Lane Kiffin knocked it out of the park with his transfer portal signing of former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt. Ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the portal by On3, Leavitt chose to head to Baton Rouge over other offers from the likes of Tennessee and Miami (FL). Now, Kiffin has his QB1 heading into his first season at LSU.
Former big-time LSU recruit earns Opening Day starting role with new team
However, Leavitt's 2025 season was cut short by an ankle injury he suffered on October 25 against Houston. He underwent a procedure a few days later, and missed the final four games of ASU's regular season as well as the Sun Bowl against Duke.
Kiffin took to the podium on Wednesday to give a general update on the LSU Football program, with Leavitt being a big topic of discussion.
Sam Leavitt still recovering from ankle injury in preparation for Spring Camp
When discussing Leavitt's Spring Camp plans, Kiffin stated that the new Tiger QB will be able to throw and participate in 7-on-7 drills. However, he most likely won't be able to participate in any team drills.
Lane Kiffin touching on quartback portal grab Sam Leavitt#LSU pic.twitter.com/GfS3r6SRfR
— Isabelle (@isabellecal17) February 4, 2026
"Sam will be able to throw some and participate in 7-on-7, but not the team stuff. It was imperative to get quarterbacks. Our offense is pushed by the quarterback and tempo."Lane Kiffin
Kiffin also addressed the importance of adding multiple quarterbacks through the portal. In addition to Leavitt, LSU brought in former USC 5-star recruit Husan Longstreet as well as former Elon QB and FCS All-American Landen Clark. That combination gives LSU arguably the best QB room in the SEC.
"The other two quarterbacks are talented players. I’m proud of [GM Billy Glasscock] and our assistant coaches to do that at the quarterback position. It says a lot about the players to come to the same place. A lot of players want to go somewhere where they’re guaranteed to start."Lane Kiffin
Leavitt has racked up over 5,400 total yards and 46 total touchdowns in his collegiate career. He will be LSU's unquestioned QB1 in 2026, but his ankle injury is still worth monitoring. If any issues arise, Tiger fans can take comfort in the fact that Longstreet and Clark are also dynamic playmakers in their own right.
Longstreet is a former 5-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports, while Clark was the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year and an FCS All-American this past season as a redshirt freshman with Elon.
With Leavitt most likely not participating in team drills, that opens up the possibility for both Longstreet and Clark to get meaningful experience this spring. That experience could become very beneficial for Kiffin and the Tigers moving forward.