Sam Leavitt and LSU lost to Ole Miss on Saturday night in Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford. His dad, Jared Leavitt, appeared to raise concern about the “invading Islamic horde” in New York less than 12 hours later.
The optics are not great…
Regardless of how you feel about the elder Leavitt’s post and/or his political/societal views, I have to question the timing. It seems to me like there are bigger, more pertinent and personal concerns for the college football quarterback and his family.
Sam Leavitt threw an interception to seal LSU’s loss to Ole Miss.
The most discussed game of the season lived up to the hype. Ole Miss jumped out to 24-7 lead at halftime that it would never give back, but LSU rallied hard during the second half. It all came down to the final possession.
The Tigers drove 69 yards on 13 plays in five minutes and 10 seconds. They had 4th-and-goal at the six-yard-line with less than a minute remaining.
Sam Leavitt dropped back to pass, looked to his right and threw an interception. His pass skipped off of the head of a Rebels defensive lineman, right into the hands of a defensive back. Game over.
You want to see a miracle, son? BE THE MIRACLE.@JaylonBraxton6 x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/w3iFXWeUpt
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 20, 2026
All things considered, Leavitt did not look horrible. He struggled to throw the ball efficiently during the first half and finished with less than 200 yards passing but he completed ~60% of his passes and ran for 63 yards on 17 carries. The Arizona State transfer played a crucial role in the comeback. However, he could not get the job done when it counted.
Some LSU fans think he showed enough during the second half to solidify himself as the starter, especially considering the poor play from his offensive line. Others, including some former plays, do not think he is the guy.
“Through three games this year, the biggest thing Sam Leavitt has shown us is he’s not dangerous throwing the ball. His passing stats weren’t that good against a crap Clemson team. He threw three picks against LA Tech and got saved by good defensive play. And he was crap against Ole Miss. His saving grace is that he’s dangerous on the run. Maybe LSU makes the playoff with him. But they’re not going far. We gotta see what the other QBs can do throwing,” chimed one fan on Reddit.
“I don’t ever wanna see Sam Leavitt take another snap for LSU again,” wrote former Tigers defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko during the first half.
Elon transfer Landen Clark could be a diamond in the rough. Five-star USC transfer Husan Longstreet might be the future of the program beyond this year. Kiffin is unlikely to make a change at this point (or any point) in the season but the possibility exists. From an outsider’s perspective, Leavitt’s job is not fully safe if he does not play better in the coming weeks.
His dad, Jared Leavitt, appeared to make a questionable post on social media less than 12 hours later.
Given what happened on Saturday night and the calls for his son to be benched on Sunday morning, one would assume that Sam Leavitt’s father might be focused on football and his family. That did not appear to be the case.
An account on X with the handle @Gride5656 is widely believed to be run by the patriarch of the Leavitt family. Although I am not able to independently verify the exact user, its name is listed as Jared Leavitt (Sam’s dad is Jared) and there are numerous reposts about Sam Leavitt.
Could it be someone who is cosplaying as Sam Leavitt’s father? Perhaps. We don’t know for certain but the general consensus is that it is really him. Multiple members of the LSU media agree.
If you are to scroll through Jared Leavitt’s posts, you will very quickly gain an understanding of the account’s political views. That’s fine. Everybody is entitled to their own personal opinion. I am not here to cancel anybody for what they believe.
I am here to question the timing of the account’s most recent reply…
The Tigers lost to the Rebels at approximately 10:30 p.m. CT on Saturday night. @Gride5656 posted on X about Islam at 9:42 a.m. CT on Sunday morning. It replied “Yep the take over is here” in response to the following video:
The post is one thing. Sam Leavitt’s dad feels how he feels about the current geopolitical climate. He is allowed to feel that way, even if you don’t agree. He is allowed to express his personal opinion on social media.
The optics are another thing. To post about an Islamic “take over” less than 12 hours after your son threw a game-losing interception in one of the biggest games of his career does not look good.