It is one thing to arrive at LSU with buzz. It is another to arrive with a draft analyst already floating the idea that you could end up as the best quarterback in your class. That is the level of expectation now following Sam Leavitt, who joins a program that is already set up to be one of the most watched in college football this upcoming season.
Todd McShay, speaking on The Ryen Russillo Show, said Leavitt could wind up being the best quarterback from the 2027 NFL Draft class. That is a notable statement not because it guarantees anything, but because it frames Leavitt as more than just a major transfer addition. He is being viewed as a potential elite prospect before he even takes a snap for LSU.
The case for that kind of optimism starts with what Leavitt already showed at Arizona State. In 2024, he threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, and he helped lead the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth. That is real production, but it is also more than box-score production. It suggests a quarterback who has already been part of a winning structure at a high level.
There is also the injury context, which matters here. Last season, Leavitt was limited to seven games. So while the national conversation may be catching up to him now, the sample has not exactly been simple or complete. That makes McShay’s comment more interesting, not less: the evaluation is happening with some proof on the table, but still with room for growth.
Why LSU changes the conversation
LSU will now be the place where that upside gets tested in a louder setting. The Tigers are expected to be one of the most watched programs in the sport, and they also bring the No. 1 transfer portal class in college football, with Leavitt as the headliner. That is a lot of attention for any quarterback, but it is especially relevant for one who has already shown he can lead a Power Four team to the playoff.
Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU also adds another layer to the story. He went 55-19 in six seasons at Ole Miss and led the Ole Miss Rebels to their first playoff berth, and he has built a reputation as an offensive-minded head coach who has consistently gotten strong production from his quarterbacks. In other words, Leavitt is walking into an environment where the expectations are high, but the structure should also be favorable.
The real question is not whether the praise is loud enough. It is whether Leavitt can turn that praise into a season that looks as good as the projection. The difference between a promising transfer and a future first-round debate often comes down to how a quarterback handles the weekly grind, the pressure and the moments when the easy throws disappear.
For now, McShay’s comment has given Leavitt a bigger national spotlight than most transfers get before September. That does not make him the best quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft class. It does make him a name worth watching much more closely as LSU opens a season that could say a lot about both his ceiling and the Tigers’ direction.
