How Lane Kiffin, LSU Tigers can get Sam Leavitt going in 2026

Quarterback Sam Leavitt was a nice pickup for Lane Kiffin when he became head coach of the LSU Tigers.

Kiffin looked into the transfer portal and snagged Leavitt from Arizona State, where he had thrown for 4,513 yards and 34 touchdowns over the last two seasons (nine interceptions) while adding 10 touchdowns on the ground.

In fact, Leavitt was ranked as the top overall player available in the 2026 transfer portal.

Expectations are high for Kiffin in Baton Rouge despite the fact that he's heading into just year one with the program. Leavitt's upside as a quarterback gives the Tigers a legitimate shot to at least compete to get into the College Football Playoff.

Leavitt helped ASU make the playoff in 2024, so he knows what it takes.

It's worth noting that anonymous coaches who have either played or scouted Leavitt don't think he's a top-tier quarterback, though.

A recent report from Adam Rittenberg of ESPN cites two SEC defensive coordinators.

While they both agreed that Leavitt is dangerous as a playmaker, they did criticize his overall ability as a quarterback a bit.

"So, just sneaky athletic, really way more elusive than you would think, just one of those make-something-out-of-nothing kind of guys," one defensive coordinator who is expecting to play LSU this season said. "He's a good, solid passer. He'll miss on some throws that you expect him to make it to be that high-level guy. But where he gets you is when he extends plays."

How LSU can best use Sam Leavitt in 2026 

The other coordinator took a shot at Leavitt, while at the same time suggesting that there's a way Kiffin and LSU can really get the quarterback going in 2026.

"He's not the talent level that a normal LSU quarterback would be," the second quarterback said. "If they [have success], it's going to be because they got him going in the system. He doesn't freak you out when you watch him, but he is dangerous at times. I would rather play him than Diego Pavia."

What could Kiffin and LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. take away from this?

It seems simple enough. If they ask Leavitt to be a traditional "pocket passer" quarterback and simply run the offense, they're not going to get everything they can out of him.

They could scheme some designed runs and chances for Leavitt to get out of the pocket and make something happen with his feet, though. That would be one way to "get him going". The other way would be to scheme some nice, easy passes early on in any given series or game to help him develop a rhythm as a passer.

Lean into his strengths and help him with his weaknesses.

Sometimes the game is simple, and sometimes it takes another set of eyes to see it. In this case, it was two rival defensive coordinators for LSU.