Nick Saban says don't buy into Sam Leavitt injury story

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

We've got mounted police, fans being banned and Morgan Freeman.

What's a little gamesmanship, right?

That's how many view LSU's handling of Sam Leavitt showing up on the SEC availability report earlier this week ahead of Saturday's top-10 matchup with Ole Miss.

The Tigers quarterback was a surprise inclusion on Wednesday's injury report with a "doubtful" distinction. That raised a few eyebrows considering Leavitt finished LSU's win over Louisiana Tech without an apparent injury. On Thursday, Leavitt's status was improved to "questionable" after it was reported he participated in the team's walkthrough despite what On3 reported as a shoulder issue.

TOPPMEYER: Lane Kiffin would love to stick it to Ole Miss. And take home a souvenir

HAYES: Pete Golding fits at Ole Miss, something Lane Kiffin could never pull off

So is Lane Kiffin trying to unsettle Ole Miss even more than his return to Oxford already has? Kiffin's former employer, Nick Saban, says that's exactly what's happening.

“Well, if I was a betting man, I would say there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sam Leavitt," Saban said on 'The Pat McAfee Show' on Friday. "So I would be actually psychologically telling the defensive players that this doesn’t matter. Sam Leavitt is going to play, he’s going to be the best, we’ve got to stop him. Don't lose your edge because you think he’s not going to play, and then he shows up and plays, and it’s a downer.”

“So you’re expecting him to play, whole?” McAfee asked.

“100%," Saban responded.

Could Lane Kiffin be punished for misleading Sam Leavitt injury report?

The SEC provides a policy to guide labels on the injury report. For a player to be doubtful he is "unlikely to play due to significant injury concerns" and should be used in cases where a player is 25% likely to play.

Conduct that is found to be misleading is prohibited by the SEC. Manipulating the injury report can come with a fine.

Penalties for inaccurate or late reports regarding a football game range from a $25,000 to $100,000 fine for the school.

Will Sam Leavitt play vs Ole Miss?

It sure looks like it's trending that direction. The Arizona State transfer has been elevated from doubtful to questionable.

LSU football QB depth chart: Who is Sam Leavitt's backup?

LSU's backup quarterbacks to Leavitt are Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet.

Clark has seen more snaps as Leavitt's backup this season, while Longstreet did not participate in the Louisiana Tech game after seeing some time in the Tigers' blowout win against Clemson.

Who is Landen Clark

Clark transferred to LSU from Elon over the offseason. He was listed as a three-star recruit in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings, and the No. 64-ranked quarterback in the transfer class.

Clark started in all 12 games for Elon last season, throwing for a career-high 2,321 passing yards and 18 touchdown passes for the Phoenix. He added 11 rushing scores and 614 yards on the ground.

Here's a look at Clark's stats this season at LSU:

  • vs. Clemson: 5-of-7 passing (71.4%) for 72 yards with a touchdown; four carries for 23 rushing yards
  • vs. Louisiana Tech: 2-of-3 passing (66.7%) for 37 yards; three carries for 19 rushing yards and a touchdown

Who is Husan Longstreet?

Longstreet was a former five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class that included the likes of former LSU commit Bryce Underwood and Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell. He didn't see much playing time last season at Southern California behind Jayden Maiava, prompting his decision to enter the transfer portal, where he was one of the top-rated quarterbacks.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback was a four-star recruit and the No. 12-rated quarterback in the transfer portal according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

Here's a look at Longstreet's stats this season at LSU:

  • vs. Clemson: 1-of-1 passing for 33 yards

Clarion Ledger reporter Sam Hutchens contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nick Saban says don't buy into Sam Leavitt injury story

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos