Lane Kiffin Lands Arizona State Star Sam Leavitt in Transfer Portal: LSU Just Got Its 2026 Quarterback
Lane Kiffin is officially in his shopping era. LSU is reaping the benefits.
The Tigers landed former Arizona State star quarterback Sam Leavitt out of the spring transfer portal, headlining what is shaping up to be one of the most aggressive offseason hauls in the SEC. Kiffin and LSU also added Princewill Umanmielen from Ole Miss and Trey Wilson from Florida in a portal class that completely reshaped the roster.
The Leavitt addition is the headline. He is one of the most polished returning quarterbacks in college football. He is now playing for the most demanding offensive mind in the sport.
Leavitt Was Already a Star
Leavitt had a breakout season at Arizona State that put him on every NFL Draft board for 2026. He threw for over 2,800 yards with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in his redshirt sophomore season, and he ran for 443 yards on the ground with 5 rushing scores. He was the engine of an Arizona State offense that overachieved its expectations.
The decision to enter the transfer portal was based partly on Arizona State’s coaching changes and partly on the financial reality that the SEC pays better than the Big 12. LSU offered the most aggressive NIL package in the spring window. Leavitt took it.
He now walks into a roster with one of the best receiver groups in the country and a line that should be much improved with the additions Kiffin made in the offseason.
Kiffin Is Running a Different Kind of Roster Build
Lane Kiffin took over at LSU after a long run at Ole Miss. The fit was always obvious. Kiffin is one of the best offensive play-callers in football, and LSU has unlimited resources to back him. The two together were going to chase a national title.
What is surprising is how aggressive Kiffin has been about treating LSU like a roster project. He has emptied his Ole Miss connections to bring in talent. He has poached from every conference in the country. He has used the spring portal window the way most coaches use the December window, and the result is a roster that looks ready to win 10 games in his first season.
The SEC Quarterback Race Just Got Crazy
Leavitt joins a quarterback room in the SEC that is going to be ridiculous next year. Arch Manning is back at Texas. Carson Beck is at Miami. Garrett Nussmeier is still at LSU but might be in a battle. John Mateer returns at Oklahoma. The conference has its deepest quarterback class in modern history.
LSU is going to start its preseason ranked. They are probably going to be in the top 10. They have the schedule. They have the roster. They have the head coach. The only question is whether Leavitt can hold off Nussmeier for the starting job, which is going to be one of the most-watched quarterback battles of fall camp.
Kiffin is doing what he does best. He is building an offense that should put up 35 points per game and force everyone else in the SEC to keep up. LSU is back. And it is happening fast.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
