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LSU Tigers football is reportedly poised to land a coveted transfer on Monday to start Lane Kiffin’s tenure as head coach.
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will likely transfer to the Tigers and play in Baton Rouge next season, ESPN reported. Leavitt is one of the top quarterbacks on the transfer portal and reportedly visited Miami and Kentucky en route to his decision.
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ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) rushes away from Houston Cougars defensive lineman Eddie Walls III (90) at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 25, 2025. (Joe Rondone/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier graduated after the 2025 season and Michael Van Buren transferred to South Florida upon Kiffin’s arrival at LSU from Ole Miss. LSU also reportedly targeted Washington’s Desmond Williams Jr. before he opted to stay with the Huskies.
Leavitt originally transferred from Michigan State to Arizona State after his freshman season in 2023. He became a star under the tutelage of Kenny Dillingham and had the Sun Devils in the College Football Playoff in 2024, losing to the Texas Longhorns by just eight points in the first round.
He played in just seven games in 2025 and threw for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns before suffering a foot injury that required season-ending surgery.
TOP QUARTERBACK IN TRANSFER PORTAL CHOOSES TO PLAY FOR OREGON
Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Mountain America Stadium on Oct. 18, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
After Leavitt’s decision to enter the transfer portal, Dillingham had warm words for him.
“Big 12 champ, put his name on the map, smart/talented player! Will be successful wherever he goes,” Dillingham wrote on X in December.
LSU had high expectations for the 2025 season. But the team was only able to muster seven wins. The team fired Brian Kelly in the middle of the year.
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, left, stands next to Louisiana State Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry, right, prior to the game against the Houston Cougars at NRG Stadium on Dec. 27, 2025. (Maria Lysaker/Imagn Images)
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Kiffin joined LSU after Ole Miss won its Egg Bowl rivalry game against Mississippi State. The Rebels made the College Football Playoff and reached the semifinals.
