From the moment he left Ole Miss for LSU, it was clear that Lane Kiffin was going all-in on the 2026 transfer portal, and with Garrett Nussmeier out of eligibility, that included finding a quarterback. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride to get there, but on Monday, Kiffin finally closed the deal, landing Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt.
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Leavitt helped lead the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff in 2024 and has two years of eligibility remaining after beginning his career at Michigan State in 2023. He is the No. 2-ranked quarterback on the market according to Saturday Blitz’s rankings, slotting in behind Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby, who is heading to Texas Tech.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported the news on Monday morning.
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
LSU lands a commitment from Arizona State transfer QB Sam Leavitt
His search has taken quite a few turns. It began with hopes of Ole Miss starter Trinidad Chambliss earning an extra year of eligibility and flipping allegiances. However, Chabmliss announced he would return to Ole Miss before being denied the waiver. Then Kiffin pivoted to Washington’s Demond Williams, a former Ole Miss recruit who breached his revenue-sharing contract with the Huskies to enter the portal and made that announcement while Leavitt was on his visit to Baton Rouge. Finally, with Williams returning to Washington, Kiffin was able to close the deal with Leavitt, but it wasn't easy.
LSU won Leavitt's commitment over Tennessee, Kentucky, and Miami, and the Volunteers posed a serious threat. So much so that Kiffin took a flight to Knoxville, where he began his head coaching career before bolting to USC after one season, to meet with Leavitt.
Leavitt was a bit of a surprise portal entrant, considering his close relationship with ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham, who helped to develop him over two years in Tempe. However, Dillingham's program was unable to afford the steep price that Leavitt would command on the open market and Dillingham's loss is Kiffin's gain.
Entering the season, the redshirt sophomore was viewed as a potential first-round talent in the 2026 NFL Draft, but injuries and a lack of efficiency in an offense no longer buoyed by former Sun Devil running back Cam Skattebo dipped his draft stock. Still, at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Leavitt is viewed as an eventual NFL quarterback and he should thrive in Kiffin's QB friendly offense with his combination of athleticism, accuracy, and anticipation.
With Leavitt, Kiffin now has one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC and a player that he can build a conference champion around. As other portal options like Williams, Florida transfer DJ Lagway, and Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola came off the board, Kiffin needed to close the deal and he got the best option available.