Lane Kiffin flies to Knoxville to reportedly recruit transfer QB who just visited Tennessee
By David Wasson
Published:
Having apparently lost out on luring Demond Williams Jr. away from Washington amid an NIL contract uproar, new LSU coach Lane Kiffin was back on familiar soil Friday in attempt to secure a new signal-caller for the Tigers.
Kiffin flew to Knoxville, Tenn., on Friday to reportedly visit with former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, who hit the transfer portal on Jan. 2 after a 1,628-yard passing season with the Sun Devils in 2025.
Leavitt, who has already visited LSU and Kentucky, was reportedly still in Knoxville after a lengthy visit with Tennessee. The rising redshirt junior also has a visit set for Miami before deciding on his 2026 future.
As for Kiffin, he confirmed he was in Knoxville in typical Kiffin style – posting a photo of the airport Friday afternoon on his X account.
Leavitt sustained a season-ending Lisfranc ligament injury to his right foot in October 2025, requiring surgery and sidelining him for at least 6 months. Leavitt’s redshirt freshman season at Arizona State was a stellar one, as he threw for 2,855 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2024. Leavitt redshirted his true freshman season at Michigan State in 2023.
LSU is currently without any scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, as Garrett Nussmeier’s eligibility ended in 2025 and Michael Van Buren entered the portal.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
