Some huge news out of Baton Rouge on Wednesday night. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the LSU Tigers have released its initial availability report for the game against Ole Miss, and quarterback Sam Leavitt is officially listed as doubtful. This caught really everyone by surprise.

A shocker on the SEC injury report, with LSU starting quarterback Sam Leavitt listed as doubtful. pic.twitter.com/jb7PMrblqR

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 17, 2026

Leavitt, a potential Heisman candidate and potential first-round pick, was coming off a strong Week 1 performance against Clemson. His outing against Louisiana Tech told a different story, though. Leavitt was up and down, really more down than up, and threw three interceptions. Maybe we now know why, because he’s obviously dealing with something if here we are on Wednesday and he’s officially listed as doubtful.

If Sam Leavitt can’t go, who does LSU turn to?

Update: On3’s Pete Nakos is reporting that Leavitt has been dealing with shoulder soreness in his throwing arm, and has subsequently been limited in practice.

NEW: LSU QB Sam Leavitt is dealing with a sore throwing shoulder and has been limited in practice, @PeteNakos reports. https://t.co/zAFk7kTJ9X https://t.co/nJ9DmYikZC pic.twitter.com/s0GX8pdlA5

— On3 (@On3) September 17, 2026

So the question becomes, if Leavitt cannot go, who does the Tigers turn to? I believe it has to be Husan Longstreet, the redshirt freshman transfer from USC who spent one year with the Trojans. Longstreet is a dynamic dual-threat quarterback who fits Lane Kiffin’s system well. The only question is whether Kiffin will feel comfortable enough to turn to him on this stage.

He may not have a choice.

This was supposed to be one of the most built-up games in recent college football history. We’re talking about the return of one of the biggest villains in the history of college football to Oxford, to Ole Miss, to the university and the program that he helped build. And now there’s a strong chance he’s going to do it without his starting quarterback.

What this means for Saturday night in Oxford

I don’t want to write the game off. I don’t want to say Ole Miss is going to blow them out. I still think we could be in for a solid game. But this matchup certainly loses a lot of luster if the starting quarterback for LSU cannot go for the Tigers on Saturday night.

The bottom line is that LSU’s ceiling with Longstreet under center is significantly lower than it would be with Leavitt, at least at this stage. Kiffin’s offense demands precision and decision-making from the quarterback position, and asking a redshirt freshman to deliver that in one of the most hostile environments in the SEC is a tall order. Even so, Longstreet’s dual-threat ability gives the Tigers a fighting chance to keep this competitive if Leavitt is ultimately ruled out.