# Sam Leavitt (American football)
**Sam Leavitt** (born ~2004) is an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) quarterback for the LSU Tigers and a prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft. A West Linn, Oregon, native who played at Michigan State and then Arizona State, he won Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2024 after leading the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and a [College Football Playoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/college-football-playoff) berth, entered the transfer portal in December 2025 as the No. 1 rated quarterback available, and opened his LSU career with 343 passing yards and three touchdowns against Clemson.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) • [2](https://thedraftbomb.com/players/sam-leavitt)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position / size | Quarterback, No. 10; listed 6 ft 2 in, 207 lbs, redshirt junior[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) |
| 2024 season (Arizona State) | 216-of-350 passing (61.7%), 2,885 yards, 24 TD, 6 INT; 433 rushing yards and 5 TDs; Big 12 Freshman of the Year, second-team All-Big 12[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) |
| 2024 team result | 11-3 record, Big 12 championship, first College Football Playoff appearance, 39-31 double-overtime Peach Bowl loss to Texas[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) • [3](https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-phoenix-7f05ce10-be51-11ef-a4f7-dd63e25b5bf9) |
| 2025 season | 145-of-239 for 1,628 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT; 306 rushing yards and 5 TDs in an injury-shortened, 7-start season[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) |
| Career totals | 4,652 passing yards and 36 TDs; 816 rushing yards and 10 TDs; 61.4% completion rate in 24 games[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) |
| Draft status | 2027 NFL Draft prospect; evaluations range from a Day 3 or late-round grade to a potential top-15 pick[4](https://lastwordonsports.com/nfl/2026/06/29/early-2027-nfl-draft-sam-leavitt-scouting-report/) • [5](https://www.theringer.com/todd-mcshay/2027/players/sam-leavitt) |
## Background
Leavitt is the son of Jared and Tania Leavitt. His father played football at BYU and earned two letters (1990-91); his brother Dallin played at Utah State and BYU and spent six seasons in the NFL as a safety, four with the Raiders (2018-21) and two with the Packers (2022-23).[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/)
At West Linn High School in Oregon, Leavitt was named Gatorade Oregon Football Player of the Year and MaxPreps Oregon High School Player of the Year after leading West Linn to a 12-1 record and the Class 6A state championship in 2022. As a senior he passed for 3,184 yards and 36 touchdowns on 170-of-244 passing (69.7%) and rushed for 693 yards and 8 scores. Recruiting services ranked him the No. 1 player in Oregon and the No. 7 quarterback nationally by On3, No. 17 by 247Sports, No. 20 by ESPN, and No. 29 by Rivals.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/)
## College career
**Michigan State (2023).** Leavitt appeared in four games as a true freshman, completing 15 of 23 passes for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns with 13 rushes for 67 yards. His first career touchdown pass came against Minnesota, and he threw a 25-yard touchdown against Nebraska in his final appearance for the Spartans.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/)
**Arizona State (2024).** After transferring, Leavitt won the starting job over transfer Jeff Sims before the opener and started 13 games, missing only the Utah contest.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) He threw for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions and added 433 rushing yards, setting the Arizona State program record for total offense by a freshman with 3,328 yards.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) His eight passes of 50-plus yards led the Big 12 and ranked second in the FBS, and his rushing total ranked second among FBS quarterbacks.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) [Pro Football Focus](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-focus) graded him 88.9, the second-highest mark among freshmen with 400 snaps on either side of the ball, behind only Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith (89.8).[6](https://wvusports.com/documents/download/2025/11/13/25FBNotes_WVU.pdf)
Arizona State, picked last in the Big 12 before the season, finished 11-3 and won the conference title in its first Big 12 season, the program's first outright conference championship since 1996.[7](https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/08/29/arizona-state-sun-devils-2025-season-preview) • [8](https://news.asu.edu/sites/default/files/2025-06/ASU-Thrive-magazine-Winter-2025-V28N1.pdf) In the [Big 12 Championship Game](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-12-championship-game) against Iowa State, Leavitt went 12-of-17 for 219 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the [Peach Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/peach-bowl) against Texas, he led comebacks from 17-3 and 24-8 deficits to force overtime, but his second-overtime pass was intercepted by Andrew Mukuba and the Sun Devils lost 39-31.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/) • [9](https://www.statepress.com/article/2025/01/peach-bowl-sidebar)
**Arizona State (2025).** Leavitt started the first five games, missed the Utah game with a foot injury, and returned to lead a 26-22 win over No. 7 Texas Tech, setting career highs with 28 completions, 47 attempts, and 319 passing yards. He left the Houston game twice with injuries, which ended his season; he finished with 1,628 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions, and Arizona State went 5-2 in his seven starts.[1](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/)
**Transfer to LSU (2026).** Leavitt entered the transfer portal on December 8, 2025, and enrolled at LSU, where he was rated the No. In his first game as a Tiger he threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns against Clemson.[2](https://thedraftbomb.com/players/sam-leavitt) His 2026 season has been marked by turnover problems: through Week 6 he had thrown an interception in every game, with 8 against 10 touchdown passes, including a tipped interception and a late sack-fumble in a 35-34 loss at Kentucky.[10](https://scoutszn.com/player/3757)
## Playing style and evaluation
Scouts describe Leavitt as a dual-threat playmaker whose best work comes outside structure. In 2024 he posted the best rushing success rate among all college football players (69.2%) and the second-best EPA per rush (0.59), and he allowed a 12.5% pressure-to-sack rate, well below the 20% threshold commonly considered good.[11](https://www.statepress.com/article/2024/10/leavitt-stats-2024) Analysts credit his ability to extend plays, throw off-platform, and make tight-window downfield throws; PFF's 2026 preseason evaluation noted that his arm strength exceeds his measurables and that the ball comes out with NFL velocity, while flagging inconsistent mechanics, late reads, and a habit of throwing off his back foot.[4](https://lastwordonsports.com/nfl/2026/06/29/early-2027-nfl-draft-sam-leavitt-scouting-report/) • [12](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-summer-scouting-quarterback-overview-2026-nfl-draft)
An On3 Impact Study graded him B+ overall with an A for accuracy and a C+ for processing, calling his downfield accuracy the best in its 44-quarterback pool: his 53.9% deep accuracy and 16.4% uncatchable rate on throws past ten yards were the best or among the best measured, though his arm strength was judged a tier or two below elite and his vision and anticipation as the main development areas.[13](https://www.on3.com/news/2026-qb-impact-study-lsus-sam-leavitt/)
Draft evaluations differ widely. Todd McShay of The Ringer gave him a 91/100 grade, ranking him seventh at the position and 20th overall, and wrote that if he improves decisiveness and limits critical errors under [Lane Kiffin](https://www.edgepedia.org/lane-kiffin) he could emerge as a top-15 pick.[5](https://www.theringer.com/todd-mcshay/2027/players/sam-leavitt) Last Word On NFL listed him as a Day 3 prospect with upside,[4](https://lastwordonsports.com/nfl/2026/06/29/early-2027-nfl-draft-sam-leavitt-scouting-report/) and ScoutingGrade placed him 222nd on its big board with a seventh-round range, comparing his style to [Sam Howell](https://www.edgepedia.org/sam-howell).[14](https://scoutinggrade.com/2027/players/sam-leavitt) Durability is a recurring concern after his season-ending 2025 injury and a running style that exposes him to hits.[15](https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreports2027sleavitt.php)
## References
1. [Sam Leavitt player bio, LSUsports.net](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/roster/player/sam-leavitt/)
2. [Sam Leavitt NFL Draft Profile, The Draft Bomb](https://thedraftbomb.com/players/sam-leavitt)
3. [1 helluva year, Axios Phoenix (January 2, 2025)](https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-phoenix-7f05ce10-be51-11ef-a4f7-dd63e25b5bf9)
4. [Early 2027 NFL Draft Sam Leavitt Scouting Report, Last Word On NFL](https://lastwordonsports.com/nfl/2026/06/29/early-2027-nfl-draft-sam-leavitt-scouting-report/)
5. [Sam Leavitt Draft Profile & Scouting Report, The Ringer (Todd McShay)](https://www.theringer.com/todd-mcshay/2027/players/sam-leavitt)
6. [West Virginia football notes (November 13, 2025)](https://wvusports.com/documents/download/2025/11/13/25FBNotes_WVU.pdf)
7. [Sun Devils have high hopes as they look to defend Big 12 championship, Axios Phoenix](https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2025/08/29/arizona-state-sun-devils-2025-season-preview)
8. [ASU Thrive Magazine, Winter 2025](https://news.asu.edu/sites/default/files/2025-06/ASU-Thrive-magazine-Winter-2025-V28N1.pdf)
9. [The future of Sun Devil Football is bright as Sam Leavitt's leadership continues to shine, The Arizona State Press](https://www.statepress.com/article/2025/01/peach-bowl-sidebar)
10. [Sam Leavitt Scouting Report & Draft Grade, ScoutSZN](https://scoutszn.com/player/3757)
11. [By the numbers: a statistical analysis of Sam Leavitt this season, The Arizona State Press](https://www.statepress.com/article/2024/10/leavitt-stats-2024)
12. [2026 NFL Draft Summer Scouting: Quarterback Overview, PFF](https://www.pff.com/news/draft-summer-scouting-quarterback-overview-2026-nfl-draft)
13. [2026 QB Impact Study: LSU's Sam Leavitt, On3](https://www.on3.com/news/2026-qb-impact-study-lsus-sam-leavitt/)
14. [Sam Leavitt Scouting Report, ScoutingGrade](https://scoutinggrade.com/2027/players/sam-leavitt)
15. [2027 NFL Scouting Report: Sam Leavitt, WalterFootball](https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreports2027sleavitt.php)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Quarterbacks*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license