge.
For his career, Leavitt's completed 61.4% of his passes for 4,652 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, adding 816 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Now he'll head to LSU after a recruitment process that included visits to Miami, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Leavitt's visit to LSU was particularly notable as he was with Kiffin at an LSU basketball game when word broke that Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. was shockingly jumping in the portal, with many connecting the Tigers to Williams. Leavitt left Baton Rouge without committing, sparking concern that the Williams fiasco -- which led to his eventual return to Washington -- could cost LSU its top target. Kiffin then hit the road to try and lock down Leavitt, even flying to Knoxville to meet with Leavitt on the heels of his visit to Tennessee. In the end, an agreement was reached.
What does Sam Leavitt bring to LSU?
After some early consternation about LSU's lack of portal splashes -- largely due to Ole Miss locking down top stars like Kewan Lacy to prevent them from following Kiffin -- the Tigers have put together one of the top portal classes in the country alongside Texas. Leavitt is the star of that group and represents the most important addition for Kiffin, who had to nail the quarterback situation to get the Tigers into the CFP conversation in his first year.
Not only is Leavitt the top-ranked QB in the portal, he appears to be a fantastic stylistic fit for what LSU will want to do under Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. Leavitt's mobility will be a plus in their system, as they've found success with QBs that can pick up chunks on the ground the last couple years with Jaxson Dart and Trinidad Chambliss.
While the Sun Devils didn't push the ball down the field as much in 2025 (7.08 air yards per attempt), Leavitt showed his ability to air it out in 2024 (8.84) and will be asked to do that again under Kiffin and Weis. The Tigers have revamped their receiver room, adding eight transfer wideouts, most notably four-star portal prospects Eugene Wilson III from Florida, Jayce Brown from Kansas State and Tre' Brown III from Old Dominion. Leavitt should have no shortage of talent to target on the outside, and knowing how Kiffin and Weis like to push the ball down the field, he'll get to open it up and show his arm talent in Baton Rouge.
With the quarterback situation finally taken care of, LSU fans can start to see the 2026 roster truly taking shape. Kiffin has had success turning transfer-heavy rosters into contenders. With Leavitt in tow, the expectations for the Tigers in 2026 will be a return to the playoff.
What's next for Miami's QB search?
Leavitt heading to LSU means a few significant programs are still looking for their starter for 2026. That list includes Miami, which is playing in next Monday's national championship game in what will be the last game of Carson Beck's career. The Hurricanes have hit portal gold at quarterback the past two seasons with Beck and Cam Ward, but it's not clear as of this moment who will take over for Mario Cristobal's group. Could Alabama's Ty Simpson be enticed with a lucrative offer despite announcing his intentions to declare for the NFL Draft?
Much of the portal quarterback market has dried up, with the top five in 247Sports' rankings all off the board and USC's Husan Longstreet (No. 6) as the only player in the top 11 not committed. Beau Pribula is also still on the market and recently visited Tennessee, but after Miami threw big money around to land top portal standouts in 2024 and 2025, the situation is much murkier going into 2026 -- ironically in the year the team is having its best season yet.
