LSU’s offseason makeover has put a lot of attention on the pieces around the quarterback, but ESPN says the real swing factor sits under center.
In a preseason breakdown of one “x-factor” for every team in its top 25, ESPN’s Andrea Adelson pointed to Sam Leavitt as the name that could shape LSU’s 2026 season. The Tigers enter ESPN’s power rankings at No. 10, and after an offseason that brought in Lane Kiffin, a new batch of assistant coaches and a wave of highly touted transfers, Leavitt is the player Adelson believes matters most.
The logic is pretty simple: if Kiffin trusts his quarterback, things usually go well. Adelson’s read is that Leavitt is the latest signal-caller being asked to make that formula work.
Leavitt arrives with real momentum from his 2024 breakout at Arizona State, when he helped lead the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff. That season, he threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while also adding 443 rushing yards and 6 scores on the ground.
The follow-up in 2025 wasn’t nearly as smooth. Leavitt played only seven games, then wound up in the transfer portal. He also missed all of spring after dealing with a foot injury he suffered during the 2025 season, though Kiffin says he is now at full strength for summer workouts.
That’s welcome news for a Louisiana State offense that clearly went all-in on getting fixed. Adelson noted that Leavitt sits at the center of that push, and he’ll have help around him from playmakers Trey’Dez Green, Jackson Harris, Jayce Brown and Tre’ Brown III.
LSU opens the 2026 season against Clemson on Sept. 5.
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