Sam Leavitt is not coming to LSU to blend in. He is coming to take over. The Tigers have landed a battle tested quarterback with a championship on his résumé, explosive ability in both his right arm and his legs, and the confidence to attack a defense when the entire game is resting on one possession. Leavitt has already transformed an overlooked team into a conference champion. Now he steps into one of college football’s brightest spotlights with the talent to become LSU’s next great quarterback.

Leavitt enters the 2026 season with 4,652 passing yards, 36 touchdown passes and 816 rushing yards in 24 college games. He has completed 376 of 612 passes for a career completion rate of 61.4 percent. He has also scored 10 rushing touchdowns, giving him 46 total touchdowns and 5,468 combined passing and rushing yards.

Those numbers show that Leavitt is much more than a talented prospect. He is an experienced and proven college quarterback.

During his two seasons at Arizona State, Leavitt started 20 games and won 16 of them. He posted an 11-2 record against Big 12 opponents and led a team picked to finish last in the conference all the way to the Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff.

That was not supposed to happen.

Arizona State entered the 2024 season with low expectations. Leavitt changed everything. His toughness, mobility and ability to create explosive plays gave the Sun Devils an identity. By the end of the season, they were conference champions and one of the most surprising teams in the nation.

Leavitt’s 2024 season was one of the best freshman quarterback performances in college football. He completed 216 of 350 passes for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He averaged 8.2 yards per pass attempt and threw four touchdown passes for every interception.

He was just as dangerous on the ground. Leavitt rushed for 443 yards and five touchdowns, finishing with an Arizona State freshman record of 3,328 yards of total offense.

He was named the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and earned second team All-Big 12 honors.

The most encouraging part of Leavitt’s breakthrough season was how much better he became as the games grew more important. He threw only three touchdown passes during his first four games at Arizona State. Over his final nine games, he threw 21 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

That is the mark of a quarterback learning quickly and taking control of his offense.

Leavitt also showed that he could create big plays without constantly putting the football in danger. He completed eight passes of at least 50 yards in 2024, the most in the Big 12 and tied for second nationally.

At the same time, he was credited with only five turnover worthy throws among more than 300 dropbacks. His six interceptions were also among the lowest totals in the country for quarterbacks with a similar number of passing attempts.

That combination is what makes Leavitt special.

Some quarterbacks protect the football because they rarely challenge a defense. Others produce huge plays but give the ball away too often. Leavitt proved that he could attack downfield, create explosive gains and still make responsible decisions.

He was also excellent when the pocket broke down.

Leavitt threw for 708 yards while under pressure during the 2024 season. He averaged 7.8 yards per attempt on pressured throws and produced 41 passing first downs on 143 pressured plays.

Those numbers matter because SEC defenses are built to create chaos. LSU will face elite pass rushers, disguised blitzes and defensive backs capable of closing throwing windows in an instant. A quarterback must be able to remain composed when the protection fails.

Leavitt has already shown that he can.

When defenders forced him out of the pocket, he became even more dangerous. He gained 435 yards on 51 scrambles in 2024, the second highest total among FBS quarterbacks. Nearly half of those scrambles resulted in either a first down or a touchdown.

Leavitt does not run merely to escape trouble. He runs to punish defenses.

His biggest performance of the season came when Arizona State needed him most. In the Big 12 Championship Game against Iowa State, Leavitt completed 12 of 17 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns. He added a rushing touchdown as Arizona State rolled to a 45-19 victory and captured the conference title.

He then led the Sun Devils into the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Texas.

Arizona State trailed 24-8 in the fourth quarter but battled back to force overtime. The Sun Devils eventually lost 39-31 in two overtimes, but they finished with 510 yards of offense against a Texas defense that had not allowed that much production all season.

Leavitt had helped take a team picked to finish last in its conference to within one possession of the College Football Playoff semifinals.

His 2025 season was shortened by a foot injury, but his production remained strong. In seven starts, Leavitt completed 145 of 239 passes for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He also rushed for 306 yards and five touchdowns while leading Arizona State to a 5-2 record.

Against TCU, he completed 27 of 39 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. He rushed for 62 yards and another score as Arizona State overcame a 17-point deficit to win 27-24.

Against seventh ranked Texas Tech, Leavitt established career highs with 28 completions, 47 attempts and 319 passing yards. With Arizona State trailing late, he directed a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that gave the Sun Devils the lead with only 25 seconds remaining.

That is what LSU fans should be most excited about.

Leavitt does not shrink when the game becomes difficult. He wants the ball.

His ability was obvious long before he reached college. Leavitt finished his high school career with 82 touchdown passes. As a senior at West Linn High School in Oregon, he completed 170 of 244 passes for 3,184 yards and 36 touchdowns. That was a completion rate of 69.7 percent.

He also rushed for 693 yards and eight touchdowns.

West Linn finished 12-1 and won the Oregon Class 6A state championship. Leavitt was named the Gatorade Oregon Football Player of the Year and the MaxPreps Oregon High School Player of the Year.

Now the 6-foot-2, 216-pound redshirt junior brings his championship experience, toughness and explosive ability to Baton Rouge.

Leavitt has the arm to stretch the field, the legs to destroy man coverage and the confidence to lead an offense in the final minutes. He has already won a conference championship and proven that he can produce when the pressure is at its highest.

LSU is not hoping Sam Leavitt becomes a winner.

The Tigers already know he is one.