LSU’s trip to Oxford suddenly has a cloud hanging over it.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful with an unspecified injury in coach Lane Kiffin’s availability report to the Southeastern Conference office on Wednesday night, three nights before No. 7 LSU’s matchup with No.
8 Ole Miss. Leavitt, a redshirt junior transfer from Arizona State, started LSU’s first two games this season.
The timing makes the news even more jarring. Leavitt was scheduled for player interviews on Tuesday at LSU but did not attend, and LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette offered no reason then. Bonnette also had no comment on Wednesday.
LSU and Ole Miss meet Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC in Oxford, Mississippi, in what has been billed as the biggest game of the college football season so far. The buildup has been intense ever since Kiffin left Ole Miss after last season to take over at LSU. ESPN’s College GameDay will be on site Saturday morning.
Leavitt had looked fine in LSU’s 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium. He finished 25 of 38 for 344 yards and a touchdown, even after throwing three interceptions in the second quarter. He also ran 11 times for 22 yards and three scores.
His opener against No. 23 Clemson was even more explosive.
In LSU’s 51-10 win on Sept. 5, Leavitt rushed 12 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns while completing 16 of 28 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown with an interception.
The SEC named him offensive player of the week after that game.
Leavitt also missed most of LSU’s spring practices last March and April while recovering from surgery on his right foot after an injury last season at Arizona State. Through two games this year, there had been no sign of any lingering trouble with that foot.
The availability report also included several other LSU names. Starting linebacker TJ Dottery, another transfer from Ole Miss, was listed as questionable with an injury. Dottery led LSU with nine tackles against Tech and forced two fumbles with a quarterback hurry, and he also appeared unaffected during that game.
Backup linebacker Tylen Singleton is also questionable. Starting tight end Trey’Dez Gree and starting linebacker Whit Weeks are listed as probable. Backup wide receiver Phillip Wright III is out for the game.
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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 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 🡒]