Sam Leavitt will be taken in by LSU‘s mad, passionate fandom like he was a native son, if he wins and wins big in 2026.
But right now, at the beginning of fall camp, the quarterback who transferred in is a new guy in more ways than one. He’s new to the program, he’s new to the SEC and he’s new to the area, which is a massive understatement. Leavitt is from Oregon, having starred at West Linn High School, and after spending his first season of college football at Michigan State in 2023, Leavitt headed west again, spending 2 seasons at Arizona State in 2024 and 2025.
Now, in the late summer of 2026, the 21-year-old signal-caller from Oregon is finally dipping his toes into the SEC waters. Or it might be more like he’s jumping into the deep end of the Bayou, teaming up with head coach Lane Kiffin as both quarterback and head coach try to make magic happen in their first seasons at LSU.
That magic could happen later this fall (or perhaps in the winter), but right now in August the new quarterback from the Pacific Northwest is just trying to get used to his new surroundings in Louisiana. On Monday, during a session with reporters as fall camp continued to get cranked up, Leavitt was asked for his thoughts so far on the state of Louisiana.
“The people are great in Louisiana. The passion, just walking down the street, has been pretty incredible … It’s just been a blessing being out here,” Leavitt said. “I’m from Oregon, so Louisiana kind of felt almost fake to me in a way. I didn’t think it was a real place. But after being out here, I just love the trees, and I’ve always wanted to be in the south … It’s been amazing.”
LSU fans can only hope Leavitt’s special time in their home state is just getting started, with a lot of victories and maybe championships ahead.
Leavitt has already taken Arizona State to the College Football Playoff, pulling it off in 2024. He’ll be hell-bent on doing the same thing in his first season at LSU, and here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Tigers’ odds to make the Playoff with Leavitt at the helm this fall:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
