Sam Leavitt arrived at LSU with plenty of buzz, but three games into the 2026 season, the numbers and the tape have told a rougher story.
The Tigers’ quarterback, who was the No. 1 overall player and quarterback in the transfer portal when he signed from Arizona State last January, is now No. 14 in the SEC and No. 97 nationally in passing efficiency as LSU gets ready to host No. 23 Texas A&M on Saturday in Tiger Stadium (6:30 p.m., ABC). His 127.3 rating has been dragged down by five interceptions and only three touchdown passes, and the production behind it has been uneven: 57 completions on 93 attempts, a .612 completion percentage and just 7.8 yards per attempt.
The bigger issue for LSU has been what Leavitt has looked like when the pressure rises. He has missed open throws, including a chance to tie Ole Miss late when he couldn’t connect with tight end Zach Grace in the end zone with 1:03 left and LSU facing third and goal at the Ole Miss 6-yard line. On the next fourth-down play, Leavitt’s throw was batted down at the line and intercepted, sealing a 32-24 loss for the Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
“One possession game, and we go all the way down there to third down,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said on Sunday. “We got a guy open (Grace) to try to tie it before going for two. And we miss him.”
Leavitt was under heat throughout much of the afternoon. He was sacked twice and hurried seven times, even if that final sequence wasn’t one of the snaps where the rush got to him immediately.
“I know people will watch and see the receivers open and say, ‘Well, Sam missed him, and he’s running around too much,'” Kiffin said. “But when you get rushed like that early that makes the quarterback move around early.
I thought Sam really was competitive. He made some great plays, trying to will the comeback.”
Leavitt finished 16 of 27 for 158 yards and one touchdown, a 26-yarder to wide receiver Winnie Watkins Jr. that pulled LSU within 24-21 with 3:05 left in the third quarter. By then, the Tigers had already dug themselves out of a 17-0 second-quarter hole and a 24-7 deficit at halftime.
Still, Kiffin pointed to a broader problem that has shown up in recent weeks.
“But we’ve been off in the passing game now at the beginning of the last two games,” Kiffin said.
He also suggested Leavitt may have been dealing with a minor setback during the week. Kiffin said Leavitt sat out Wednesday’s practice with an unspecified injury and was listed as “doubtful” on the SEC availability report that night.
Leavitt returned Thursday, was labeled “questionable,” and then cleared to play. Kiffin said the quarterback looked healthy in the game.
“It didn’t help missing practice last week,” Kiffin said. “He actually missed the third down, red zone day (on Wednesday) - the timing of those routes.
I believe that practice matters. That didn’t help him, and again the rush early.”
Even so, Kiffin made clear that LSU’s problems up front were a major part of the story. Left tackle Jordan Seaton, the No. 1 tackle in the portal last January and No. 3 overall portal player, did not play up to that billing, and Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles controlled Seaton and LSU left guard Bo Bordelon.
“We’ve got to play better around him,” Kiffin said. “We’ve got to protect him better.”
Kiffin said the staff will consider changes.
“Yeah, we’re going to look at some different things this week up front,” he said. “Because we need to play better and more consistent up there.”
In Other News...
LSUs Quarterback Situation Just Got Dragged Into A New Controversy
LSUs quarterback room has already carried plenty of weight this season, and now Sam Leavitts move to Baton Rouge has been pulled into a very different kind of spotlight. The Tigers loss to Ole Miss was the backdrop, but the noise afterward centered on social media attention around an account believed to be linked to Leavitts father, Jared Leavitt, a former BYU linebacker.
The posts drew controversy for comments about Muslims, and they quickly became part of the conversation around LSUs quarterback situation. As of now, LSU has not issued a statement about the social media posts, and there has been no apology from the account, leaving another off-field issue hanging over a team trying to settle things on the field. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Had Plenty To Say About This Ole Miss Sideshow
The LSU-Ole Miss matchup had plenty of on-field intrigue, but a separate social media subplot quickly grabbed attention around the game. A fan seated next to Barstools Ben Mintz was identified online as Hannah Minch, an Ole Miss supporter who already had a sizable following, and her appearance in the seats turned into one of those viral side stories that can travel fast during a big SEC weekend.
For LSU fans, it was another reminder of how much the conversation around this rivalry now spills well beyond the stadium. Minchs profile surged after the moment spread, while Lane Kiffin added his own layer to the night by speaking about the emotional closure he felt connected to his Ole Miss past and his current LSU role. It left plenty for both fan bases to debate long after the game itself faded from view. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Had A Message LSU Fans Wont Like
Ole Miss left Baton Rouge with a 32-24 win, and Trinidad Chambliss made sure the tone afterward matched the result. The Rebels quarterback was sharp from the start, finishing 33 of 48 for 363 yards and two touchdowns, and his play helped Ole Miss build a 24-7 lead by halftime before LSU tightened things up in the second half.
Chambliss also had a message for anyone still sizing up the Rebels after the game. He said Ole Miss is here to compete, a confidence that fit the way he played when the pressure was at its highest. For LSU, it was the kind of loss that leaves a sting because the early deficit made the comeback chase so difficult, and because the opposing quarterback sounded anything but surprised by the stage. [Read more 🡒]