Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt’s decision to transfer to Lane Kiffin’s LSU on Monday through the NCAA transfer portal marks a huge recruiting win for Kiffin. LSU fended off intense competition from programs such as Miami and Tennessee to land the signal-caller.
Insider Reveals What Really Pushed Sam Leavitt Away from Miami to LSU
In the “The Audible” podcast on Saturday, football insiders Bruce Feldman and Ralph Russo discussed Duke quarterback Darian Mensah’s announcement that he is leaving despite his two-year contract, with Miami reportedly a potential destination. The conversation also touched on why Leavitt ultimately chose LSU over the Hurricanes.
“I think where things kind of seem like they (Miami) got off the rails a little bit with the Mensah situation off was Miami had Sam Leavitt on a visit and Sam Leavitt things seemed to be going okay,” Feldman said (8:20).
“It didn’t seem like he’s bullish on LSU at that point, and it gets out that Miami had offered Ty Simpson $6.5 million, which is much more than what Leavitt was in play for for Miami.
“And all of a sudden he’s like, ‘Well, forget that. Even though I want to go to a program that I feel like is ready to win right now, I’m going to go to LSU.’ That’s basically replacing its whole roster. And so, I think the money piece of this is so kind of murky with everything. I think it creates more chaos in this because you talk to coaches and you talk to people involved in the process.”
Leavitt visited Miami after the Hurricanes’ College Football Playoff semifinal’s 31-27 win over Ole Miss on Jan. 8. However, Kiffin was heavily determined to lure Leavitt as he flew to Knoxville and met with the former ASU quarterback before he departed for his official visit to Mario Cristobal’s squad.
Kiffin’s reputation as one of the transfer portal’s top recruiters was proven once again with Leavitt’s move to LSU. Bringing him in is a big boost for a Tigers program searching for a reliable starting quarterback after Garrett Nussmeier’s graduation and Michael Van Buren Jr.’s transfer to South Florida.
Leavitt recorded 1,628 passing yards, 306 rushing yards, 15 total touchdowns, and three interceptions this season. His year was cut short by a lingering foot injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery.
SEC analyst Paul Finebaum weighed in on Leavitt’s fit at LSU during an appearance on “The Matt Barrie Show” earlier this week.
“It was a huge get,” Finebaum said. “[Lane Kiffin] needed a quarterback badly, and he got one. He swung at a bunch of them. Leavitt is good enough to get him. They still have a lot of missing pieces, but I think they’re in very good shape.”
Leavitt has thrown for 4,652 yards, rushed for 816 yards, and scored 46 total touchdowns with 11 interceptions in his college career. He currently ranks No. 62 in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric with a score of 79.7.
