playSam Leavitt throws 14-yard touchdown pass to Jordyn Tyson (0:20)Sam Leavitt throws 14-yard touchdown pass to Jordyn Tyson (0:20)Max OlsonJan 12, 2026, 11:25 AM ETCloseCovers the Big 12Joined ESPN in 2012Graduate of the University of NebraskaFollow on XEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLSU is expected to sign Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Monday. Leavitt, the No. 2 quarterback and top uncommitted player in ESPN's transfer rankings, chose to play for new coach Lane Kiffin and the Tigers after also taking visits to Miami, Tennessee and Kentucky. It's a significant recruiting victory for Kiffin and an LSU program in need of a proven starting quarterback after Garrett Nussmeier graduated and backup Michael Van Buren Jr. transferred to South Florida. Leavitt, the Big 12's preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has thrown for 4,652 yards, rushed for 816 yards and scored 46 total touchdowns with 11 interceptions in his career between two years at Arizona State and one at Michigan State. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt sophomore led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff appearance during his first season in the program in 2024, earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference honors. His second year with the Sun Devils was cut short by a foot injury that lingered for weeks and required season-ending surgery. Leavitt produced 1,628 passing yards, 306 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns and three interceptions on the year, and won five of his seven starts, including an upset of eventual Big 12 champion Texas Tech. Kiffin brought Leavitt in for an official visit on Monday after Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby, ESPN's No.
