Sam Leavitt is doubtful. Oxford just got louder.

LSU’s starting quarterback is on the first SEC availability report two days before the Magnolia Bowl — and purple still has to win in a stadium it hasn’t left with since 2019.

By Rhett Landry

The security story and the parking-lot lawsuit papers can wait a beat. Wednesday night’s first SEC availability report is the thing that actually changes Saturday. No. 7 LSU listed quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful for the trip to No. 8 Ole Miss, Field Level Media and CBS Sports both had it. Matt Zenitz reported an upper-body issue and that Leavitt did not throw in Wednesday’s practice. On3 had it as a sore throwing shoulder and limited work all week. He looked fine after the Tech win. He did not look fine on the sheet.

Doubtful, under the league’s language, means roughly a 25 percent chance to play — unlikely, not dead. Updated reports land Thursday and Friday, with a final sheet ninety minutes before kickoff. Until then, every Oxford graphic has a new question mark under the visiting headset. Landen Clark, the Elon transfer, has been the No. 2 through two weeks: 7-of-10 for 109 yards and a touchdown in mop-up. That’s the depth chart on paper. Saturday night in the Vaught is not mop-up.

The rest of the sheet still matters. Linebackers T.J. Dottery and Ty Singleton are questionable. Whit Weeks, Trey’Dez Green, Davhon Keys and Aliou Bah are probable. Three players are out. Ole Miss has its own nicks  Makhi Frazier and Tommy Kinsler questionable — but the national eye just moved to purple’s quarterback room. Kick is still 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ABC. College GameDay is still in The Grove at 8 a.m. CT. Stripe Out. First top-10 LSUOle Miss meeting since 1962. First SEC game for both 2–0 clubs. All of that was already enough before Leavitt’s name hit doubtful.

Lane Kiffin did not put an injury on the Monday podium. He put prep and poise there. Now the prep has a different problem: can you win the Magnolia Bowl if the guy who has started both games is limited or sidelined? Purple hasn’t left Oxford with a win since the 2019 title run. Chambliss and Lacy are waiting either way. The Grove will be rude either way. The difference is whether No. 10 is under center when the ball is kicked.

Two days. Watch the Thursday sheet. Then the Friday sheet. Then the bus to Oxford.

Related:

- Oxford is not going to be polite: https://capitolandcleats.com/blog/oxford-is-not-going-to-be-polite-about-this

- Kiffin won’t throw a touchdown: https://capitolandcleats.com/blog/kiffin-wont-throw-a-touchdown-chambliss-might