Leavitt Jumps in Rankings After Two-Week Interception Drought

Sam Leavitt moved from No. 24 to No. 17 in the CBS Sports quarterback power rankings this week. The jump reflects two consecutive weeks without an interception. Leavitt completed 63 of 83 passes for 677 yards and seven touchdowns during that span.

The surge follows a period where Leavitt was considered one of the most interception-prone quarterbacks in the country. He threw for a season-high 388 yards in LSU's 38-17 win at Auburn on Saturday. The Tigers also defeated Mississippi State in the previous week. In both games, Leavitt did not turn the ball over on a pass.

A pivotal moment in the Auburn game came in the second quarter. Leavitt threw an underthrown pass that appeared to be intercepted by Auburn safety Eric Winters. The replay center overturned the call, ruling the ball hit the ground. Leavitt subsequently led a 14-play, 95-yard drive that put LSU ahead 17-3.

Leavitt played with a limited hamstring during the game. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin noted that Leavitt missed all of spring practice. Kiffin told Leavitt he was lucky to avoid the turnover against Auburn. The coach stated that the team planned to be competitive but acknowledged a slower start due to the transfer's missing time.

Leavitt is ranked No. 17 among all quarterbacks. He sits behind Darian Mensah of Miami, who holds the top spot with 22 touchdown passes. Braden Atkinson of Oregon State is second, leading the nation in passing yards with 2,604. Gio Lopez of Wake Forest ranks third.

Several other quarterbacks saw movement in the rankings. Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State jumped from No. 8 to No. 4 after a 57-24 win over Colorado. Keelon Russell of Alabama moved up from No. 11 to No. 9 following a win over Texas A&M. Conversely, Jayden Maiava of USC dropped from No. 10 to No. 15 after a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin.

Leavitt prepares for his next game as LSU enters Week 9. The Tigers will face Alabama in a matchup between two SEC rivals. Leavitt's current ranking places him ahead of Noah Fifita of Arizona, who moved up from No. 16 to No. 11.