Early in the 2026 quarterback transfer cycle, everything seemed to freeze around Brendan Sorsby.
He had planned visits to Texas Tech, LSU and Miami, and those three programs - all of them aggressive, all of them ready to move - were left waiting on his call. Behind him, the rest of the quarterback market stalled too. Coaches, agents and general managers kept circling back to the same question: What's Sorsby going to do?
That wasn’t just idle chatter. One quarterback’s decision could set off a chain reaction, deciding who got an offer, who landed a visit, and who suddenly lost the spot he wanted most.
Now, eight months later, with one major Sorsby scandal behind the sport, the picture is much clearer. The question is no longer who’s still available. It’s whether the big-money bets came out right.
No. 6 Indiana opens its national championship defense with Josh Hoover stepping in for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
No. 7 Miami, coming off a loss to Indiana in the national title game, is turning to Darian Mensah after his late and contentious exit from Duke.
No. 11 LSU will hand the start of the Lane Kiffin era to Sam Leavitt, the former No. 1 player in Cooper Petagna’s 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings.
Each of those teams is carrying College Football Playoff expectations into the season. Each spent at least $4 million to land an experienced starting quarterback. And each will debut next week with a transfer who arrived under a different set of circumstances.
Leavitt was the prized talent whose market needed time to fully form. Hoover was the steady veteran Indiana targeted early. Mensah was the surprise late addition who ended up rescuing Miami after nearly every other top option was gone.
Put together, they’re three of the boldest wagers in the transfer portal era.
Sam Leavitt: The talent LSU refused to let get away
In Other News...
Dabo Swinney Seems Close To Clemsons Biggest Week 1 Decision
Clemsons quarterback plan for Week 1 against LSU is starting to come into focus, and it points toward Christopher Vizzina getting the nod. The Tigers have also been sorting through freshman Tait Reynolds in the competition, but the lean toward Vizzina makes sense given the setting and his prior experience, especially with a season-opener that will carry immediate weight for both programs.
Dabo Swinney has taken a similar approach before, opening with the steadier, more seasoned option before handing the job to a freshman later on. For LSU, the matchup already has enough intrigue without the added uncertainty of Clemsons quarterback room, but the decision still matters because it shapes how aggressive the Tigers can be early and how quickly the game could tilt once the first snap arrives. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Pushing The SEC Into A Fight It Didnt Want
LSUs roster-building efforts have turned into more than just another offseason maneuver, with the Tigers reportedly trying to bring in former NFL hopefuls DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris under a ruling that would grant Class of 2022 players a fifth season of eligibility. The move has put LSU squarely in the middle of a broader eligibility fight, one that has already prompted other programs to back away while the Tigers keep pushing ahead.
The SEC, meanwhile, has already taken steps to block those additions, approving a rule that would prohibit them and carry fines for schools that try. But enforcement has become murky because of legal challenges, including a Louisiana court order, leaving the conference and LSU on a collision course over who gets the final say. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Lost A Late Defensive Line Option Fans Were Watching
Former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn has found his next stop, with the Kansas City Chiefs claiming him off waivers after he went unclaimed in NFL free agency. Pyburn had been a name worth watching around Baton Rouge because he briefly weighed a college return, but a strong preseason showing helped push him toward staying in the league instead.
For LSU, the news is more notable as a footnote than a setback. The Tigers had already handled their defensive line business during the offseason, so Pyburn was never viewed as a player they had to get back, even if his availability had kept some fans curious. Still, his path from possible return candidate to Chiefs pickup adds one more layer to an LSU defensive front that has already been reshaped for the year ahead. [Read more 🡒]