Why Sam Leavitt's Heisman Odds Are Falling At LSU

We haven't even seen transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt healthy in an LSU jersey (even a practice jersey) and his Heisman Trophy odds are already getting worse.

This offseason, Leavitt was the top option in the transfer portal across the nation. Coming from Arizona State, the dual threat QB wasn't exactly a 'change the program day 1' type transfer, but he was the best available starting QB in the portal. He's shown flashes of brilliance at his two previous schools (yeah, already two...Michigan State and Arizona State) and proved that he's got the skill set to succeed, when healthy.

What Did Sam Leavitt Do Before LSU?

When Leavitt was at Michigan State, he played in 4 games as a true freshman. While he didn't rack up eye-popping stats, he came in clutch a few times. Including a 25-yard touchdown pass to help MSU beat Nebraska on the road in 2023. At that point, Nebraska had 5 wins, and was nearly bowl eligible. When Leavitt helped knock them off, it sent the Cornhuskers into a spiral...and they ended up losing the rest of their games...missing a bowl berth.

At the end of that season, Leavitt hit the portal and headed to Arizona State. He instantly became the starter for the Sun Devils. In his first year at ASU he lead the team to Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoffs. He racked up over 2,800 yards in the air, and 443 rushing yards. He had 29 total touchdowns, 24 passing and 5 rushing.

During his second year at ASU, he started off pretty hot...in his first 7 games, he had 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he already had 306 yards and 5 touchdowns. Setting up a possible run at a Heisman Trophy campaign. But in late September, he injured his foot against Baylor, and ended up missing the rest of the season. That same injury is what has slowed his 2026 progress on the field too.

Sam Leavitt Transfers to LSU

After the 2025 season, Leavitt visited a familiar place...the NCAA Transfer Portal. He became the top option in the portal, and did a nation-wide tour to find a new football home. After LSU pulled out all of the stops to rip Head Coach Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss, Leavitt figured he'd jump in too.

Lane Kiffin speaks at a press conference as he is introduced at LSU (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

Adding the top coaching option on the market, and the top transfer QB in the portal, instantly put all the eyes on LSU. Someone with Leavitt's skillset in a Lane Kiffin offense has a lot of people talking. But is it enough to make Leavitt the Heisman favorite this year?

Opening Odds to Win Heisman Trophy

According to BetMGM, Leavitt opened the betting window with +1400 odds...which made him the 6th option on the list. The top of the odds list was CJ Carr from Notre Dame, who opened with +700 odds. Arch Manning of Texas opened at #2 with +800 odds.

Since then, Carr and Manning have improved their odds, without doing anything, to +750. While Leavitt has watched his opening odds drop. He's now at +1600 which makes him 9th on the list for this round of odds. Entering the odds ahead of Leavitt, who weren't in the opening odds, are Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss (+900) and Darian Mensah or Miami (+1300).

So even without having a fully healthy practice with LSU, Leavitt has already seen his Heisman odds slide.