Lane Kiffin wins $5m QB race for next Jayden Daniels as Oregon prepare for Dante Moore decision

The college football transfer portal has seen two notable departures land at new homes.

Former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola – who models him game and look on Patrick Mahomes – is headed to Oregon, while former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is headed to LSU.

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Lane Kiffin lands his guy, and Dan Lanning gets his.

Kiffin reeled in Leavitt after the former Sun Devil visited Miami, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and will have an NIL package reportedly around $5 million.

Leavitt represents a major addition for the first-year LSU head coach, who had yet to secure a big-name quarterback despite being linked to multiple high-profile options in the portal.

Rated as the No. 1 overall transfer by On3, Leavitt stood out as one of the final elite quarterbacks available before making his decision.

He’ll aim to follow the Jayden Daniels path: transferring from ASU to LSU, winning the Heisman Trophy, and positioning himself as the potential No. 2 overall pick next year. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

The former Arizona State signal-caller entered the portal following an injury-shortened 2025 campaign. An ankle injury limited him to seven appearances, during which he completed 145 of 239 passes for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Leavitt’s breakout came a season earlier, when he guided Arizona State to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth in 2024. He threw for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions while adding 443 rushing yards and five scores.

The Sun Devils captured the conference title with a win over Iowa State before falling just short to Texas in the CFP.

The 21-year-old quarterback will now join an LSU program looking for a fresh start under Kiffin, following a 34-14 stretch across three and a half seasons with Brian Kelly.

Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss just before the Rebels reached the College Football Playoff was, of course, one of the season’s biggest stories, shaking up the semifinal race. However, Ole Miss’ loss to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday finally brought closure to the saga.

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Now, with that chapter behind them, Kiffin and his LSU staff can focus on the future, beginning with their new quarterback, Leavitt.

Meanwhile, Lanning and the Ducks are now set to welcome Raiola as their next QB1, if and when Dante Moore decides to turn pro.

Moore has left open the possibility of returning for his redshirt junior season. He has yet to announce whether he will come back to Oregon or declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, which means that Raiola’s commitment to the Ducks doesn’t necessarily mean he will be QB1 next season.

Oregon originally signed Moore alongside Dillon Gabriel in 2023, with Moore redshirting behind Gabriel before taking over as starter this past season.

If Moore opts to stay in school, Raiola could spend a year developing on the sideline, which is a rare opportunity in today’s college football landscape.

Raiola spent his first two seasons at Nebraska, finishing 13-8 as a starter.

In 2025, he threw for 2,000 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts before a broken fibula cut his season short.

As a true freshman, Raiola set Nebraska’s freshman passing record with 2,819 yards, adding 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His completion rate improved from 67.1% as a freshman to 72.4% in his sophomore year.

A highly rated recruit out of Buford High School in Georgia, Raiola originally committed to Georgia before flipping to Nebraska to play under Matt Rhule.

Raiola leaves a program behind that was tied closely to his family. His father, Dominic, played at Nebraska before a 14-year NFL career, and his uncle, Donovan Raiola, served as the team’s offensive line coach until his departure in December.

Raiola’s a Duck, Leavitt’s a Tiger. Blink, and the transfer portal frenzy will leave you behind.

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