Kentucky dragged into unlikely $5 million tug of war following Lane Kiffin’s desperate late transfer portal move

There’s never been a better time to be an older college quarterback whose services are in high demand.

Just look at the reported figure Texas Tech put on the table to land Brendan Sorsby, the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal.

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Following the former Cincinnati quarterback is another quarterback whose services are in high demand: Sam Leavitt.

The former Sun Devil has been heavily pursued by Kentucky and now LSU. Lane Kiffin appears set on Leavitt to lead his offense next year in Baton Rouge.

Leavitt had previously considered Kentucky as a landing spot, a move that might have set up a 1-for-1 quarterback swap with Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley heading to ASU. Now, however, the signal-caller appears poised to join a national contender in a move reminiscent of one seen in recent years.

Kentucky hosted Leavitt for an official visit over the weekend, but after he chose to visit LSU as well, the Wildcats turned their attention to pursuing Kenny Minchey.

Will Stein and the Wildcats didn’t waste any time, as the Notre Dame transfer quarterback quickly changed his commitment from Nebraska to Kentucky just one day after pledging to the Cornhuskers.

The redshirt sophomore reversed course and signed with the Wildcats to play under new head coach Stein.

In short: Sorsby lands at Texas Tech, Leavitt is bound for LSU, and Minchey heads to Kentucky.

Keeping up yet? Tracking thousands of transfer portal moves shouldn’t be this hard — just ask Iowa State fans.

With Kiffin seemingly pulling the rug out from under Stein to lure Leavitt to LSU, he also inadvertently did the same to Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and Cornhusker fans.

Just what that man needed: more enemies.

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Kiffin may end up getting the last laugh by landing Leavitt, reportedly for around $5 million.

The last quarterback to transfer from Arizona State to LSU went on to win the Heisman Trophy and set multiple FBS records.

Could Leavitt be the next Jayden Daniels in a Lane Kiffin offense? While he may not have Daniels’ athleticism, it’s certainly not out of the question.

Leavitt emerged as a star in 2024, throwing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns against just six interceptions, while also rushing for 443 yards and five scores.

Alongside running back Cam Skattebo and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, he anchored a high-powered offense that led the team to a Big 12 Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The Sun Devils came within a play of defeating Texas in the quarterfinals and advancing to face Ohio State in the semifinals that season.

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Unfortunately, Leavitt’s 2025 season was hampered by injuries.

He missed ASU’s Week 7 matchup against Utah with a foot injury but bounced back the following week against Texas Tech, throwing for over 300 yards in an upset victory. He then left the next game versus Houston twice and later underwent season-ending foot surgery, causing him to miss the Sun Devils’ final five games.

Despite the setbacks, Leavitt finished his redshirt sophomore year with 1,628 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions, adding 300 yards and five scores on the ground.

And now he seems to have found a new home.

The slogan for college football in 2026 is “old faces in new places,” and that trend shows no sign of slowing.

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