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By Tyler Erzberger
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How far would Lane Kiffin go for the quarterback he believes can bring him a national title?
Well, it seems like we know the answer.
On Friday, the LSU Tigers head coach did what he does best and posted a cryptic photo of himself at the Knoxville airport hours prior to the final College Football Playoff semifinal kicking off.
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What first seemed like a gag or Kiffin playing with his audience soon turned into actual breaking news, as various sources across the country confirmed Kiffin's intentions for being in enemy territory on a random Friday afternoon.
Top-rated transfer portal quarterback Sam Leavitt has been on a countrywide tour of programs as he narrows down his choices on who he wants to sign with for 2026. A former Arizona State Sun Devil, Leavitt is a projected NFL first-rounder if he has a strong upcoming season following a season-riddled 2025.
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Leavitt met with Kiffin and hung out with him publicly at an LSU basketball game, but then the next day, he was on a plane to visit the Tennessee Volunteers for a multi-day recruitment trip. While Leavitt was prepared to leave Knoxville without putting pen to paper, that wasn't what worried Kiffin enough to chase after the star QB.
News broke that Leavitt had scheduled a trip to Miami to talk to the CFP finalists, the Hurricanes, who in back-to-back seasons have thrived with their transfer portal QB signings. Cam Ward went No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Carson Beck has helped the team make it to their first national title game in almost a quarter-century.
Kiffin saw the danger in Leavitt landing in a city that would be buzzing for the next week and a half in preparation for the national championship game in their home stadium, and wanted to do anything possible to change Leavitt's mind.
While we do not know if Kiffin physically met with Leavitt at the airport or if the former Sun Devil will still be making his trek down to Florida, we know how much it'll cost LSU or any other program to lock down Leavitt.
Any team that signs Leavitt is more than likely looking at a contract over $5 million, an investment that any program that ends up with the dual-threat QB will hope leads them to the top of the college football world.
Miami and Indiana made the championship game with a pair of QBs they signed in the transfer window last year. Kiffin and more believe Leavitt can do the same to their program this time next year.
The transfer portal officially closes on Jan. 16, 2026.
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