LSU QB Sam Leavitt to start vs Ole Miss after 'scare' this week, Lane Kiffin says

LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt is expected to start against the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night. This comes after rocky injury reporting by the team over the past 48 hours.

Leavitt was not listed on the SEC availability report for Saturday's game in Oxford, indicating he's not injured. He was listed as doubtful on Wednesday evening.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin explained the situation during an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay Saturday morning. He said Leavitt was ready to play after a "scare" earlier in the week. However, there was no clear reason why his starting QB made a quick turnaround.

"Sam's doing great," Kiffin said. "Early in the week, he had a scare in practice but had a great recovery, worked really hard, and he's ready to go." Sources have confirmed Leavitt will be available to start against the Rebels.

What will be interesting after the game will be how Leavitt's appearance on the report Wednesday night will be viewed by the SEC. Was this a tactic for attention or real reporting? It was unclear when or how he was injured, which will be under review. By Thursday evening, Leavitt's status on the availability report changed to questionable.

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The SEC's reporting policy states that acts of gamesmanship "intended to hide a student-athlete's true participation status for competitive or strategic reasons" are prohibited. This means any attempt by Kiffin and his staff to mislead Ole Miss would be treated seriously.

The penalties for inaccurate or late reports range from $25,000 to $100,000 for football and can include "accountability measures" for head coaches. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has discretion in this matter and could come down hard.

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Leavitt, a transfer from Arizona State, came to LSU as a two-year starter for Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils. He led the team to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in 2024.

LSU faces Ole Miss in Kiffin's return to Oxford. Kickoff for the prime time event will be at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. 

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