Sam Leavitt injury update: Lane Kiffin says LSU QB 'full strength' ahead of Tigers' 2026 CFP push

Lane Kiffin provided an update on the health status of LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, the transfer portal's No. 1 QB this cycle, who missed spring practice with a foot injury. Leavitt missed the second half of Arizona State's 2025 season and had surgery in November to repair it before signing with the Tigers.

Now, he's ready to go to battle this season for a team most expect to be a national championship contender under a new head coach.

"He's doing well, he's been out there pretty much full strength now," Kiffin said during a recent appearance on the In The Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu podcast. "Really good arm. Really smart, and he's just in there grinding all the time on stuff. NFL mindset quarterback from a preparation standpoint, and now we've just got to put everything together in Year 1. Little bit late because he's just finally cleared now with a lot of new pieces around, but it's going to be a big summer and fall camp."

How Sam Leavitt became the No. 1 transfer portal QB -- and why his recruitment got complicated

Chris Hummer

A dual-threat star for the Sun Devils the last two seasons, Leavitt led Arizona State to its first playoff berth as a redshirt freshman in 2024 with more than 3,000 yards of total offense and 29 touchdowns before contributing 15 touchdowns over seven games last fall prior to injury.

Hand-picked by Kiffin to lead his offense, Leavitt is one of college football's highest-paid players and emerged as LSU's top portal target this cycle after Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby came off the board to Texas Tech and Demond Williams Jr. failed to get out of his NIL contract at Washington.

LSU pivoted to Leavitt, who met with Kiffin and LSU's brass in Knoxville, Tennessee, before ultimately landing him despite a last-second visit to Miami. He's the jewel of the Tigers' top-ranked transfer class and the most important piece of a major roster rebuild.

Leavitt's importance

Kiffin has never been shy about building an offense around an experienced quarterback capable of making quick decisions and creating explosive plays. Leavitt checks every box. He's an accurate passer with enough mobility to extend plays when protection breaks down, and his command of the offense should accelerate LSU's transition into Kiffin's up-tempo system.

The Tigers have assembled one of the SEC's most talented supporting casts, but none of it matters if the quarterback position isn't producing at a high level. Leavitt's health removes the biggest question mark surrounding LSU's offense and raises the ceiling for a team with playoff aspirations.

With a first-year coach, heightened expectations and a loaded schedule, LSU needs stability under center. That's why Leavitt's recovery from injury is such a significant storyline. If he plays like one of the nation's elite quarterbacks, the Tigers have every chance to make Kiffin's first season a memorable one.

Leavitt and 54 other newcomers in the 2026 recruiting cycle are tasked with taking LSU back to respectability, doing so with haste.

"The expectation is -- I know everyone wants to hear about wins and losses -- that we play really smart, physical football," Kiffin said. "And we're really good in situations, but the style comes back. I want people to fear LSU the way that I had to fear LSU, like when I was at Alabama.

"When we were going to play LSU, you knew it was, especially when you were on offense against them. And you better hope that game was not at LSU, and please don't be at night, because now we're like, 'Are we even going to score, at all?' Because these guys are going to be like elite speed, physical. ... (I want) to bring that back."

Ed Orgeron's return

The former national title-winning coach joined Kiffin's staff as a special assistant last month, resuming duties at a program he helped return to national prominence in 2019 with an unbeaten season. Orgeron and the Tigers mutually parted ways in 2021 during a tumultuous campaign after five years with the program, but there were no hard feelings after a hearty buyout.

"To have him back is even better than I thought," Kiffin said. "He's always been the best recruiter I've been around, but you put him here. ... before he was just recruiting for the place he's at and using all his recruiting, you know, skills. Now, you like feel it in here. We do these meetings with the kids, and he talks about it, especially to Louisiana kids, 'it's in your DNA, at some point you wanted to play for LSU. You wanted to be a Tiger.'

"That was him. He talks about when he was 10 years old and met the coach and told his dad, 'I'm going to LSU no matter what.' Like anything, if you recruit someone and you have the passion and their story, the parents, the kids are like, 'That's cool.'"

Orgeron previously worked with Kiffin at USC, served under him at Tennessee after leaving the New Orleans Saints' staff and later re-joined USC's staff, leading to a top-rated class. Kiffin already feels the synergy within his coaching staff in Baton Rouge, and the acclimation process has moved along quickly.

"I don't know how fast it's going to happen, but we're going to win a national championship," Kiffin said. "We're going to have the teams and the rosters back to the way that they were playing when they were great. Don't know how fast, it might not be today, but I feel it in recruiting too."