Sports Illustrated’s latest quarterback ranking for the 2026 college football season put LSU’s Sam Leavitt in a familiar spot: right near the top, but not quite at the summit.
SI slotted Leavitt at No. 9 on its list of every Power 4 starting quarterback, with Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss taking the No. 1 spot. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin checked in at No. 2, and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr came in at No. 3.
For Leavitt, the placement reflects both what he showed and what he fought through in 2025. SI listed his Arizona State numbers as a 60.7% completion rate, 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 129.2 efficiency rating. The outlet said his standing among the nation’s elite took a hit because of an injury-riddled season, but also pointed to the way he kept Arizona State alive in key games.
“He gritted his way to upsets of TCU and Texas Tech, the latter’s only loss of the regular season.”
SI also noted that in 2024, only seven Power 4 quarterbacks reached the combination of more than 3,000 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns, and Leavitt was one of them. The piece described him as “as tough as they come” and said the fit with Lane Kiffin is “tantalizing.”
There’s also a stylistic angle to the move. SI said there are “plenty of similarities” between Leavitt and Chambliss, adding that if anyone is going to get the best out of Leavitt at this stage of his career, it’s Kiffin.
The rest of SI’s top 10 had Dante Moore at No. 4, Darian Mensah at No.
5, Arch Manning at No. 6, Demond Williams Jr. at No.
7, Jayden Maiava at No. 8 and Josh Hoover at No. 10.
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