Lane Kiffin didn’t spend the offseason rebuilding LSU’s roster just to hand the keys to any QB. When the Tigers landed Sam Leavitt out of the transfer portal, they were betting on more than a strong arm. They were betting on a QB who can keep plays alive when everything falls apart. Kiffin spelled out that standard recently on In The Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu, when he was asked whether his quarterbacks need to be dual-threat runners.

“We don’t need to run them very much,” Lane Kiffin stated. “They can be throwers that can get out of trouble. Because the game comes down to so many times that the play is not in rhythm, the guy’s not open, or someone comes free, what does the quarterback do on third down?”

Lane Kiffin made it clear he isn’t interested in QBs who stay planted in the pocket. His choice of a QB is someone who can make a defender miss and make plays. 

“We want them to be elite throwers, but they got to be able to move around,” he said. “We don’t want the old-school, way-back, pro-style, sit there and can’t move around with the big arm. They just don’t make enough plays for you out of rhythm.”

Fortunately for Lane Kiffin, Sam Leavitt is just the guy that fits his description. LSU made the former Arizona State QB its top portal priority after other QB options never materialized. Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby chose Texas Tech and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. stayed put, so Leavitt emerged as the clear pick to run Kiffin’s first offense in Baton Rouge.

In his first year as Arizona State’s starter, he threw for 2,885 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions and added 443 rushing yards and five scores, showing the dual-threat ability Kiffin wants. Leavitt helped guide the Sun Devils to the playoffs, where Arizona State pushed Texas to the brink in the Peach Bowl. That season showed what Lane Kiffin values. 

Sam Leavitt wasn’t a QB who needed everything to go according to plan. He extended drives, escaped pressure, and created offense when the play broke down. But the challenge now is different. He’s arriving in Baton Rouge as the No. 1 transfer carrying huge expectations after signing an NIL package worth around $5-6 million. He is also returning from a Lisfranc foot injury that ended his 2025 season after seven games. That is why his availability over 12 or 13 games could decide how high this LSU team can actually go.

As Locked On LSU host Matt Moscona said, “Make no mistake, this team will only achieve its ceiling if Sam Leavitt is healthy for the entire season.”

Kiffin has repeated that message in recent weeks, noting Leavitt’s return to full work and his approach in the meeting room.

“He’s doing well, he’s been out there pretty much full strength now,” Kiffin said on the podcast last month. “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.”

All of that comes with a price. If Leavitt meets that standard on third down and in broken plays, LSU’s championship bet on a $5 million quarterback starts to look like a smart one.