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Draftanomics
Prospect dossier

Sam Leavitt

QB · LSU · via Michigan State · 2027 NFL Draft class

Public Draft Board rank #47·6 contributing sources·Board as of August 31, 2026
Draftanomics scouting
Preseason edition · August 23, 20264 min read

Master scouting report

Leavitt is a mobile, competitive quarterback who protects the football, creates outside structure and has already led a team to a conference title. His move to LSU raises the competition level, while recovery from the foot injury and more consistent pocket timing will determine whether he becomes an early NFL starter.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01Experience And Production

Leavitt led Arizona State to an 11-3 record, a Big 12 title and the playoff in his first full season as a starter. He completed 216 of 350 passes for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024, then produced 1,628 yards and a 10-to-3 touchdown-to-interception line across seven starts in 2025. He enters LSU with 20 Arizona State starts and meaningful high-leverage experience.

02Arm Talent

Leavitt has enough velocity to attack intermediate windows and drive the ball outside the numbers. He compensates with varied trajectory and a willingness to throw before the receiver fully separates.

03Accuracy And Touch

His best throws arrive between levels, where he can layer the ball over linebackers and away from safeties.

04Processing

Leavitt can identify leverage before the snap and work through defined full-field concepts when protection holds. Late rotations and covered first reads can make him wait for a clearer picture instead of throwing with anticipation. LSU must show that his decisions remain quick against SEC disguise and pressure.

05Pressure Response

He is comfortable escaping the first rusher and can create a new throwing lane without immediately dropping his eyes. The same confidence sometimes keeps him attached to a broken play after the efficient answer has disappeared. Better pocket resets and earlier throwaways would reduce unnecessary hits.

06Mobility

Leavitt rushed for 433 yards in 2024 and 306 in seven 2025 games, giving an offense legitimate designed-run and scramble value. He accelerates through a crease, changes direction in space and competes for extra yardage. The foot injury makes self-protection more important, especially when a slide or boundary is available.

07Decision Making

Thirty-four passing touchdowns against nine interceptions across his Arizona State starts reflect strong ball security for a young quarterback. He generally avoids reckless middle-of-field throws and can live for the next down. Forced attempts appear when he tries to rescue a collapsing play instead of accepting the defense's win.

08High Leverage Play

Leavitt has already directed late winning drives and helped Arizona State erase large deficits, including the playoff comeback against Texas. He remains aggressive in important moments without becoming a different player. That composure is one of the strongest parts of his profile.

09Health And Transfer

A foot injury interrupted the 2025 season, and he left the Houston game twice before missing the remainder of the year. LSU added him as its primary transfer quarterback, placing him in a new offense with a stronger supporting cast and a more demanding schedule. Healthy movement and confidence off the repaired foot must be established early.

10Development And Outlook

Leavitt has proven that he can lead a winning college offense and protect the ball under pressure. LSU will test whether the timing, anticipation and pocket discipline can rise with the surrounding talent. A healthy season of efficient SEC play would give him a credible early-round case.

The case for the player

Strengths

  • He led Arizona State to a Big 12 championship and playoff appearance in his first full starting season.

  • Mobility creates value on designed runs, scrambles and movement passes.

  • Layered touch and anticipation produce high-level intermediate throws.

  • He remains composed during late drives and high-leverage possessions.

  • He can escape the first rusher and keep his eyes available for a downfield throw.

The questions that remain

Concerns

  • The foot injury ended his 2025 season and places added importance on healthy movement in 2026.

  • Late rotations and covered first reads can slow his progression timing.

  • He sometimes extends a broken play instead of taking the efficient throwaway.

  • He must translate his success into a new offense against SEC defenses.

Building the fit

NFL role and scheme fit

Build Leavitt's offense around play action, RPOs, intermediate crossers and movement passes that use his touch and mobility. Designed quarterback runs can create numbers advantages, but the weekly plan should reduce unnecessary contact after the foot injury. Protection answers must give him an outlet against interior pressure without eliminating full-field reads. He can start in a balanced offense that values creation without depending on it every snap.

The Draftanomics view

Bottom line

Leavitt has already shown leadership, winning production and unusual ball security for a quarterback with his mobility. The arm and anticipation are sufficient for an NFL timing offense, while his legs create a valuable second element. Health, pocket rhythm and post-snap speed remain legitimate questions after a shortened 2025. A complete year at LSU could move him from intriguing starter candidate to clear early-round quarterback.

Sources & edition

The Draftanomics assessment, synthesized from attributed reporting. Role and development language expresses scouting opinion.

Original analysis through August 23, 2026. Restoration reviewed September 6, 2026; this is not an in-season update. No new Draftanomics all-22 review is included.

5 original sentences are omitted pending further evidence or source-use review. The remaining wording is preserved. Source links support the assessment; they do not represent independent votes or permission to reproduce an article.

View the 8 referenced sources
Read statement references

Every passage remains linked to its supporting sources. Open a section to inspect the assessment and its evidence.

Sources for the evaluation
  1. House assessment

    Leavitt is a mobile, competitive quarterback who protects the football, creates outside structure and has already led a team to a conference title.

  2. House assessment

    His move to LSU raises the competition level, while recovery from the foot injury and more consistent pocket timing will determine whether he becomes an early NFL starter.

Sources for experience and production
  1. Reported fact

    Leavitt led Arizona State to an 11-3 record, a Big 12 title and the playoff in his first full season as a starter.

  2. Reported fact

    He completed 216 of 350 passes for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024, then produced 1,628 yards and a 10-to-3 touchdown-to-interception line across seven starts in 2025.

  3. Reported fact

    He enters LSU with 20 Arizona State starts and meaningful high-leverage experience.

Sources for arm talent
  1. House assessment

    Leavitt has enough velocity to attack intermediate windows and drive the ball outside the numbers.

  2. House assessment

    He compensates with varied trajectory and a willingness to throw before the receiver fully separates.

Sources for accuracy and touch
  1. House assessment

    His best throws arrive between levels, where he can layer the ball over linebackers and away from safeties.

Sources for processing
  1. House assessment

    Leavitt can identify leverage before the snap and work through defined full-field concepts when protection holds.

  2. House assessment

    Late rotations and covered first reads can make him wait for a clearer picture instead of throwing with anticipation.

  3. House assessment

    LSU must show that his decisions remain quick against SEC disguise and pressure.

Sources for pressure response
  1. House assessment

    He is comfortable escaping the first rusher and can create a new throwing lane without immediately dropping his eyes.

  2. House assessment

    The same confidence sometimes keeps him attached to a broken play after the efficient answer has disappeared.

  3. House assessment

    Better pocket resets and earlier throwaways would reduce unnecessary hits.

Sources for mobility
  1. Reported fact

    Leavitt rushed for 433 yards in 2024 and 306 in seven 2025 games, giving an offense legitimate designed-run and scramble value.

  2. House assessment

    He accelerates through a crease, changes direction in space and competes for extra yardage.

  3. House assessment

    The foot injury makes self-protection more important, especially when a slide or boundary is available.

Sources for decision making
  1. Reported fact

    Thirty-four passing touchdowns against nine interceptions across his Arizona State starts reflect strong ball security for a young quarterback.

  2. House assessment

    He generally avoids reckless middle-of-field throws and can live for the next down.

  3. House assessment

    Forced attempts appear when he tries to rescue a collapsing play instead of accepting the defense's win.

Sources for high leverage play
  1. Reported fact

    Leavitt has already directed late winning drives and helped Arizona State erase large deficits, including the playoff comeback against Texas.

  2. House assessment

    He remains aggressive in important moments without becoming a different player.

  3. House assessment

    That composure is one of the strongest parts of his profile.

Sources for health and transfer
  1. Reported fact

    A foot injury interrupted the 2025 season, and he left the Houston game twice before missing the remainder of the year.

  2. House assessment

    LSU added him as its primary transfer quarterback, placing him in a new offense with a stronger supporting cast and a more demanding schedule.

  3. House assessment

    Healthy movement and confidence off the repaired foot must be established early.

Sources for development and outlook
  1. House assessment

    Leavitt has proven that he can lead a winning college offense and protect the ball under pressure.

  2. House assessment

    LSU will test whether the timing, anticipation and pocket discipline can rise with the surrounding talent.

  3. House assessment

    A healthy season of efficient SEC play would give him a credible early-round case.

Sources for strength
  1. Reported fact

    He led Arizona State to a Big 12 championship and playoff appearance in his first full starting season.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    Mobility creates value on designed runs, scrambles and movement passes.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    Layered touch and anticipation produce high-level intermediate throws.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    He remains composed during late drives and high-leverage possessions.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    He can escape the first rusher and keep his eyes available for a downfield throw.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    The foot injury ended his 2025 season and places added importance on healthy movement in 2026.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    Late rotations and covered first reads can slow his progression timing.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    He sometimes extends a broken play instead of taking the efficient throwaway.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    He must translate his success into a new offense against SEC defenses.

Sources for nfl role and scheme fit
  1. House assessment

    Build Leavitt's offense around play action, RPOs, intermediate crossers and movement passes that use his touch and mobility.

  2. House assessment

    Designed quarterback runs can create numbers advantages, but the weekly plan should reduce unnecessary contact after the foot injury.

  3. House assessment

    Protection answers must give him an outlet against interior pressure without eliminating full-field reads.

  4. House assessment

    He can start in a balanced offense that values creation without depending on it every snap.

Sources for bottom line
  1. House assessment

    Leavitt has already shown leadership, winning production and unusual ball security for a quarterback with his mobility.

  2. House assessment

    The arm and anticipation are sufficient for an NFL timing offense, while his legs create a valuable second element.

  3. House assessment

    Health, pocket rhythm and post-snap speed remain legitimate questions after a shortened 2025.

  4. House assessment

    A complete year at LSU could move him from intriguing starter candidate to clear early-round quarterback.

College record & draft context

College production, measurables, experience, and the prospect's place on the sealed Public Draft Board.

Public Draft Board

Public Draft Board rank
#47
Position rank
QB9
Contributing sources
6
Movement since prior snapshot
Up 1

Sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026 · equal-weight aggregation of public boards, minimum 3 sources for a rank · The Public Draft Board

College production

Passing
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Attempts350239
Completions216145
Completion %62%61%
Passing yards28851628
Yards per attempt8.26.8
Passing TD2410
Interceptions63
Rushing
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Carries11073
Rushing yards443306
Yards per carry44.2
Rushing TD55
Long4052

Seasons of evidence: 2. Games played, snap counts, and usage shares are not in the retained data. An em dash means the value is not in the dataset, not zero.

Evidence notes

  • The retained data contains 2 seasons of passing, rushing production (2024–2025).
  • Passing yards decreased in each observed season (2885 → 1628).
  • The newest college season in the retained data is 2025; the 2026 season is not yet included.
  • No verified athletic testing is included in the sealed dataset for this prospect.
  • 6 contributing public boards rank this prospect; the Public Draft Board places him at #47.
  • The aggregate public rank rose 1 spot between the two most recent sealed weekly snapshots.

Each note restates a displayed fact. None is a forecast of NFL performance.

Experience and measurements

Listed height
6'2"
Listed weight
216 lb
Class
Junior
Age
Not in dataset
Recorded school
LSU
Former school
Michigan State
Hometown
West Linn, OR
Jersey
#10
Recruiting stars
4-star
Recruiting rank
#313 nationally

"Not in dataset" means the value is absent from the sealed dossier dataset, not that it does not exist.

Athletic testing

Not included in the sealed dataset. No combine, pro-day, or RAS value is retained for the 2027 class; absence here does not mean no testing has taken place.

Listed roster height and weight (CollegeFootballData); no verified athletic testing is retained. Bio captured August 29, 2026.

Historical comparisons

Historical profile comparisons are being rebuilt.

Sources and methodology

  • Retained bio and measurements: Draftanomics prospect ingest (CollegeFootballData rosters and recruiting), retained seed data/seed/prospects_upcoming_full.parquet.
  • Retained college production: CollegeFootballData season statistics via the retained player cross-reference; position-relevant categories only; all-zero category rows dropped.
  • Age: unavailable — no birth date or age is retained for the 2027 class.
  • Transfer history: not retained — the page shows the current school and, where the frozen id names a different school, the former school.
  • Public Draft Board: sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026; per-source ranks are not published under the aggregate-only source policy.

Board methodologyDossier methodologyResearch status

Board position reflects aggregated public opinion; the scouting report is a separate editorial assessment.