LSU is giving Sam Leavitt a fresh start after his injury-hit 2025 at Arizona State. He is back for fall camp after missing spring work, and a blunt warning from a Senior Bowl leader has raised the pressure on what comes next.

“Well, he’s [Sam Leavitt] got to show more consistency,” said Fabianich at SEC Media Days, as reported by 104.5 ESPN’s Matt Moscona, when asked about his thoughts on Leavitt. “There was some sporadic points in his career when he was at Arizona State. It was too up and down. You got to show that you can be a game manager; you’ve got to show that you make sound decisions.”

“A lot of times he was forcing the ball, trying to make things happen when he shouldn’t have. Just, ‘Hey, learn to play another play, don’t do stupid things, and don’t turn the ball over,'” added the Senior Bowl director.

Fabianich’s message was less about style and more about control. Leavitt has to slow the game down, protect the ball, and make the easy play when it is there. Leavitt’s foot injury ended his 2025 season early, so durability is part of the evaluation too. He cannot afford another stop-start year if he wants NFL teams to trust the full picture.

“He’s talented; he’s a really good athlete. Now the foot’s bothering him; that’s going to be a problem because he’s an athletic kid and he’s a big man, too. So, it’s not like that foot’s going to have less stress on it. I’m not going to put a round value on him right now, but he’s talented enough to probably end up being a starting QB in the NFL,” said Fabianich.

Leavitt helped Arizona State reach the playoff and win the Big 12 in 2024, but one rough season can change how NFL people see a quarterback. Garrett Nussmeier is the reminder.

The former LSU QB was considered a top-10 draft pick, but his hidden injury revelation at the pre-draft moment dropped his draft stock. He was selected in the seventh round for the 2026 NFL draft. The concern for Leavitt arose from Nussmeier’s case. Nuss suffered a cyst on his spine. During his last season with the Tigers, he ignored his pain throughout the campaign. When he threw the ball, he experienced a stabbing sensation every time; he later admitted.

Fabianich used Nussmeier as the warning sign, saying late injury questions can change how draft rooms view a quarterback.

“I think the injury piece played a big part in why he fell,” said Fabianich. Nussmeier’s injury derailed LSU last season. In 2026, the Tigers again pursue their dream of a title run with a QB who just came back from injury.

“What it comes down to is I know the question was asked because I’ve been in the draft room so many times. It was like, ‘Okay, well, is he going to be a PUP guy? Is he going to have to have the surgery right now? You know, can he wait? Is it going to affect him?'” added Fabianich.

For Leavitt, the message is plain: play cleaner, stay healthy, and give scouts no reason to doubt him.