While Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. goes back and forth between Baton Rouge and Oxford, the buzz keeps growing. As the 32-year-old play-caller suddenly lands on the NFL radar, it could significantly impact Lane Kiffin’s latest move to strengthen LSU’s offense around the QB.

“LSU is expected to host star Arizona State transfer QB Sam Leavitt this week,” reported On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong.

The talent is obvious, even if injury cut this past season short. In just seven games, Sam Leavitt still threw for 1,628 yards and 10 TDs. To cap it off, he added five more on the ground, so production followed him everywhere. Given that, Leavitt sits atop the portal board and is ranked as the No. 1 overall player and No. 1 QB. Now LSU gets its shot.

Leavitt is planning a visit to LSU this week. That’s a chance to impress and to sell the vision, but the pressure is already real. Because for LSU’s new head coach, this recruitment matters, and so does retaining the future LSU offensive coordinator.

After the 2025 season, LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier will be out of eligibility, and Michael Van Buren has entered the portal, leaving the Tigers in need of help at QB. Now, to secure a proven option for the 2026 season, LSU had no choice but to turn to the transfer portal. That’s where Sam Leavitt enters the picture as a key piece for the Tigers.

The 205-pound passer was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2024, throwing 24 TDs and helping ASU win the Big 12 title and reach the CFP. But while his flashes have been impressive, his game still needs an experienced guide to fully flourish, something Lane Kiffin already understands well.

That didn’t require much effort, as Weis Jr. followed him to Baton Rouge.

Among the six Ole Miss assistants who signed contracts with LSU while continuing to manage their duties during the Rebels’ CFP run, Weis Jr. was one of them. So loyalty was the storyline. But now the script may be changing.

Weis Jr. has reportedly emerged as an “intriguing option” for the New York Giants’ coaching staff, as per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. With that move, he would reunite with former Rebels QB Jaxson Dart, while LSU’s new head coach wouldn’t even be able to use him to boost the Tigers’ offense.

That could sting Kiffin, who knows Charlie Weis Jr.’s potential well and wants to land Leavitt to fill the gaps at QB.

Weis Jr. helped lead Ole Miss to a No. 1 national ranking in total offense among Power Four teams this season. If Kiffin is able to retain him on LSU’s staff, the Tigers’ offensive rise feels inevitable. But the NFL pull is strong, and it continues to loom large over the Rebels’ offensive coordinator.

Lane Kiffin’s $2.5M safety net looks gone

Charlie Weis Jr. secured a big payday with the Tigers. The 32 YO inked an amended three-year deal that makes him the highest-paid OC in the SEC at $2.5 million per year through 2028. The contract even includes an annual “look-in period” to review his pay, as LSU want him locked in. But Weis Jr.’s loyalty has been tested.

After initially joining Kiffin in Baton Rouge, he returned to Ole Miss to lead the Rebels’ offense through the CFP. Players and staff praised his commitment, and after their Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, Weis Jr. insisted he would stay on for the CFP run.

With that bowl victory, while he proved he can deliver under pressure, keeping focus even amid swirling speculation about his next move, under his guidance now Ole Miss is preparing for the CFP semifinal against Miami.

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Meanwhile, the NFL is calling, and Weis Jr. has a strong connection to Jaxson Dart, the Giants’ first-round QB in 2025. Dart developed under him when he played for the Rebels. Beyond that, Weis Jr. has another strong tie to the Giants.

With Weis Jr.’s father’s long history in New York football and ties to Giants ownership, the chance to make the leap to the NFL could be hard to pass up. Surely, college loyalty is one thing, but an NFL opportunity like this? That’s a whole new ballgame.