LSU and Lane Kiffin set to land star quarterback in transfer portal: report

LSU Tigers football will reportedly land a coveted transfer on Monday to begin 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 in the transfer portal and reportedly visited Miami and Kentucky en route to making his decision.

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ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) gets 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 following Kiffin’s arrival at LSU from Ole Miss. LSU was also reportedly targeting Washington’s Desmond Williams Jr. before he decided to stay with the Huskies.

Leavitt initially transferred from Michigan State to Arizona State after his freshman season in 2023. He became a star under Kenny Dillingham and had the Sun Devils in the College Football Playoff in 2024, losing only to the Texas Longhorns by eight points in the first round.

He only played in seven games in 2025, throwing for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns before suffering a foot injury that required season-ending surgery.

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Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Mountain America Stadium on October 18, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Following Leavitt’s decision to enter the transfer portal, Dillingham had warm words for him.

“Big 12 champion, put his name on the map, smart/talented player! He’ll be successful wherever he goes,” Dillingham wrote in 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 midway through the year.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, left, stands with Louisiana State Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry, right, before 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.

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