It goes without saying that LSU landing Sam Leavitt through the transfer portal is a monster win for Lane Kiffin. The Tigers were left with zero scholarship quarterbacks after Michael Van Buren and Colin Hurley both entered the portal, and missed out on Brendan Sorsby early on. But after a long and winding recruitment process, Leavitt committed to LSU on Monday morning.
SEC rival not giving up on Sam Leavitt despite reports of LSU commitment
While Kiffin has been hard at work bringing in over 20 players from the portal thus far, Leavitt was the signature signing he was looking for. Not only does Leavitt give LSU's offense an extremely high ceiling in 2026, but it makes LSU's transfer portal class the envy of teams across the country.
LSU's transfer portal class skyrockets in the rankings after Leavitt commitment
With the addition of Leavitt, LSU's transfer portal class is now ranked No. 1 in the country by 247Sports. The class boasts 23 players in total, with Leavitt leading the way as the lone 5-star of the group.
With the addition of Sam Leavitt, #LSU officially has the #1 transfer portal class in the country pic.twitter.com/Y30e0Pr1r6
— Tingle & Co (@Tingle__Co) January 12, 2026
At this time, LSU's portal class ranks just ahead of Texas at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Penn State, No. 4 Oklahoma Sate, and No. 5 Ole Miss. All of those teams aside from Texas are going through a coaching change.
The portal opened on January 2 and will remain open until this Friday, January 16. Along with addressing the quarterback position, Kiffin has bolstered LSU's offensive line, defensive line, and wide receiver room through the portal thus far. He is most likely not done yet, and it will be interesting to see what moves he pulls off in the final days of the portal being open.
The LSU Football program struggled mightily in 2025, and after such a disappointing Brian Kelly era, Tiger fans are eager to compete for another National Championship. LSU hasn't made the College Football Playoff since its historic 2019 season, but Kiffin's arrival and solid moves in the portal thus far have Tiger fans ready for the season to begin. The 2026 season kicks off on Saturday, September 5 when LSU hosts Clemson at Tiger Stadium.