Arizona State QB transfer Sam Leavitt expected to sign with LSU

Arizona State QB transfer Sam Leavitt is expected to sign with LSU out of the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos and Hayes Fawcett. Leavitt took his visit to Baton Rouge on Jan. 5.

Leavitt is the No. 1 QB as well as the No. 1 overall player in the On3 transfer portal rankings and was looked at as one of college football’s top returning quarterbacks in 2025. The previous year, he led Arizona State to a Big 12 Championship and subsequent College Football Playoff appearance. That season, he threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Injuries got in the way of a breakout 2025 season, but finished the year with 1,628 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s currently the No. 2 overall player in the transfer portal behind former Auburn WR Cam Coleman.

He began his career at Michigan State before he spent the last two seasons as Arizona State‘s starting quarterback. Leavitt led the Sun Devils to their first ever Big 12 Championship along with thir College Football Playoff berth, passing for 2,885 yards and a 24-6 touchdown to interception ratio. He also rushed for 443 yards and five touchdowns on 110 carries.

Injuries left Leavitt’s 2025 campaign muddled, seeing him miss five of Arizona State‘s games this season due to lingering injuries. In the games he played in, however, he led the Sun Devils to a 5-2 record with wins over the then-No. 7 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders and No. 24 TCU.

In his time on he field, he was able to complete 60.7 percent of his passes for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions. Leavitt remained effective on the ground, rushing for 306 yards and five touchdowns on 73 carries.

Before college, Leavitt was a four-star recruit per the Rivals Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 24 quarterback in his class.

Now, he’ll be the face of an LSU team that heads into the 2026 season with a chip on their shoulder. Looking to regain its reputation as a national college football power under first year coach Lane Kiffin, Leavitt will be the main piece to that effort.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.