LSU QB Sam Leavitt Reveals the Real Reason Behind Leaving ASU for Lane Kiffin’s Program
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Lane Kiffin needed a splash for his debut season at LSU, which is why he aggressively pursued Sam Leavitt. The Arizona State quarterback’s commitment to the Tigers was the centerpiece of Kiffin’s roster overhaul, the No. 1 overall player in the 2026 transfer portal, and Leavitt has now opened up about the key factors that drove his decision.
Sam Leavitt Sends Strong Message About Choosing Lane Kiffin’s LSU After First Public Appearance
After Garrett Nussmeier graduated and Michael Van Buren Jr., who started LSU’s final four games of 2025, transferred to South Florida, LSU entered the transfer portal with no returning scholarship quarterbacks, making Leavitt one of Kiffin’s top priorities. Kiffin hosted Leavitt for an official visit in early January, days after Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby committed to Texas Tech instead of LSU.
Leavitt also visited Kentucky, Tennessee and later Miami in his recruitment. As for Kiffin, he even traveled to Knoxville to meet him before the quarterback headed to Miami, at a point when the relationship between Leavitt and LSU had cooled.
During that stretch, there were reports that Kiffin was pursuing Demond Williams Jr., which created more uncertainty around LSU’s chances in Leavitt’s sweepstakes. However, the Tigers ultimately landed their target, with Kiffin securing the No. 1 quarterback in the 2026 transfer portal class, according to On3, in a deal reported to be worth roughly $4 million. LSU also added Elon transfer Landen Clark and USC transfer Husan Longstreet to rebuild the room.
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Leavitt made his first public appearance since arriving in Baton Rouge on Thursday, July 30, at “The Huddle” event inside LSU’s indoor practice facility, and reflected on the decision that brought him to LSU.
“Just looking back at my process, I think leaving ASU, I had a comfortable situation,” Leavitt said.
“Walk in the building, I saw my guys, built great relationships, won a lot of games there. But I wanted to do something a little bit different. It’s funny, that’s kind of what everyone’s been saying around here, ‘It’s just different.’ It really is in every aspect. You come out here to the practices, the way individual reps are ran, the way that every single coach is just so poured into this, the time that we meet outside the initial time we’re supposed to meet, it truly is just a different situation.”
Asked about developing a professional approach and becoming the best version of himself, Leavitt said there’s no other place to do it. He is the latest Arizona State quarterback to make the move to Baton Rouge, following Jayden Daniels in 2022.
Leavitt led ASU to the Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff in the 2024 season, posting an 82.0 grade in the PFN QB Impact model, 10th best nationally. His second season with the Sun Devils was cut short by a Lisfranc injury in his right foot that required season-ending surgery in November. However, he still finished with 1,628 passing yards and 10 touchdowns before being sidelined.
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Kiffin shared an update on Leavitt’s recovery while speaking to reporters at a local event in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, July 29, saying the QB is now “at full strength.” The LSU head coach also spoke on the importance of fall camp, saying that the quarterback needs as many reps as possible with his new teammates after missing spring practice.
Leavitt has also been encouraged by the environment at LSU during the offseason, and fall camp opens Wednesday, the first time media will see him participate fully at LSU.
Kiffin is already facing mounting pressure heading into his first season at LSU, as the Tigers gave him everything he needed for immediate success. Leavitt is expected to play a big role in helping the Tigers turn those championship ambitions into reality.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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