By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
No. 1-ranked Transfer Portal quarterback Sam Leavitt was not LSU coach Lane Kiffin’s first or second choice. And apparently, LSU is not Leavitt’s first choice.
After visiting LSU early this week, Leavitt visited Tennessee and is now at Miami, and a commitment to LSU does not appear to be happening.
NEW: USC true freshman transfer QB Husan Longstreet is set to visit LSU this weekend, @SWiltfong_ and @Sheadixon report🐯
— On3 (@On3sports) January 11, 2026
Longstreet is a former 5-star recruit. https://t.co/U31NaOwnr0 pic.twitter.com/dHaYBaDAJ7
And Kiffin has apparently moved on as he and his staff were hosting USC freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet on Saturday at LSU. Longstreet (6-0, 200 pounds) is the No. 6 quarterback in the portal and No. 18 prospect overall. He was a true freshman in the 2025 season with the Trojans, completing 13 of 15 passes for 103 yards and one touchdown as a reserve.
Kiffin and LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who both left Ole Miss for LSU after the 2025 regular season, recruited Longstreet to Ole Miss for its 2025 class before he signed with USC. Longstreet was a five-star prospect out of Centennial High in Corona, California, last year as the No. 4 prep quarterback in the nation and No. 3 prospect in California.
Kiffin was an assistant coach at USC from 2001-06 under Pete Carroll, winning national championships in 2003 and ’04. He was offensive coordinator there in 2005 and ’06 and head coach from 2010-13.
COULD CADEN DURHAM BE EXITING PORTAL TO RETURN TO LSU?
Meanwhile, Kiffin, running backs coach Kevin Smith and staff are trying to woo back LSU sophomore running back Caden Durham, who entered the portal last week when LSU thought it had a chance to sign Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy. But Lacy has re-signed with Ole Miss, which was considered a target by Durham as his running backs coach at LSU – Frank Wilson – is now Ole Miss’ running backs coach. Smith left Ole Miss to coach with Kiffin at LSU.
Durham was LSU’s leading rusher in 2025 as a sophomore with 505 yards on 111 carries with three touchdowns. He led the Tigers in rushing as a freshman in 2024 as well with 753 yards on 140 carries with six touchdowns.
LANE KIFFIN’S ROCKY TOP FLIGHT
Kiffin recruited Leavitt hard on Friday as he flew to Knoxville, Tennessee, where Kiffin was also previously a head coach at Tennessee in 2009, to meet with him before Leavitt flew to Miami. But Kiffin has not been consistently all in for Leavitt, and that may have cost LSU the highly sought after dual-threat talent.
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 9, 2026
As the first and last portal window of 2026 opened last Friday, Kiffin was targeting Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, who is the No. 2 quarterback in the portal, according to 247sports.com after Leavitt.
Documents: LSU proposed to QB Brendan Sorsby a $3.5M NIL guarantee thru its MMR partner.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 7, 2026
In a fascinating window into QB bidding wars, schools are using corporate sponsors to exceed the cap with lucrative promises that haven’t yet passed the clearinghousehttps://t.co/5Or09TFtk9 pic.twitter.com/pOztmpsOK2
LSU offered to pay Sorsby $3.5 million to be a Tiger via a Name, Image & Likeness and multi media rights package through corporate sponsorships. But Sorsby instead committed to Texas Tech last Sunday and signed on Tuesday.
Leavitt visited Kiffin at LSU on Monday and Tuesday. Kiffin took him to dinner Monday night at the upscale Supper Club and to the LSU-South Carolina basketball game on Tuesday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Here's all the video I captured from today's #LSU Basketball game.
— John Eads WAFB-TV (@JohnEadsWAFB) January 7, 2026
Lane Kiffin sitting with ASU transfer Sam Leavitt and, I believe, Florida WR transfer Eugene Wilson III along with Whit Weeks.
Time will tell if the Tigers are able to land both Leavitt and Wilson. pic.twitter.com/UwBYKb4Yiw
But at about the time they were arriving at the game shortly before the second half, news was flashing that Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. was entering the portal, even though he had signed an agreement with Washington just days before. While Ole Miss’ coach, Kiffin and Weis had recruited Williams out of Basha High in Chandler, Arizona, before Williams signed with Washington.
If Kiffin had a chance at a commitment from Leavitt on Tuesday or Wednesday, Kiffin apparently put that off, thinking he might get Williams. But on Thursday night, Williams announced he was staying at Washington to avoid legal issues with Washington and the Big Ten over his signing with Washington.
And Leavitt quickly became Kiffin’s top priority.
Leavitt completed 216 of 350 passes (61.7 percent) for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions for the No. 23 passing efficiency rating in the nation at 150.2 in 13 starts in 2024. A dual threat, he also rushed 110 times for 443 yards and five touchdowns.
“Sam’s good. Sam’s really good. I keep saying it,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said late in the 2024 season. “Sam’s really good, and we should be really happy that we have Sam, and we have him for two to three more years. I mean, Sam’s going to play on Sundays. There’s zero doubt in my mind Sam’s an NFL player.”
But Leavitt injured ligaments in his right foot during the 2025 season. He tried to play on it before calling it a season after seven games and having Lisfranc surgery, which involves plates and/or screws realigning the foot and includes a six-month recovery. He is expected to miss spring practice wherever he ends up going to school.
In seven games in 2025, Leavitt completed 145 of 239 passes for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns with three interceptions. He rushed 73 times for 306 yards and five touchdowns.
Leavitt would’ve been the second Arizona State starting quarterback to transfer to LSU in four years.
Jayden Daniels transferred to LSU in March of 2022, became the starter and and won the Heisman Trophy in the 2023 season before becoming the second player picked in the NFL Draft in 2024 and winning NFL Rookie of the Year.
Leavitt began his college career at Michigan State in 2023. He was red-shirted after completing 15 of 23 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns and 67 yards on 13 carries in four games. He signed with Michigan State as the No. 18 quarterback in the nation and No. 2 prospect in Oregon in 2023 from West Linn High in West Linn, Oregon. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Oregon as a senior after throwing for 3,184 yards and 36 touchdowns at his third high school.
Leavitt considered following his family ties to BYU, where his father and brother played. After entering the portal from Michigan State following the 2023 season, his top schools were Arizona State and BYU.
“Really good player. He comes from a good family,” BYU coach Kalani Sitake said before playing Arizona State late in 2024. “He’s super athletic. He can run. He’s got an accurate arm. I think he’s got a great football IQ. He’s dangerous. He’s got a lot of football to play. I think he he saw some opportunities over there at ASU. And you look at him, he’s thriving in it.”
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