You never know where life’s journey will take you.
For LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, that journey has taken him from West Linn, Oregon, to Michigan State for one season, Arizona State for two seasons, and now to Baton Rouge, where he is preparing to lead the Tigers into the 2026 season.
Growing up in Oregon, Leavitt said Louisiana once seemed like a place that almost didn’t exist.
Now, he can’t say enough good things about his new home.
“The people are great in Louisiana,” Leavitt said. “The passion just walking down the street, it’s really incredible, just the way they love the state. It makes you want to be here even more.”
Leavitt even loves the humidity in south Louisiana after experiencing the dry heat of Arizona the last two years.
“The humidity obviously is something I had to get used to, but I love it now,” Leavitt said. “I love how it makes my skin feel.”
Leavitt has also quickly found things to appreciate about his new football home, including throwing to 6-foot-7 tight end Trey’Dez Green and LSU’s virtual reality technology, which allows quarterbacks to get a better feel for what they will see from opposing defenses.
But the Leavitt-LSU marriage almost never happened.
After entering the transfer portal, Leavitt initially visited Kentucky. During his recruiting visit to LSU, the Tigers also reportedly showed interest in Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
That prompted Leavitt to visit Miami and Tennessee as well.
While Leavitt was at Tennessee, LSU coach Lane Kiffin flew to Knoxville to make another recruiting pitch to Leavitt.
Leavitt, speaking to Louisiana reporters for the first time Monday, didn't want to get into specifics about the transfer process. But he acknowledged Kiffin played a role in getting him to Baton Rouge.
“He definitely did some great tactics from his side, and I ultimately made the decision to come here, so it all worked out,” Leavitt said.
Now, Leavitt is tasked with making sure it really does work out.
LSU enters the season with College Football Playoff aspirations, and Leavitt will be at the center of those hopes.
One of the biggest questions surrounding him coming into preseason camp was his health. Leavitt suffered a Lisfranc injury that ended his 2025 season and required surgery.
But he said Monday that the injury is well behind him and that he has been healthy for months.
Leavitt has also already shown signs of embracing his leadership role.
He recently flew to Dallas with several of his new LSU receivers, where they worked out together and spent several days living under the same roof.
“We just rented an Airbnb, so we woke up in the same house,” Leavitt said. “It’s kind of different being in a situation like that, instead of just hanging out on a regular basis. It really created a tighter bond with us.”
That type of chemistry could prove critical for a team that has undergone significant roster and coaching changes.
For Leavitt, though, the transition appears to be going about as well as he could have hoped.
He ended his first news conference with Louisiana reporters Monday with a simple assessment of where he is in his life.
“It’s a great time in my life,” Leavitt said.
If he can lead LSU to the College Football Playoff, it could become an even greater time for both Leavitt and the Tigers.
