LSU football finally secured a transfer portal quarterback commitment on Sunday night when former Elon QB Landen Clark announced his commitment to the Tigers.
Clark was one of the top dual-threat QBs in the FCS in 2025 and received attention from several Power Four schools upon entering the portal. Clark has multiple years of eligibility left as he moves up to the FBS.
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Clark has upside and LSU is taking a bet on his developmental potential, but he’s likely not the starter in 2026. However, Clark is the only scholarship QB currently slated to be on the roster. The cupboard was left bare after the transfer of Michael Van Buren and LSU was left rebuilding the room from scratch.
That meant LSU needed to take a player like Clark while also pursuing the top QBs in the portal. With Clark on board, what’s next for LSU head coach Lane Kiffin as he continues to search for a QB?
LSU remains in the race for Sam Leavitt
Sam Leavitt is the top-ranked quarterback and player in the transfer portal, according to On3’s transfer rankings. Leavitt is a hot commodity right now and just about every major program with a need at QB reached out. Leavitt visited Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee, and Miami.
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LSU was Leavitt’s second stop and when he left Baton Rouge, LSU’s chances appeared slim. When Leavitt was on his visit, news broke about LSU’s potential pursuit of Washington QB Demond Williams. But a couple of days later, Williams announced he’d be remaining at Washington. LSU was thought to be out of the Leavitt sweepstakes.
Until last Friday, when Kiffin flew to Knoxville to meet with Leavitt in between Leavitt’s Tennessee and Miami visits. Now, according to reports from On3’s Pete Nakos, LSU is still in play to land the former Arizona State QB.
Leavitt’s decision could come at any moment now. Kentucky is out of it after signing another QB last week. It’s likely down to LSU, Tennessee, and Miami. It’s clear Leavitt is a priority for LSU after Kiffin’s flight to Tennessee. Will it be enough? Who knows.
Leavitt would give LSU the proven difference maker it’s been looking for at QB. Injuries plagued his 2025, but he led Arizona State to the playoff in 2024. His skillset fits the Kiffin offense and he’d raise LSU’s floor in year one under a new coach.
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LSU is in the mix for USC’s Husan Longstreet
USC QB Husan Longstreet entered the transfer portal over the weekend and immediately became one of the top-ranked transfers on the market.
Longstreet spent one year at USC after signing as a five-star in the class of 2025. He only played in four games, preserving his redshirt. With USC’s starting QB returning, Longstreet’s chances of starting in 2026 were slim to none, prompting the talented passer to look elsewhere.
That wouldn’t be the case at LSU, where Longstreet would be the overwhelming favorite to win the starting job.
Despite Longstreet’s five-star rating out of high school, there are a lot of unknowns. That’s not anything against Longstreet, but scouting high school QBs is hard and until a guy is proven at the Power Four level, you just don’t know.
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The upside is Longstreet’s ceiling is high and if he works out, LSU has a quality quarterback with multiple years of eligibility left. That would mean LSU returns a talented signal caller in 2027 and doesn’t have to enter the QB bidding wars again.
Leavitt is probably LSU’s preferred choice, but if the Tigers miss on Leavitt, Longstreet wearing the purple and gold appears likely.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: What’s next for LSU football’s transfer portal quarterback search?
