The talent is there, but there are reasons Sam Leavitt is about to play for his third Power Four team of his college football career. The former Michigan State and Arizona State quarterback opted to come to LSU to play for Lane Kiffin. A boat load of NIL money was involved, but there was also a chance for him to reset things at bit. For as good as 2024 was for him, Leavitt regressed considerably in 2025...
It should come as no surprise where Leavitt is at in Bill Connelly's Power Four quarterback rankings.
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr
- Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin
- Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss
- Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning
- USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava
- Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore
- Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker
- Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton
- Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby
- Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown
- Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah
- Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier
- Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Josh Hoover
- LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt
- BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier
Connelly's blurb about Leavitt speaks volumes, as he addressed his injury and character concerns.
"Injuries derailed Leavitt's 2025 campaign, and he appeared to burn plenty of bridges on his way out of Tempe, but maybe that makes him a good fit with a bridge-burning head coach. Regardless, he's dynamite when healthy, and almost no one more consistently coaxes epic upside out of their QBs than Kiffin. It's easy to see this move working out beautifully for LSU."
Simply put, Leavitt got hurt down the stretch for Arizona State last year. The defending Big 12 champions did not make it back to the College Football Playoff. Leavitt entered the transfer portal and did not end things on good terms with Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham. You know who else burned some bridges on the way to Baton Rouge? Kiffin has had many messy breakups before.
Together, they need to use one another to bring LSU back to the glory days they are accustomed to.
Sam Leavitt must prove his doubters wrong during his final season at LSU
When looking at Connelly's list of Power Four quarterbacks, Leavitt being in the top 15 makes sense, but one could argue that he should be a little higher. Slotting Leavitt in at No. 10 or 12 seems about right, but that is not what this list is about. What it tells us is Leavitt has something to prove, not only to himself, but to the new team that was willing to take a chance on him. He shall either sink or swim.
Heading into last season, Leavitt was widely seen as one of six quarterbacks who could go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. As it turns out, none of them will. The only lock to go inside the top 32 is Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, and he will be going No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Alabama's Ty Simpson is a very distant QB2. It remains to be seen if he is a first-round player.
At this time, as long as Leavitt stays healthy and is a good solider on Kiffin's new team, he can potentially prove all of his doubters wrong. There is no way around it. He has upgraded with every transfer he has made, at least from a brand-recognition and playoff-viability standpoint. The goal for this season is to make the playoff and achieve all of the other great things that come along with it.
If Leavitt falters again, it will unfortunately be for the same two reasons Connelly described above.