Lane Kiffin didn’t hide the comparison on Thursday in Tampa: in his eyes, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt carries some of the same traits that made Jaxson Dart such a force at Ole Miss.
That’s not a throwaway compliment. Kiffin coached Dart for three seasons, and the quarterback’s production under him was strong enough to make him a first-round pick of the New York Giants in 2025. Dart was dangerous through the air, but he also did a lot of damage with his legs, and Kiffin said he sees that same kind of dual-threat profile in Leavitt.
“I kind of feel like there’s some Jaxson in there,” Lane Kiffin told reporters on Thursday. “He’s probably actually faster. But that’s the most similar that I’ve seen with him throwing with everything, just kind of working with him and watching him and trying to figure out like, ‘OK, what are we going to look like and how are we going to design it?'”
Leavitt arrives at LSU with plenty of buzz after transferring from Arizona State. He helped lead the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals two seasons ago, though last year his season ended early because of a foot injury. Kiffin said he expects Leavitt to be healthy and ready to go this fall, and he went a step further by projecting him as a first-round draft pick.
That’s the standard Kiffin is measuring him against, and it’s a high one. Dart piled up wins, passing yards, rushing yards and 72 combined touchdown passes over his three seasons at Ole Miss. Now Kiffin is hoping Leavitt can bring that same kind of production to Baton Rouge.
Leavitt’s first LSU season will come with one clear goal: getting the Tigers back to the College Football Playoff. The Kalshi market currently has its own view on those chances after Leavitt’s run to the quarterfinals with Arizona State in 2024.
In Other News...
Five-Star Target Speaks Out After Recruitment Takes Ugly Turn
Five-star running back David Gabriel Georges has found himself in the spotlight for reasons far beyond the usual recruiting buzz after his decision set off a wave of unwanted attention. The top-10 prospect released a statement asking for his choice to be respected and for false information about him and his family to stop circulating, a reminder of how quickly a major commitment can turn into a public mess when the noise around it gets out of hand.
For Ole Miss, it is another look at how hard it can be to land elite talent in a recruiting battle that also drew Ohio State into the mix. Georges still plans to finish his senior season at Baylor School before moving on, but for now the focus has shifted from where he will play next to the fallout that followed his announcement and the need to let the teenager and his family move forward without the extra baggage. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ole Miss Leader Just Twisted The Knife On His Way Out
TJ Dottery spent last season as one of Ole Miss most reliable defenders, leading the Rebels in tackles and starting every game during a run that carried all the way into the College Football Playoff. After the season ended, the linebacker made the move to LSU, following Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge as part of a small group of former Rebels who made the same jump.
What makes Dotterys exit sting a little more is the way he framed it. He pointed to LSUs broader support system as a clear upgrade, citing the Tigers use of virtual reality work, extra hands to help with reps and better recovery resources. For Ole Miss, it is one more reminder that the post-Kiffin fallout is not just about coaching changes, but about players weighing what each program can offer once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Finally Admits One Part Of His Ole Miss Exit
Lane Kiffin spent SEC Media Days looking back at the messy stretch that followed his move from Ole Miss to LSU, and he did not try to dress it up. The new Tigers coach reflected on the transition and said he should have accepted athletic director Keith Carters decision to move on once he had agreed to take the LSU job, a rare public acknowledgment of how awkward the handoff became.
Kiffin also said he leaned on motivational speaker Kevin Elko while trying to sort through the fallout of leaving one SEC program for another, a reminder of how complicated the move was even after the ink dried. Now the focus is on LSUs future and the expectation that Kiffin will try to turn all of that upheaval into a run at an SEC title in 2026, even if the last chapter of the Ole Miss exit still hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]