Sam Leavitt became the biggest mystery surrounding LSU-Ole Miss! LSU listed its starting quarterback as doubtful for Saturday night’s top-10 showdown in Oxford, despite no public indication that he was dealing with an injury following the Tigers’ 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech. The unexpected development was enough to catch the attention of Fox Sports analyst RJ Young, who began questioning whether LSU coach Lane Kiffin was back to playing mind games!
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“I am going to say I expect Sam Leavitt to play,” Young said on “Adapt & Respond with RJ Young“ while discussing the injury report. “I don’t expect Sam Leavitt to stay on this injury report, or maybe he does stay on this injury report, and he still plays because, you know, whatever was ailing him, ailing him no more, and you know it’s time to play ball.”
He then went straight at Lane Kiffin’s reputation for keeping opponents guessing, saying, “I think this is Lane Kiffin doing what Lane Kiffin does. He loves to play games. He loves to try to manipulate any advantage he can.
“I don’t trust Lane Kiffin. I don’t trust Lane Kiffin to tell me the truth. I don’t trust Lane Kiffin to do anything other than try to win a football game.”
Even analyst Brad Powers, along with other experts and fans, was skeptical about Leavitt’s name on the injury list.
That is what makes this injury report so fascinating. The SEC does not make teams explain why a player is listed on the injury report. However, if the injury report turns out to be false, a penalty will follow.
While the commissioner has discretion over how each violation is handled, the financial consequences can quickly escalate if a fine is deemed appropriate in football: $25,000 for a first offense, $50,000 for a second, and $100,000 for a third offense.
So, for now, there is plenty of room for guesswork. And this game already has enough going on.
LSU is No. 7. Ole Miss is No. 8. More importantly, it is Lane Kiffin’s first trip back to Oxford since he left Ole Miss for LSU after the 2025 season. As for Sam Leavitt, he has been productive despite some rough moments. Through two games, he has completed 41 of 66 passes for 574 yards and two touchdowns. He has also rushed for 135 yards and five scores.
Against Louisiana Tech, Sam Leavitt threw for 344 yards on 25-of-38 passing but tossed three interceptions in the first half. He was replaced late by Landen Clark, just as he had been during LSU’s Week 1 blowout of Clemson. So, if Leavitt cannot go, Clark becomes the obvious option. He has completed 7 of 10 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown while adding 42 rushing yards and another score this season.
RJ Young’s assessment of the situation might sound brutal, but his point was not that Sam Leavitt is definitely healthy. It was that Lane Kiffin has spent years finding unconventional ways to create an edge, and an injury report is another piece of information opponents have to process.
Kiffin has already made headlines this season with his aggressive push involving former NFL players returning to college football. It adds to the sense that LSU is comfortable operating in the gray areas of the new college football landscape. Now, his biggest question before Saturday is sitting on the injury report. Doubtful is the official word about Sam Leavitt, but it remains to be seen if it’ll be the final word.
Other mind games Kiffin is already playing!
He has already set the tone of the upcoming game by choosing his words carefully.
“The pressure is on [Ole Miss],” he said earlier this week. “We won seven games last year. They won 13. They returned two Heisman candidates. You guys get to go play. The pressure is not on you.”
He is already making it look like Ole Miss has a lot on the line. And that’s a classic Lane Kiffin strategy. Plus, it makes complete sense for him to fall back on such strategies.
Think about it. The game against Ole Miss is expected to be a hostile one.
Extra safety measures are being taken, like having more security, because authorities expect Ole Miss fans to be hostile against LSU, and, specially Kiffin. He knows this.
The coach, too, has a lot on the line. He wouldn’t want to lose against his former team, given the uncomfortable history and all the angst the Ole Miss football program and fans hold against him.