By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt could not be more prepared or healthy as he heads into first game at Tiger Stadium.
The Arizona State junior transfer will take the field for the first time since Oct. 25 of last year when No. 11 LSU hosts No. 23 Clemson on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC).
Leavitt’s redshirt sophomore season in 2025 was cut short by a right foot injury that required mid-foot ligament surgery. He was sidelined most of spring practice, but coach Lane Kiffin and Leavitt have long said he is fully healthy and mobile.
“I feel 100 percent,” Leavitt said after practice on Tuesday. “I’m ready to just be a great player for this team and do everything that they need to win games. I feel like I’m going to be the same player physically, and then every aspect mentally, I’ve just gotten better.”
The 6-foot-2, 207-pound playmaker totaled 306 yards and five touchdowns on 73 carries in seven games last season. In 2024, Leavitt posted 443 yards and five scores on 110 carries and used his elusiveness to escape pressure and produce highlight plays in the passing game. He has flashed that same dual-threat ability throughout fall camp.
In 2024, Leavitt copleted 216 of 350 passes (61.7 percent) for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with only six interceptions through 13 games in leading Arizona State into the College Football Playoff. In just seven games last season because of the injury, he hit 145 of 239 passes (60.7 percent) for 1,628 yards and 10 TDs with three interceptions.
He said he has attacked his recovery in the off-season and prioritizes taking care of his body. His nightly routine starts at 8 p.m. when he puts away his phone, dons blue-light glasses to ease eye strain, takes supplements and stretches each evening before bed.
“I always say that my night before is kind of a direct reflection of my next day,” Leavitt said. “The things that I’m eating, putting in my body, the way I’m taking care of it the night before, is going to directly reflect how I feel physically and mentally the next day.”
Then comes the mental preparation. He reviews coverages, pressures, defensive fronts and the game plan.
“He has a super powerful arm and is extremely confident. And he can run. What he’s really good at, too, is deciphering a lot of information in half a second.” LSU QB Sam Leavitt’s coach at West Linn High in Oregon – Jon Eagle. https://t.co/RoUUULDayE
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) January 13, 2026
“You get super dialed in,” Leavitt said. “Then, you go into the next day and get all sorted out, and you figure out what plays you like the most, which ones you don’t. They do a great job upstairs putting me in the best spot, and then I communicate with them, ‘Hey, didn’t love this look, absolutely love this play.’ So, it’s really just getting dialed in with them and exactly what plays we love and don’t love and getting timing with the guys and seeing the reps over and over.”
All of that preparation, he said, will help him keep his focus in one of the most eagerly-awaited games in LSU history. ESPN’s Marty Smith reported LSU issued nearly 900 media and celebrity credentials for the Clemson opener, more than any other game in Death Valley ever. That number includes ABC and “College GameDay” crews. GameDay will be making its 15th trip to Baton Rouge and celebrating its 500th road broadcast.
A sold-out Tiger Stadium will greet Kiffin and Leavitt in their first LSU home game. At Arizona State last season, Leavitt played in front of a home Mountain America Stadium crowd that averaged 54,444 fans, close to half of the over 102,000 expected Saturday.
“I take it back to going and playing in the playoffs and how exciting that moment was,” Leavitt said. “I’m just going to really embrace the moment for a little bit because you’re not going to get many opportunities to play in Tiger Stadium at night. So, it’s going to be special playing with these fans and this crowd, this environment. You definitely have to soak it in and embrace the moment and the blessing that God has given you to be in this situation, and then you got to relock in and focus up.”
In addition to his intensive preparation, Leavitt expects his growing comfort in coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.’s offense to help him settle into his first start. He said he has taken strides since returning to the practice field this summer.
“I think the main thing really is just getting on the same page with coach Weis and our whole offense,” he said. “When we check to a certain play, the reason why we’re checking to it, what exactly we’re looking for out of the receivers, how we’re blocking up front, everything like that. And then them getting used to hearing my voice on the field, the pace of the game, how I control the huddle, everything like that. Everything takes time, especially with an offense, and we’ve just gotten better and better, and we’re going to continue to get better throughout the year.”
Leavitt has focused on building chemistry with his coaching staff and teammates. He has high expectations for the Tigers’ offense, but Saturday will be just the beginning. He issued a challenge to the team to improve as the season goes on.
“I really love the players that we got around me — the way that my coaches are able to put me in a great spot,” Leavitt said. “I’m just going to continue to learn and grow with them and understand situational awareness and ball. That’s what playing these games is going to get better and better at understanding what they want out of me in certain situations, and hopefully it’s just going to keep growing and growing.”
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