Leavitt upgraded to questionable; Ole Miss questions report — SkimNews
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- Sam Leavitt was upgraded from doubtful to questionable on Thursday's SEC availability report for Saturday's primetime game at Ole Miss; the SEC defines "doubtful" as a 25% chance to play.
- Lane Kiffin did not mention Leavitt's injury during his Monday press conference or Thursday radio show, and the QB did not appear in pain during LSU's win over Louisiana Tech, leaving the nature of the injury unclear.
- Ole Miss staff told ESPN's Pete Thamel they were not convinced Leavitt's appearance on the availability report was sincere, raising gamesmanship concerns under SEC policy.
- SEC availability report policy prohibits acts of gamesmanship intended to hide a true participation status, with penalties ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 and potential "accountability measures" for head coaches.
- Leavitt, widely regarded as the top transfer quarterback this offseason, has scored seven touchdowns in two games (two passing, five rushing); backups include freshman Husan Longstreet and sophomore Landen Clark, who leads the duo in pass attempts this season (10 to 1).
- TJ Dottery, LSU's leading tacker at linebacker, was also listed as questionable alongside Leavitt; two more SEC availability reports will be released — Friday night and 90 minutes before kickoff.
Why it matters: If Leavitt can't play, LSU turns to a true freshman (1 career pass attempt) or a sophomore backup in a primetime rivalry game. Ole Miss openly questioning the report's sincerity puts LSU's compliance with SEC gamesmanship rules under the microscope, with potential $25,000-$100,000 fines and accountability measures for Kiffin if the conference finds the listing misleading.
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