Lane Kiffin fought the Tennessee Volunteers and Miami Hurricanes to land Sam Leavitt, a high-profile transfer quarterback reportedly in line for a major NIL package. However, when the SEC released its full 2026 Media Days attendee list on Tuesday, LSU’s three-player delegation did not have the name of their star quarterback.

By leaving Leavitt off the list, Kiffin made his choice public on Tuesday: the quarterback will skip the league’s biggest spotlight event and focus on finishing his recovery. For a player who just returned to full workouts, the coach is betting that quiet preparation in Baton Rouge will help him more than another round of questions in Tampa.

Linebackers Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery, along with tight end Trey’Dez Green, will join Lane Kiffin at the Tampa Marriott Water Street and JW Marriott on July 23 for their media day, as the LSU head coach decided not to let Sam Leavitt face the media’s questions.

In the current world, media days bring the teams more attention, and attention converts to currency, especially in a portal-driven sport. Sending your most expensive new player to the league’s biggest offseason media event is usually an easy call. But Kiffin chose otherwise. There could be several reasons for Kiffin’s call, but the most likely one is simple

Leavitt, the 2024 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, was out of action for most of the last season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. After missing most of the spring practice, he recently returned to summer workouts. With so much talk about his recovery, Kiffin is choosing to limit Leavitt’s workload and media exposure for now.

However, even if Kiffin keeps Sam Leavitt away from the media spotlight, questions will remain about whether he is ready for next season. And if he is not, how can the LSU Tigers manage their offense without their star quarterback?

Can Lane Kiffin and LSU manage without Sam Leavitt?

Lane Kiffin brought Leavitt not just as his No.1 quarterback, but as his offense leader. The LSU attack under their new coach would follow the pace, vision and sharpness Leavitt showed during his time at West Linn High School, Michigan State and Arizona State.

At West Linn High School, Leavitt won the Gatorade Oregon Football Player of the Year award. He threw for 3,184 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior. Leavitt then also set an Arizona State program record for total offense by a freshman with 3,328 yards. All of these stats made Kiffin go for Leavitt and build his roster around him.

Kiffin, in a recent episode of the In The Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu podcast, has given an update on Leavitt’s injury.

“He’s doing well; he’s been out there pretty much full strength now,” he said. “Really good arm. Really smart, and he’s just in there grinding all the time on stuff. NFL mindset quarterback from a preparation standpoint, and now we’ve just got to put everything together in Year 1. Little bit late because he’s just finally cleared now with a lot of new pieces around, but it’s going to be a big summer and fall camp,” Kiffin said.

What if Leavitt is not fully fit before the season starts? He might be. Even so, replacing a top transfer quarterback is not easy, and Kiffin used the spring to prepare for that possibility. Husan Longstreet has emerged as the top option to back up Leavitt. Longstreet, the USC transfer, made 103 passing yards last season and showed his capabilities during the spring window too.

Along with him, Landen Clark, who has starting experience at the FCS level, is another option.. Clark made 2,321 passing yards last season for Elon Phoenix and can endure the toughness of college football.

In the end, whether Leavitt shows up at media day matters less than one thing. The only appearance that really matters for Sam Leavitt is the one on September 5, against the Clemson Tigers, when their season kicks off. That is the only appearance Kiffin said matters for now: Leavitt on the field, not at the podium.