Lane Kiffin almost lost Sam Leavitt after putting his hands into the Demond Williams saga. But a trip to Knoxville sealed the deal, as the Arizona State transfer is poised to lead the offense in Kiffin’s debut season at Baton Rouge. And one former LSU star believes he knows the exact reasons this pairing will thrive.

“I’m very excited about Leavitt’s mind. He seems to be a very, very smart guy,” former LSU QB Rohan Davey, who played for the Tigers from 1998-2001, said on the Tingle & Co. podcast. “It seems that he understands levels to the throws and trajectory. So that’s always a hard thing as a quarterback, to understand when I want to put some heat on it, when I want to drop it, and when I need to. Let it go high, and he seems to, and it’s off-platform, and he throws really good because he’s so athletic.

I think he’s with Charlie Weis Jr., also with Lane and with the wide receivers that they’ve put together, and then you bring in the big trade of theirs, and I think he definitely has better weapons than he had at Arizona State.”

Leavitt looks like a perfect fit for Kiffin’s system, as he brings in arm strength, athleticism, and play extension, all tools that resemble the quarterbacks Kiffin has developed before. He is a quick processor who creates explosive plays outside the pocket.

On top of it, the LSU Tigers have already loaded up their receivers’ room so that Leavitt has a talented supporting cast around him. Players like Jayce Brown from Kansas State, Eugene Wilson III from Florida, Tre Brown from Old Dominion, and Jackson Harris from Hawaii will all serve as talented hands to support Leavitt.

LSU’s quarterback room needed an instant boost after Garrett Nussmeier’s eligibility expired, Michael Van Buren moved to USF, and Colin Hurley entered the transfer portal. With absolutely no depth on the team, bringing in an experienced guy like Leavitt became crucial. Now, Lane Kiffin has another transfer QB to develop into a top player, just like Jaxson Dart and Trinidad Chambliss.

Leavitt’s productions fit the bill perfectly. Back in 2024, he led Arizona State to a Big 12 title and the playoffs, throwing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions, while also adding 443 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. Then, even struggling with a Lisfranc injury in 2025, Leavitt showed resilience, throwing for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions.

The real concern is if he doesn’t get back on the field till the spring game, things might turn tricky for LSU. However, we also saw Carson Beck limited last spring due to his torn UCL, but he took Miami to the playoff finals. So, let’s wait and see how the Leavitt-Kiffin-Weis Jr trio works for the Tigers’ future. As they don’t seem to stop at one goal.

Lane Kiffin eyes a major quarterback target

Lane Kiffin isn’t backing down in recruiting anytime soon. After taking in Sam Leavitt, he also added another quarterback, Elon’s Landen Clark, to fill up the depth in the team. Now, he is eyeing offensive line players to help the team. But the quarterback search didn’t just stop there, as LSU is hosting Colorado’s transfer quarterback into the team.

Despite the transfer portal timeline ending on January 16, the LSU Tigers are hosting Ryan Staub for a visit later in the week, according to multiple reports. It has been known that Lane Kiffin wanted to add a third quarterback to the team, and Staub fits the bill perfectly.

Staub has played in a couple of games for Deion Sanders’ team after Kaidon Salter suffered an injury. He went up 427 passing yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions in three-plus games of action. With two years of eligibility left, he can be LSU’s next starting quarterback. It’s pretty clear Kiffin is eyeing long-term QBs who can also make an impact on the game.

Top Stories

Jerry Jones Announces Retirement Plans as Dallas Cowboys Owner Makes Triple Decision on Coaching Hiring

Mike Tomlin Receives New Job Offer as Steelers Make Final Decision on Firing HC After Aaron Rodgers’ Fury – Report

Amanda Nunes’ Alleged Cousin Knocks Out Violent Customer Outside Bar as Fans Urge Dana White to Sign Her

Travis Kelce Announces New Career Move Away From Chiefs After Confirming Retirement Stance

Kayla Harrison–Amanda Nunes Fight Falls Apart Days Before UFC 324 as Dana White Dealt Major Blow

Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti Announces Plans to Sell Franchise and Explains John Harbaugh’s Firing

Now, with all major additions, it will be interesting to see how 2026 turns out for Lane Kiffin and LSU.