LSU will head into SEC Media Days in Tampa on Thursday with new head coach Lane Kiffin and three players ready to answer questions, but the most talked-about name on the roster won’t be there.
New starting quarterback Sam Leavitt is not part of the group LSU is sending, a decision that stands out because he would have been one of the biggest names in the building. Instead, the Tigers will be represented by linebackers TJ Dottery and Whit Weeks, along with tight end Trey'Dez Green.
Leavitt has not spoken publicly since joining LSU, and the move keeps his first appearance with the program away from the national spotlight for now. The idea appears to be giving him a little more time before putting him in front of reporters, especially with fall camp in Baton Rouge still ahead.
That makes sense when you consider what his media session would likely turn into. Questions about his injury situation would almost certainly dominate, and that would pull attention away from the prep and rehab he still has to handle.
There really does not seem to be another obvious explanation for why LSU would leave him at home. If the Tigers wanted their new quarterback to represent the program on a major offseason stage, he would have been the natural choice.
Dottery is a solid representative, but he does not carry the same national recognition as Leavitt. And with Weeks already on the list, LSU opting for another linebacker instead of its new quarterback suggests a clear choice to shield Leavitt from the spotlight a bit longer.
That also means fans will have to wait before hearing Leavitt explain why he picked Kiffin and LSU, and what his path through the portal looked like. For now, that first conversation will have to wait.
LSU’s media days schedule opens Thursday, with Kiffin set to speak at 9:05 a.m. CT. Dottery, Green and Weeks will follow in that order.
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