The Sam Leavitt injury saga took another turn Friday night when the LSU quarterback was removed from the Southeastern Conference’s availability report — just two days after he was deemed doubtful to play.
LSU upgraded Leavitt from doubtful to questionable Thursday and then took him off the report entirely Friday in time for the No. 7 Tigers’ rivalry showdown Saturday against No. 8 Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss.
Per the SEC’s availability policy, a player designated as doubtful has a 25% chance to play and is “unlikely to play due to significant concerns,” while questionable is meant to describe a 50% chance of playing.
The nature of Leavitt’s injury or when it occurred remains a mystery, with conflicting reports emerging that he had either back spasms or a sore throwing shoulder.
ESPN reported Friday that Ole Miss staff do not feel LSU was “sincere” in choosing to list Leavitt — indicating it could be gamesmanship from Tigers coach Lane Kiffin before he goes up against his most recent program.
Kiffin and the Tigers could be in hot water with the league if they were found to be fibbing about Leavitt’s health. The SEC policy for football states that the penalty for the first offense regarding an inaccurate or late report is $25,000. It is at the discretion of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey whether to impose a penalty.
At a Monday news conference, LSU coach Lane Kiffin did not say anything about Leavitt’s health. He also didn’t speak on the matter during his weekly radio show on Thursday night.
In two games with LSU, Leavitt has completed 41 of 66 passes for 574 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. The Arizona State transfer has also rushed for 135 yards and five scores.