LSU is heading into the upcoming season with plenty of buzz, and Sam Leavitt is a huge reason why.
The Tigers made a major change after last season, parting ways with Brian Kelly and bringing in Ole Miss quarterback Lane Kiffin after the regular season finale. Kiffin went 55-19 in six seasons in Oxford and helped lead the Rebels to their first playoff berth last season.
That coaching change is only part of why LSU is drawing so much attention. The Tigers also landed the No. 1 transfer portal class in college football, and the headline addition was former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt.
Leavitt’s résumé already has real weight. In 2024, he passed for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions while guiding Arizona State to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth. His 2025 season never got a full chance to build on that momentum, though, because he was injured and played only seven games.
That uneven recent stretch is part of why Leavitt isn’t getting the same preseason shine as some of the other top names in the 2027 NFL Draft conversation. But Todd McShay thinks the ceiling is much higher than the current buzz suggests.
"Sam Leavitt, like, I'm not saying he will be, but I'm telling you, he could wind up being the best quarterback from this class," McShay said on 'The Ryen Russillo Show.'
For Leavitt, LSU is a chance to reset the national conversation. He has already shown he can lead a Power Four program to the College Football Playoff, and now he gets to do it under Kiffin, a coach known for getting strong production from his quarterbacks.
Health and consistency will decide how far this goes. If Leavitt stays on the field and looks like the player he was during Arizona State’s 2024 run, his draft stock can move fast. If not, the questions will keep coming, especially after a 2025 season that ended early.
That is what makes McShay’s take stand out. Leavitt does not have to open the year as the favorite to become the top quarterback in the class. He just has to outplay the expectations around him.
The 2027 quarterback race may currently be centered on names like Arch Manning and Dante Moore, but McShay is making sure Leavitt stays in the mix. If LSU gets the version of Leavitt it thinks it brought in, he could do more than join the debate. He could reshape it.
In Other News...
Former LSU Standouts Are Turning Preseason Chances Into Real NFL Momentum
Training camp headlines can blur together fast, but a handful of former LSU standouts have given themselves a much better shot at sticking in the NFL with strong preseason showings. Jack Pyburn, Barion Brown and Zavion Thomas all made noise in different uniforms, and each turned early opportunities into production that caught attention beyond the usual August noise.
Pyburn finished with four sacks for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brown chipped in multiple catches and a rushing touchdown for the New Orleans Saints, and Thomas was especially productive for the Chicago Bears with five receptions for 140 yards and a score. For LSU fans, it is the kind of preseason development worth tracking closely, because performances like these can be the difference between a practice-squad wait and a real roster spot. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Kellys First Post-LSU Move Will Spark Plenty Of Reactions
Brian Kellys first fall away from the sideline came with a headset instead of a play sheet, as he made his debut as a college football color commentator on CBS for the North Dakota State-Jacksonville State game. For a coach who had not spent a season outside the profession since the late 1970s, the shift was a notable one, and it immediately gave LSU fans a different way to watch the former Tigers coach start his next chapter.
Kelly said he knows there is work to do on the broadcasting side, but he also sounded appreciative of the help he received from his CBS colleagues. The move comes after a long coaching run and his recent departure from LSU, so seeing him in the booth instead of on the sideline is bound to draw reactions in Baton Rouge and beyond as his post-LSU path begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Could Get A Huge Pass Rush Boost Right Before The Opener
With NFL teams trimming down to their 53-man rosters, former LSU defensive end Jack Pyburn is suddenly in play again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived him as they finalized their roster, and if he clears waivers, the plan is for him to head back to Baton Rouge just before the Tigers open the season.
For LSU, the timing could hardly be better. The SECs recent decision to allow players on NFL rosters to return to college football opened the door for Pyburn and other former NFL players to rejoin the Tigers, giving the defense a chance to pick up a significant boost right as the opener approaches. The only question now is how quickly everything falls into place. [Read more 🡒]