By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful to play at No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0) on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference’s initial availability report on LSU provided by LSU coach Lane Kiffin and posted on the league’s website on Wednesday night, leading into the SEC opener for both programs.
That status could change as early as Thursday afternoon or night as Leavitt practiced on Thursday morning after missing Wednesday’s practice with back spasms, according to Louisianasports.net. He could be listed as questionable, which means he has a greater chance of playing.
It is doubtful that Sam Leavitt will be listed as “doubtful” in Lane Kiffin’s next availability report to SEC. Kiffin’s injury reports have been questionable in past.https://t.co/FdTvQKS9Mn
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 17, 2026
But what does “doubtful” and “questionable” and other designations really mean, according to SEC rules?
Can Leavitt’s status improve?
Is the “doubtful” designation accurate? Does it have to be?
Where does No. 7 LSU (2-0) go from here with Leavitt?
Since the 2024-2025 school year, SEC football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball teams have been required to accurately disclose the availability of their student-athletes via SEC availability reports. In football, initial reports are due from teams at 7 p.m. on the Wednesday before a Saturday game. That report must be updated once on Thursday and once on Friday any time after practice before the 7 p.m. deadline. A final game day update must be provided no later than 90 minutes before kickoff on Saturday.
Players can be designated as probable, questionable, doubtful or out. This scale estimates the athlete’s chance of playing on game day. A player listed as probable has roughly a 75 percent chance of playing, questionable players are 50/50, and doubtful players are given a 25 percent chance. But those are somewhat arbitrary percentages as all injuries are different.
If a player is out, it means, obviously, they will not play. That cannot be changed. In the past before the availability reports in the SEC, they could and did change.
On the game day update, players can only be reported as available, meaning they will dress and can play, as out or as a game time decision. Game time decision listings allow coaches and medical staff to evaluate a player during warm-ups before making a final determination on his availability.
The SEC availability report defines a doubtful designation like Leavitt’s as the player being “unlikely to play due to significant concerns.” That does not mean he cannot be upgraded to questionable or even probable throughout the week.
The conference guidelines on the availability report even outline an example situation with a hypothetical cornerback who suffered a hamstring injury. He is listed as doubtful on Wednesday’s initial report, upgraded to questionable after progressing Thursday and Friday and becomes a game time decision before kick off on Saturday. The same scenario could be happening as we speak for Leavitt without raising any red flags concerning gamesmanship by Kiffin.
Schools are required to report accurate and timely information in the initial report and ensuing updates. In the SEC’s “Duty to Act in Good Faith requirement,” the conference prohibits any “acts of gamesmanship intended to hide a student-athlete’s true participation status for competitive or strategic reasons.”
Such gamesmanship has happened in the past. Kiffin once put 26 players on his injury report before Ole Miss played Georgia in the 2024 season.
The guidelines go on to provide the specific example of listing a high-profile student-athlete as doubtful in the reports leading up to several games in which the athlete continued to play in his or her normal capacity without a credible explanation.
The SEC also requires institutions to avoid surprise, sudden drastic changes to an athlete’s availability status, especially when dealing with a high-profile athlete such as a starting quarterback. Teams must make every reasonable effort to progress the student-athlete through the corresponding designations as his or her status improves.
The guidelines state, “Failure to provide accurate and timely information on the availability report will subject the offending institution, and, if appropriate, the offending head coach, to accountability measures, including, but not limited to, private or public reprimands, fines, and other measures as appropriate.”
Teams are subject to a $25,000 fine for a first offense, $50,000 for a second and $100,000 for a third and any successive offenses. No school has received such a penalty since the implementation of the availability report policy. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey also “has the discretion to administer penalties as appropriate under the circumstances.”
The SEC office has the power to investigate any situations deemed a potential violation of its good faith policy. The conference may interview relevant personnel and athletes and review practice film and other relevant materials. Institutions have until 1 p.m. the day after the game to submit any information to “support its contention that it was placed at a competitive disadvantage due to its opponent’s alleged violation of this policy.”
Leavitt has a clear path to the field on Saturday if he is able to get healthier. Pete Nakos of On3.com and Matt Moscona of ESPN 104.5 FM Radio in Baton rouge have reported that Leavitt did not throw in practice on Wednesday as he nursed soreness in his throwing shoulder. Moscona changed that to back spasms on Wednesday.
But Leavitt is now on track to play on Saturday with him practicing on Thursday. LSU will be required to update his status on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Those reports are expected to be made public at 7:10 p.m. each night.
Also listed on LSU’s initial report were starting linebacker TJ Dottery and backup linebacker Tylen Singleton as questionable. Starting linebacker Whit Weeks, starting tight end Trey’Dez Green, rotational linebacker Davhon Keys and starting right guard were probable. Those players could follow a similar progression. Wide receiver Phillip Wright III, linebacker Jaiden Braker and running back Raycine Guillory Jr. – all reserves – are all out for the Ole Miss game.
The SEC can launch an investigation into the credibility of LSU’s or any member school’s availability reporting, or lack thereof.
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