Nick Saban has an interesting theory on Sam Leavitt's injury

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Nick Saban has an interesting theory on Sam Leavitt's injury

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Sep 18, 2026 2:55 PM ET

Nick Saban knows a thing or two when it comes to college football, and he had an interesting theory about LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt landing on the injury report.

Leavitt’s name surfaced on the report on Wednesday as doubtful, then was upgraded to questionable on Thursday. However, Saban insists that there isn’t anything wrong with Leavitt at all.

“If I was a betting man, I would say there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sam Leavitt,” Saban said on The Pat McAfee Show. “So, I would be psychologically telling the defensive players that this doesn’t matter…I’m 100% expecting Sam Leavitt to play in this game.”

"If I was a betting man I would say there's absolutely nothing wrong with Sam Leavitt

I'm 100% expecting Sam Leavitt to play in this game" ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/MUIcskDGxH
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 18, 2026

Leavitt and LSU take on Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford in a highly anticipated game . This marks the first time Lane Kiffin is returning to Ole Miss after his surprising exit to take the LSU job right before the College Football Playoff in 2025.

Saban and Kiffin worked together at Alabama from 2014 through 2016, when Kiffin was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Saban. So, the former Alabama coach might know exactly what Kiffin is trying to do.

Leavitt transferred from Arizona State this offseason, and he was regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country.

Leavitt has thrown for 574 yards with a pair of touchdowns and 4 interceptions in the first two games of his LSU tenure, and perhaps Kiffin is trying to catch Ole Miss off guard with this injury report play.

Or, maybe Leavitt really is nursing an injury. Either way, Saban isn’t buying it.

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