Sam Leavitt Nearly Healthy — and Lane Kiffin Just Sent a Warning to the SEC

Lane Kiffin didn’t come to Baton Rouge to rebuild. He came to win now, and the biggest piece of that puzzle is finally off the sideline.

Sam Leavitt, the Arizona State transfer who arrived at LSU with first-round NFL buzz before a foot injury stalled his momentum, is back to full participation in spring workouts. That development alone should make the rest of the SEC uneasy.

On Wednesday, Kiffin gave the most detailed update yet on his new quarterback’s recovery, telling reporters that Leavitt is moving at full speed and has already taken command of the huddle. “He’s doing well. He’s been out there at pretty much full strength now,” Kiffin said. “He’s got a really good arm. Really smart. He’s just in there grinding all the time on stuff. NFL mindset quarterback from a preparation standpoint.”

The former Ole Miss head coach was careful not to overpromise, noting that Leavitt is still working through timing with a largely new supporting cast. “Now we’ve just got to put everything together in year one a little bit late, because now he’s finally cleared now with a lot of new pieces around him,” Kiffin said. “It’s going to be a big summer and fall camp.”

For LSU fans, that sounds like music to ears that spent 2024 hearing a lot of flat notes. Last season’s disappointing finish left a program accustomed to championships searching for answers. Kiffin’s arrival — and the subsequent portal haul headlined by Leavitt — has flipped the mood entirely.

Leavitt fits the archetype Kiffin has thrived with in recent years. Like Jaxson Dart and Trinidad Chambliss, he can beat a defense with his arm or his legs, and he isn’t afraid to let a play get a little chaotic before it turns electric. The former Sun Devil also has big-game experience that most new starters in the SEC lack. He nearly upset Texas in the 2024 Peach Bowl, pushing the Longhorns to overtime before Arizona State ultimately fell short.

Now Leavitt will have even more weapons around him — not to mention a coach who has made a career out of turning dual-threat quarterbacks into Heisman candidates and high draft picks. If Kiffin gets the best out of Leavitt, LSU’s offense could be the most dangerous in the conference by midseason.

Leavitt’s health is the linchpin. The team has not confirmed any specific timeline for full clearance from medical staff, but Wednesday’s update suggests the quarterback is well ahead of schedule. For the rest of the SEC, that’s a quiet but unmistakable alarm bell.