The LSU offense endured a bit of a lost season in 2025. Garrett Nussmeier entered the season as a Heisman favorite, but a lingering abdominal injury severely limited his ceiling and ultimately cut his senior season short. The offensive line was also a cause for concern, and put the Tiger offense in tough spots all season long.
LSU finished dead last in the SEC with 333.5 total yards of offense per game and 14th in the conference with 22.8 points per game. Needless to say, Tiger fans are eager to see an offensive turnaround in Year 1 of the Lane Kiffin era.
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As Kiffin navigated the transfer portal in the early days of his LSU tenure, his biggest splash came in the form of former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt. Leavitt was the No. 2 quarterback on the market according to Saturday Blitz, and headlines an LSU transfer portal class that is ranked No. 1 in the country by 247Sports.
Leavitt is already in the Heisman conversation for 2026, but his odds have taken a shift now that Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is back in the mix.
Sam Leavitt's Heisman odds increase with Trinidad Chambliss coming back for another season
Last week, Chambliss was granted an injunction against the NCAA after several weeks of back-and-forth courtroom drama. The ruling from Judge Robert Whitwell means that Chambliss has met the criteria to receive a medical redshirt for a sixth season and is eligible to play in the 2026 season. Chambliss was one of the best quarterbacks in the country this past season, and is already among the Heisman favorites for 2026.
When he committed to LSU in January, Leavitt was tied for the 5th-best odds to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy with odds of +1300 on FanDuel Sportsbook. Now, Leavitt's odds have increased to +1600, and he is now tied for 8th on the list.
Chambliss wasn't present on odds boards in January, but now he is near the top of the list. More specifically, Chambliss' odds of +650 are second in the country, trailing only Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
Leavitt comes to Baton Rouge after two seasons in Tempe, and led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2024. In his career, Leavitt has racked up over 5,400 total yards and 46 total touchdowns. He has two years of eligibility remaining, and is looking to jump start LSU's offense early on in 2026.