Sam Leavitt is stepping into the spotlight at LSU with the kind of expectations that follow a quarterback, a new offense, and a program expected to chase the top of college football.
The Tigers’ move into the Lane Kiffin era has already brought plenty of attention, and not all of it has been quiet praise. LSU has the talent, but the real question is whether all these pieces can come together fast enough to look like a team, not just a roster.
That burden lands heavily on Leavitt. The Arizona State transfer arrives in Baton Rouge after dealing with injuries in 2025, but he’s set for his first season with the Tigers. His résumé gives LSU plenty to work with: 44 total touchdowns in two seasons with the Sun Devils, plus a run to the College Football Playoff in 2024.
That kind of experience matters in a place like this. Kiffin gets a quarterback who has already performed on a big stage, and that should offer some comfort as LSU sorts through a major offensive overhaul.
The challenge now is different. Leavitt is no longer operating in familiar territory, and the pressure that comes with being LSU’s signal-caller is a different animal entirely.
If he doesn’t deliver, the season can turn fast.
He won’t be doing this alone, but he will be the one steering the ship. LSU has rebuilt its wide receiver room through the transfer portal, while also bringing in multiple offensive linemen and running backs. That means fall camp is about more than installing the offense - it’s about defining who does what and how quickly the group can develop trust.
Among the names to watch are Jayce Brown, Jackson Harris, and Winston Watkins Jr. Chemistry and timing with those receivers will be a major focus, and whatever work Leavitt has already put in with them over the summer will be put under the microscope once camp starts. The wideouts can create opportunities, but the quarterback has to finish them.
Trey'Dez Green is another key piece in all of this. At 6'7", he gives LSU a big target and a red-zone answer, and he should take some pressure off Leavitt. Kiffin also plans to use Green in multiple ways, which only adds to his value in the offense.
For LSU, the storylines are obvious and the expectations are loud. For Leavitt, the task is simpler to say than to do: shut out everything around him and play the best football of his college career.
In Other News...
LSUs Next Quarterback Battle May Already Be Taking Shape
Husan Longstreet has barely settled into LSUs program, but his arrival already gives the Tigers a clearer look at what comes next under Lane Kiffin. The redshirt freshman quarterback, once a five-star recruit at USC, is now part of Kiffins transfer class and has brought real pedigree to a room that always seems to be one turn away from a major reset.
For now, the path is straightforward enough: Sam Leavitt is the established starter, and LSU can afford to let Longstreet develop without forcing the issue. The bigger intrigue is the longer view, because if Leavitt heads to the NFL Draft after the season, Longstreet is the kind of arm LSU could be building toward as the program starts thinking about its next quarterback fight. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Could Face Another Staff Reset Sooner Than Fans Wanted
Lane Kiffin has at least gotten a seasons worth of continuity from his top two assistants, keeping offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and defensive coordinator Blake Baker in place as LSU settles into the year. For a program that has spent plenty of time dealing with change at the top and on the sidelines, having both coordinators back has mattered, especially with Baker already drawing interest before after being considered for the Tulane job and Weis building a reputation as one of the sports more promising young coaches.
Still, the longer LSUs staff performs at a high level, the more likely it is that other programs will come calling. Industry insider Pete Nakos recently listed both Weis and Baker as potential head coaching candidates in the near future, which puts the Tigers in a familiar spot of trying to enjoy the stability while it lasts. For now, LSU has its coordinators intact, but another round of staff turnover could arrive sooner than fans hoped. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's Dominick McKinley Suddenly Has More To Prove Than Expected
Dominick McKinley arrived at preseason camp with the kind of rsum that usually buys a little more certainty. The LSU junior defensive tackle was a former five-star recruit and had shown up on several preseason depth charts as either a starter or the No. 2 option, which made his place in the pecking order seem fairly clear entering August.
Instead, the early work of camp left him with more to prove than many expected. LSU opened with Malik Blocton and Deuce Geralds as the first-team tackles and Stephylan Green and Richard Anderson behind them, leaving McKinley to keep fighting for snaps after appearing in 23 games over his first two seasons with only limited starts. He is still expected to compete for playing time, but the opening of camp suggests nothing will be handed to him. [Read more 🡒]