Sam Leavitt was supposed to solve LSU’s quarterback issue the moment he got to Baton Rouge. The Arizona State transfer brought real production, real buzz and the kind of talent that made him look like the answer before he ever took a snap for the Tigers.
Now the bigger question is whether he can stay available long enough to make that matter in 2026.
Leavitt’s offseason has already come with a warning sign. He missed most of spring practice while recovering from a Lisfranc injury, and that absence forced LSU to spend the entire window working through life without him. For Lane Kiffin and his staff, that meant the first-team offense had to run with backups at the controls - a useful rehearsal, but also a preview of the exact problem LSU is trying to avoid.
That’s the tension hanging over this offense. Kiffin built the system around Leavitt’s arm and mobility, and the quarterback room itself was shaped to resemble what Leavitt brings.
The plan is obvious: let him drive the identity of the offense. The concern is just as obvious: what happens if he can’t?
Leavitt’s reputation isn’t built on projection alone. He arrives after two seasons of real production at Arizona State, and evaluators see him as a potential first-round pick if that early body of work holds up.
The talent is there. The question mark is the medical file.
Spring gave LSU a chance to stress-test the depth chart, and the results were mixed. USC transfer Michael Longstreet entered the offseason as the clearest name behind Leavitt.
In limited college action last season, he showed promise and completed the vast majority of his throws as a true freshman. Even so, he still looks more like a long-term development piece than a clean 2026 solution.
Landen Clark, a redshirt sophomore with a season of FCS experience, made his own case while working through the same spring reps. As the practices went on, he flashed more polish and looked like the steadier option.
But LSU’s problem is simple: neither Longstreet nor Clark has the kind of SEC-level game experience the Tigers would want if Leavitt goes down.
If that worst-case scenario shows up, LSU would lean on whichever of the two wins the backup job. Based on spring alone, Clark would have the edge. Longstreet, though, found his rhythm late and still has a chance to push for the No. 2 spot once fall camp opens.
That’s why Leavitt’s health looms over everything. He wasn’t brought in just to start.
He was brought in because Kiffin’s offense is built to maximize exactly what he does best. Replacing that production, especially under SEC pressure, is a tall order no matter who ends up behind him.
In the end, health may be the biggest variable in LSU’s 2026 season - bigger than talent, bigger than scheme, and bigger than anything else in the room.
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Royal has not shut the door on anything, which is exactly why LSUs push matters. For a program that always has to fight off the biggest brands for elite receivers, getting back into the mix with a player of Royals caliber is the kind of development that can change the tenor of a recruitment, even if the final answer is still out there. [Read more 🡒]
One LSU Receiver Has The Clearest Path To Break Out Under Kiffin
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That kind of turnover usually creates a scramble for roles, but Watkins already knows the terminology and route patterns Kiffin wants, which gives him a cleaner path than most newcomers. LSU still has to sort out who becomes the next reliable target in the passing game, yet Watkins has the background and timing to make himself part of that answer early in 2026. [Read more 🡒]