LSU Football Practice: QB Sam Leavitt’s Top 3 Receivers Appear To Be Materializing, But It’s Early

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

LSU has not donned full pads and contact yet, but it still is hard to ignore the talent of new quarterback Sam Leavitt.

Quarterback Sam Leavitt connecting with Illinois transfer WR Malik Elzy and McNeese transfer WR Josh Jackson on some deep balls at #LSU practice today. pic.twitter.com/HdGDpcku9F

— Kace Kieschnick (@kacehk) August 8, 2026

Leavitt continued to put on a clinic on the Tigers’ third day of practice on Saturday as he routinely completed short passes to tight ends, back shoulder sideline routes, slants over the middle and deep balls. The only two incompletions on him were overthrows on long passes around a drop.

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The targets he has thrown to the most have been wide receivers Jayce Brown, a senior transfer from Kansas State, and Jackson Harris, a redshirt junior transfer from Hawaii.

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On Saturday, redshirt junior Malik Elzy, a redshirt junior from Illinois got into the mix.

The trio gives Leavitt a variety in size with Brown at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, Harris at 6-2 and 202 and Elzy at 6-2 and 214.

Malachi Thomas (6-3, 242), a junior transfer from Pittsburgh, got much of the work at tight end Saturday as junior starter Trey’Dez Green had a gold jersey on, which usually means an injury.

“Oh, passing team,” people often say about Lane Kiffin offenses. But his Ole Miss teams finished 1st in SEC rushing twice and in top 5 five times in 6 years.https://t.co/seZ7PaZreW

— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) August 8, 2026

On defense, junior Dominick McKinley appeared to be working in the top five rotation at tackle with true freshman Deuce Geralds, junior Auburn transfer Malik Blocton, true freshman Richard Anderson and redshirt junior Clemson transfer Stephiylan Green.

Sophomore linebacker CJ Jimcoily got a look at the No. 1 star position ahead of expected junior starter DaShawn Spears. And projected junior starter Tamarcus Cooley was one of the first team safeties with senior Boise State transfer Ty Benefield. Freshman Jhase Thomas was at first team in the previous two practices.

After Sunday off, LSU returns to practice on Monday, and there will be player interviews along with a Lane Kiffin press conference.