The Week 3 headliner between No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss has been complicated by a late-week development: LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as "doubtful" on the team's injury report Wednesday night. The sudden designation came without prior indication that Leavitt was nursing an injury, raising eyebrows throughout the college football landscape.
Ole Miss is reportedly not convinced by the "doubtful" tag. According to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel, "No one on the Ole Miss staff is convinced LSU QB Sam Leavitt’s appearance as ‘doubtful’ on the injury report is sincere." Leavitt participated in LSU's Week 2 victory over Louisiana Tech, and neither he nor head coach Brian Kelly mentioned any injury concerns in their postgame remarks.
The skepticism extends beyond the Ole Miss staff to oddsmakers. Prior to the injury report's release, LSU was a three-point favorite. While the line briefly dipped to LSU -1.5, it has since adjusted to LSU -2.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook. This minimal shift in the point spread, particularly concerning a starting quarterback against a top-10 opponent, suggests that sportsbooks are also wary of the "doubtful" designation.
Lane Kiffin, LSU's head coach, has a history that contributes to the suspicion. Kiffin previously coached Ole Miss for six seasons before controversially moving to LSU at the end of the 2025 regular season. During his tenure with the Rebels, Kiffin faced accusations of being misleading with injury reports. Notably, AL.com reported that Kiffin was scrutinized for not listing former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons and tight end Luke Hasz on a final availability report before a 2025 game, despite both players seeing limited action. The SEC cleared Kiffin of wrongdoing in that specific instance, but the pattern has led to current scrutiny. If Kiffin is found to have misrepresented the injury status again, he could face penalties ranging from $25,000 to $100,000.