Lane Kiffin’s overhauled quarterback room takes shape as Sam Leavitt leads a revamped depth chart, bolstered by battle-tested transfers and a late addition under center.
After spending most of the 2010s as a bit of a "quarterback graveyard," the LSU Tigers became known for having some of the best at the position since Joe Burrow in 2019. Since that season, the Tigers have had three quarterbacks drafted into the NFL.
Now with Lane Kiffin at the helm, QB play is only going to be expected to improve. He and Charlie Weis Jr. have helped send a handful of players to the league in recent years.
Former starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier ran out of eligibility this past season and went off to the NFL, being drafted in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kiffin and Weis were forced to recreate the room from scratch, and they have done a great job. With the likely final touch being put on the roster a few days ago with a change in the room, here is the latest version of the LSU quarterback depth chart:
Starter: Sam Leavitt
Leavitt is the bonafide starter in this room. He missed a lot of the spring due to a planned surgery, but looked good when healthy and has never had his starter status for Week 1 up in the air. He has NFL hopes following this season and will be expected to be a Heisman candidate in this Kiffin/Weis offense.
Backup/QB2: Landen Clark
Were something to happen to Leavitt, it's likely that Clark would be the first person off the bench and onto the field. Longstreet was the higher-profile transfer, but Clark has more experience.
Last year, for the Elon Phoenix, Clark completed 56% of his passes for 2,321 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also ran the ball for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns.
QB3: Husan Longstreet
Longstreet is more the future of the program rather than an immediate answer at quarterback, but it wouldn't be too surprising to see him back up Leavitt at times this season.
The California native completed 13-of-15 passes for 103 yards an a touchdown as a freshman for the USC Trojans. He only appeared in four games, though, so he will retain his redshirt freshman status.
QB4: Kaden Martin
Martin was the latest addition to the quarterback room, replacing walk-on Emile Picarella. Like Picarella, it's unlikely that he ever ends up on the field for the Tigers. Martin is the son of LSU offensive analyst Tee Martin.
