Lane Kiffin will go for every move possible as head coach; that’s a trait that makes up a part of his reputation. However, they may not always be successful. Sam Leavitt might be ditching the purple and gold for a new player in the arena.

Among everybody vying to woo the elite QB, nobody is as desperate as LSU. There are no scholarship quarterbacks in the 2026 roster, forcing Kiffin to look at nothing but the best available options. He’s still trying his best to recruit Sam Leavitt, but Mario Cristobal may be throwing a dampener on his plans. On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Miami is a school “to keep an eye on,” as Sam Leavitt makes his rounds.

Miami’s run to the National Championship makes the school a really attractive landing spot for the QB. Carson Beck will leave after the final game, leaving the QB1 spot wide open for Leavitt to take advantage of. The former Arizona State star can be Cristobal’s next hit at quarterback, with a total of 5,468 offensive yards and 46 total touchdowns. Plus, he will get the help of a talented WR unit that has shown its prowess despite being a young group. This leaves Lane Kiffin with no other option but to amp up his efforts to recruit Sam Leavitt.

The Tigers’ head coach even travelled to Knoxville to catch the QB before he left for Miami, showing how urgent it is for LSU to land his word. But the longer Sam Leavitt delays his decision, the more the Tigers seem to slip off this recruiting trail. At Baton Rouge, Leavitt accompanied Kiffin to an LSU basketball game, while Ole Miss was playing Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. The desperation from Kiffin actually comes after a development that might have created tension in LSU’s bond with the QB.

During the visit, the Tigers also pushed for Washington QB Demond Williams Jr. when he announced his decision to enter the portal. The Huskies star would’ve been a serious gain for Lane Kiffin, with his 3,065 passing yards and 25 scores, and an impressive 71.5% completion rate. But he immediately made a U-turn, choosing to stay at Montlake for the 2026 season. Despite this chapter being short-lived, there’s little reason for Sam Leavitt to keep LSU on his good books after a move like that.

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As the star QB seems to grow colder for LSU, Lane Kiffin was forced to make a push for his next best option.

Amid Sam Leavitt’s uncertainty, LSU tries hard for Husan Longstreet

While there’s less hope of Lane Kiffin salvaging his relationship with Leavitt, he might as well make use of one that’s still healthy. LSU was able to host former USC quarterback Husan Longstreet, who was the 4th-best QB in the 2025 cycle. Before he chose the Trojans, Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. had recruited him heavily while they were at Ole Miss. The Rebels were also among his Top 8 schools.

Husan Longstreet spent this past season backing up Jayden Maiava, finding little time on the field. However, his status as an elite prospect still remains, being the 2ndbest available QB in the portal, according to On3. As a high school sophomore, he threw for more than 3,500 yards. Longstreet’s four years of eligibility make him too good a prospect to pass on for Lane Kiffin, given the dire state of his QB situation.

The portal closes on January 16, making this QB search a mad rush for the coach. To make matters worse, his options are dwindling quickly. Brendan Sorsby is now with Texas Tech, Josh Hoover is at Indiana, and DJ Lagway committed to Baylor. This leaves Sam Leavitt as the only QB who will meet the standards of LSU football. Lane Kiffin will be in a serious crisis if he misses out on this opportunity as well.