Lane Kiffin provides new injury update on QB transfer Sam Leavitt

During Wednesday’s National Signing Day press conference, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin shed new light on Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt‘s injury.

While at Arizona State, Leavitt helped lead the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and the CFB Playoff one year ago. During the memorable run for the program, Leavitt accounted for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

This past season, an injury cut short a season when he appeared in seven games and passed for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions. He continued to flash his dual-threat abilities, totaling 300-plus yards on 73 carries.

Now, with Leavitt in Baton Rouge as part of Kiffin’s quarterback room, the mission statement is evident.

Kiffin and LSU’s offensive staff wants to risk nothing – meaning take all necessary steps to have the program’s presumed starting quarterback healthy for fall camp and the season opener against Clemson in Death Valley.

First up, of course, are double-digit spring practices that start in March and wrap up in April.

With Leavitt slated to be a limited participant in spring ball, Kiffin used Wednesday’s National Signing Day press conference to shed more light on how the staff plans to handle Leavitt’s injury.

“Sam will be able to throw some and participate in 7-on-7 stuff in the spring, but probably not the team stuff,” Kiffin said. “I think, regardless, we would have done what we did.”

With Leavitt still limited across the next couple of months, expect to see plenty of reps for LSU’s two other transfer quarterback signees in Southern Cal’s Husan Longstreet and Elon’s Landen Clark.

“It’s also imperative to get quarterbacks (reps), because that is going to be a lot of how spring ball goes,” Kiffin said. “It’s the first time the team is fielding the offense, and the offense is very much driven by the quarterback because of the tempo piece of it.

“The other two guys are really talented players. And maybe the thing I am most proud of is being able to do that at the quarterback position. Three guys who are really talented and different styles of players, and it says something about them to come to the same place.

“Nowadays, a lot of guys don’t want to do that. They want to go somewhere and be guaranteed to start. I think it says a lot about their competitiveness.”

As a redshirt freshman this past season, Clark passed for 2,321 yards and 18 touchdowns with eight interceptions as Elon’s starting quarterback. He added 614 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Longstreet, who took a redshirt this past season after signing with head coach Lincoln Riley and Southern Cal a year prior, left high school 12 months ago as a 5-star recruit and the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the 2025 class.

Longstreet saw limited action as a true freshman this past season, but he’s viewed as a top transfer portal addition as the No. 8 quarterback on the On3 Industry Transfer Portal player rankings.