LSU may be heading into one of the biggest games on its schedule without the quarterback who’s fueled its fast start.
Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful on LSU’s initial injury report Wednesday evening ahead of Saturday night’s matchup with Ole Miss, and the designation raises real doubt about whether the Tigers will have their starter on the field. The injury has not been disclosed, and the timing caught attention because Leavitt did not appear hurt in LSU’s Week 2 win over Louisiana Tech.
Through two games, Leavitt has been one of LSU’s biggest weapons. The Arizona State transfer has thrown for 574 yards and two touchdowns while also making a major impact as a runner, averaging 5.9 yards per carry and scoring five rushing touchdowns. He has accounted for seven total touchdowns so far this season.
If Leavitt cannot play, LSU is expected to turn to Landen Clark. The Elon transfer has already seen action in the first two games and would be asked to make his first SEC start in a massive spot. Clark has completed seven of 10 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in 2026, and he brings some dual-threat ability of his own.
Leavitt arrived in Baton Rouge this offseason after transferring from Arizona State and was widely viewed as the top quarterback in the portal. LSU paid a heavy price to land him, which makes this development even more significant for a game that already had plenty of buzz.
The matchup with Ole Miss carries extra attention because LSU coach Lane Kiffin is preparing to return to his former school. Now, with Leavitt’s status up in the air, the spotlight on Saturday’s game only gets brighter.
The betting market reacted quickly, too. LSU moved to just a 1.5-point favorite on FanDuel after the news, down from being a field-goal favorite earlier in the day.
LSU and Ole Miss are set for Saturday night on ABC, with ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasting live from Oxford on Saturday morning.
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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 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 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Huge QB Question Before Ole Miss
LSU heads into its matchup with Ole Miss carrying a new layer of uncertainty at the most important position on the field. Starting quarterback Jaden Leavitt was listed as doubtful in the SEC availability report with an unspecified injury, a notable development for a team that has leaned on him in recent games and had seen no obvious signs of trouble during his recent play.
The rest of the report offered its own mix of caution and concern, with linebacker TJ Dottery listed as questionable and several other Tigers, including Tylen Singleton, TreyDez Gree, Whit Weeks and Phillip Wright III, appearing with varying injury statuses. Still, Leavitts designation is the one that changes the temperature of the week the most, because LSU now has to sort through a quarterback situation it did not seem to be anticipating only days before facing one of its biggest SEC tests. [Read more 🡒]