Lane Kiffin did not need long to make Sam Leavitt a priority. The Tigers brought in the portal quarterback with clear intent, and now the early signs point to a healthier, more settled version of the player they wanted.

Leavitt spent his offseason in the weight room, adding 11 pounds to his frame, as reported by Geaux247’s Zack Nagy on X. At ASU, the QB’s frame was 6’2” and 205 pounds. He has now added some muscle and weighs 216 pounds following a body transformation.

Leavitt missed spring camp due to his season-ending 2025 injury, but is now cleared for summer workouts. Following his Lisfranc injury while playing for ASU against Baylor, Leavitt underwent surgery that season around November. However, the surgery did not fully resolve the injury he suffered in September. During this offseason in Baton Rouge, he underwent a procedure to remove a pin from his foot.

Kiffin has a recent track record of managing injured quarterbacks carefully, leaning on experienced signal-callers while building around protection and timing at previous stops, a pattern observers saw at his earlier programs.

As a result, Leavitt missed most of LSU’s 2026 spring practice. And as the head coach, who claimed to have never lost confidence, revealed, the program was well aware of the whole situation.

“When we decided to take Sam, part of that was having to realize he was not going to be there for the spring, and that would have a certain feeling during spring. Understanding it’s about the long term and what that looks like,” said Kiffin in April, as reported by 247Sports.

Leavitt’s availability matters because LSU rebuilt its offense through the portal, especially the offensive line, and a settled QB dramatically raises the Tigers’ chance to hit Kiffin’s high-tempo plan and remain competitive in a crowded SEC playoff race.

Kiffin’s patience with the QB is now paying off for the Tigers. While there was no doubt about the dual-threat QB’s potential with his over 3000 yards and 27 TDs in his 2024 performance, his recovery raised concerns for LSU’s 2026 outlook. The program added multiple veteran linemen in the portal to protect that QB. But now, with a healthy signal-caller, Kiffin’s expectation to lead the Tigers at a high level of playoff in his first season will definitely get help.

Lane Kiffin’s confirmation of the QB’s status

Kiffin showed belief in Sam Leavitt despite the QB missing most of the 2025 season at ASU, which Leavitt backed up with his impressive performance. But his absence in spring practice at LSU due to recovery raised questions about his availability as QB1 for the 2026 season. That fear comes to an end after Lane Kiffin’s latest update.

“He’s [Sam Leavitt] doing well; he’s been out there pretty much full strength now,” said Kiffin during his June appearance on In The Bayou With Tyrann Mathieu. “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,” added the LSU head coach.

For Kiffin, chasing a national title, Leavitt’s full health is critical. The coach even set his goal, saying, “I want people to fear LSU the way that I had to fear LSU, like when I was at Alabama.” Now, we will have to wait and see how Leavitt’s comeback pans out for the Tigers.