LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was limited in the early days of the Tigers’ spring practice before the pins from his foot surgery were removed in early April, ruling him out of the rest of his first spring sessions in Baton Rouge. Leavitt carried a Lisfranc injury that forced him to undergo surgery midway through the season last year.
Despite carrying an injury, Leavitt was still the No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 overall prospect in the January transfer portal when he opted to depart Arizona State after two seasons.
Why Sam Leavitt’s Health Is the Key to Lane Kiffin’s LSU Success
During this week’s segment of “The Solid Verbal” podcast, analyst Cole Cubelic pointed out Leavitt’s health status in the future as the key to the Lane Kiffin tenure in Baton Rouge being successful.
“Sam Leavitt is super talented,” Cubelic said. “What I’d be worried about is your quarterback getting healthy right now? And the injury that he has had worked on more than once at times has been recurring. That would be one of my bigger question marks this year. Not, is Sam Leavitt healthy now, it’s, can he stay healthy?
“Because that’s an injury that we’ve seen pop up for other guys. So, it can work and it should absolutely work, because the money that you’re putting up and the reputation of the guy that you’re bringing in, there’s proof that those things, when put together, have been able to find success.”
Leavitt was highly recruited by several elite college football teams, forcing Kiffin to intervene to ensure his commitment to LSU. He was the centerpiece of the No. 5-ranked portal class for Kiffin’s LSU rebuild ahead of a pivotal first season in charge after leaving Ole Miss.
The veteran quarterback started his college football career with the Michigan State Spartans in 2023 before transferring to Arizona State, where he exploded in 2024, leading the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
During his injury-interrupted season, Leavitt tallied 1,628 passing yards, resulting in 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, while adding 306 rushing yards and 5 scores for the Sun Devils. He earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 79.7.
In Leavitt’s absence, former Elon Phoenix quarterback Landen Clark and former USC Trojans standout Husan Longstreet have taken all the reps with the first team. Despite securing the highly sought-after commitment of Leavitt from the portal, Kiffin stacked the Tigers’ quarterback room in January.
