LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt has been cleared to play Saturday night when the No. 9 Tigers travel to Oxford, Mississippi, to face No. 8 Ole Miss, ending a 48-hour stretch of uncertainty over his health.
Leavitt, an Arizona State transfer, was listed as “doubtful” with an upper-body injury on LSU’s Wednesday injury report before being upgraded to “questionable” on Thursday. The designation puzzled observers because Leavitt had shown no visible signs of injury during LSU’s 45-14 home win over Louisiana Tech, a game in which he threw three interceptions but otherwise appeared healthy, with no injury mentioned afterward.
LSU head coach Lane Kiffin addressed the situation Saturday during ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
“Sam’s doing great,” Kiffin said. “Early in the week, had a scare in practice but had a great recovery, worked really hard, and he’s ready to go.”
The injury report drew skepticism from Ole Miss, where the animosity toward Kiffin has simmered since his departure from the program at the end of 2025 in a contentious split. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Ole Miss staff, in conversations Thursday morning, did not believe LSU’s report on Leavitt’s condition.
Leavitt has otherwise had a strong start to the season with his new team. He has thrown for 524 yards and rushed for five touchdowns, both figures ranking second in the SEC, despite last week’s turnover trouble.
LSU will need Leavitt at his best against an Ole Miss team riding a hot streak from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who is facing his former coach. Chambliss has thrown for 574 yards this season, completed 71 percent of his passes, and thrown five touchdowns.
The two ranked programs meet at 7:30 p.m. on ABC, with bragging rights and College Football Playoff implications on the line.
