The buildup to LSU-Ole Miss has already been loaded with tension, and Wednesday night added another twist.
When the SEC released its initial availability reports, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt landed on the doubtful list for Saturday’s game. Pete Thamel highlighted the news on X, calling it “A shocker on the SEC injury report, with LSU starting quarterback Sam Leavitt listed as doubtful.”
That status comes as a surprise because there was no sign Leavitt left the Louisiana Tech game hurt. The source of the concern may go back to the Clemson game, where he could have been dealing with an injury that also helps explain the three interceptions he threw.
Now the question is whether this is a real setback or a little Lane Kiffin misdirection. LSU heads into a reunion game with plenty of intrigue already attached, and Kiffin has never been a stranger to gamesmanship. If Leavitt is truly unavailable, Ole Miss has to prepare for either Landen Clark or Husan Longstreet, which changes the picture fast.
The stakes are already high around Oxford this week. There have been talks swirling about police and security presence, and on Tuesday Ole Miss served former Rebel Princewill Umanmielen with a lawsuit over unpaid buyout fees. The quarterback uncertainty just piles onto the drama.
If Leavitt can’t go, LSU takes a major hit in a game that carries real weight for its College Football Playoff hopes. Clark would be making a huge jump after starting his career at Elon, while Longstreet would be making his first career start after backing up USC last season.
And this matchup was already packed with storylines. Kiffin is back in Oxford in his first SEC game as LSU’s head coach, facing the program he helped rebuild and the assistant he left behind, Pete Golding. Golding now has Ole Miss rolling with one of the country’s best quarterbacks in Trinidad Chambliss, while Kiffin may be forced to lean on a backup in one of the most hostile settings imaginable.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Just Added Another Twist To LSU Week
Landry Kiffin picked a familiar college-football backdrop for the launch of her new clothing brand, Fifth Year, rolling out the live sale during the LSU-Ole Miss game. The brand leans into activewear and gameday apparel, built around college colors and traditions, which makes the timing feel especially on-brand for a family that has spent plenty of time around both sidelines.
For LSU fans, the launch adds another layer to a week already shaped by the Kiffin familys connections to both programs. Landrys ties to LSU and Ole Miss give Fifth Year a built-in crossover appeal, and the coincidence of debuting it on game day only sharpened the spotlight around a matchup that was already going to draw attention well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Huge Ole Miss Question At Quarterback
An already important trip to Ole Miss got more complicated for LSU when quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful because of an undisclosed injury. Leavitts availability had been one of the biggest factors in how this matchup was being framed, and his status now hangs over everything LSU is trying to sort out before kickoff.
If Leavitt cannot go, Elon transfer Landen Clark is expected to step in and make the start, which would put a lot more on LSUs shoulders in a tough road environment. The betting line has already moved in Ole Misss favor since the news broke, a pretty clear sign of how much this quarterback situation has changed the outlook for the Tigers. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Picked Up An Ugly Off Field Twist
The LSU-Ole Miss rivalry already has plenty of edge on the field, but now it has spilled into the courtroom in a way that reaches straight into the Tigers roster. Ole Miss has filed breach-of-contract lawsuits against former Rebels Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper after both transferred to LSU, putting a legal wrinkle on what is usually just another bitter SEC football matchup.
Umanmielen was served court papers tied to the lawsuit just before LSUs game against Ole Miss, and he now has to respond with discovery documents as the case moves forward. The suit seeks nearly $1 million in penalties and is aimed at sorting out revenue-sharing obligations between the schools, turning a familiar rivalry into something far messier than a Saturday in Oxford or Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]