Athlon Sports Names Top 10 Contenders For The 2026 Heisman Trophy

With the 2026 college football season right around the corner, the preseason Heisman Trophy conversation is starting to heat up.

Athlon Sports recently named its top 10 contenders for the Heisman Trophy, and LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt made the cut. The Tigers' new signal-caller enters his first season in Baton Rouge with high expectations after transferring from Arizona State, where he helped lead the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff in 2024.

Here's what Athlon Sports had to say about Leavitt:

quote:

---

Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU

Sam Leavitt is arguably the biggest wildcard of this bunch. We’ve seen what he can do when healthy, like in 2024 when he led Arizona State to the CFP and last fall when his Sun Devils were the only team to topple Texas Tech in the regular season. But his 2025 season ended early due to a foot injury that also kept him out of spring ball with the Tigers.

Leavitt says he’s back to full health ahead of his first season at LSU. He’ll be the engine of Kiffin’s high-powered offense surrounded by fellow transfer portal pickups, like wide receivers Jayce Brown (Kansas State) and Jackson Harris (Hawaii). Kiffin’s track record with quarterbacks is well-documented — just look at Chambliss, Jaxson Dart and Matt Corral in the last few years. And Leavitt, who can complement his passing prowess with real mobility, is walking into the best situation of his career.

Related: Don’t Judge Sam Leavitt on 2025 — Here’s Why LSU Got a Steal at QB
The Tigers will not be lacking for attention this season, with all eyes on Kiffin. By proxy, Leavitt will be in the limelight, too. And if he shines on that stage, then he could very well join Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow and Billy Cannon as the fourth LSU player to hoist the Heisman.

---