Sam Leavitt Has Eight Rushing Touchdowns—LSU’s Extra Number Against Alabama

Alabama can study every LSU route concept and every protection tendency, but the Crimson Tide still has to solve the one piece of the offense that changes the math after the snap: Sam Leavitt becoming a runner.

Quick Answer

Through eight games in the 2026 season, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt has 324 net rushing yards and a team-high eight rushing touchdowns on 72 attempts. LSU hosts Alabama on November 7 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC. Leavitt’s designed runs and scrambles force Alabama to defend an extra ball carrier, particularly in the red zone and on high-leverage downs.

What do Sam Leavitt’s rushing numbers say?

LSU’s official cumulative statistics list Leavitt at 324 net rushing yards, 4.5 yards per attempt and eight touchdowns. Those eight scores lead the Tigers, ahead of Dilin Jones’ six, and sit beside 2,173 passing yards and 17 passing touchdowns.

That combination matters more than a raw quarterback rushing total. Leavitt is not simply collecting yards on broken plays. LSU has used his legs as a finishing tool, a short-yardage answer and a pressure release when coverage removes the first read.

The passing efficiency is already established—Leavitt is completing 70.3% of his passes—so Alabama cannot load the box as if LSU is operating a run-first quarterback package. The conflict is the point.

Why does the quarterback run change LSU–Alabama?

A traditional handoff lets the defense fit the run with every available defender. A read-option or quarterback keep can remove one defender from the immediate tackle count because that player must honor the exchange. If Alabama crashes too hard toward Jones, Leavitt can keep. If the edge sits wide, LSU can hand the ball off or attack the space inside.

The red-zone effect

LSU has scored on 40 of 45 red-zone trips and produced 32 touchdowns inside the 20. That red-zone profile is one of the central numbers of the Alabama matchup. Leavitt’s eight rushing scores explain part of it: the defense has to account for the quarterback after committing resources to LSU’s backs, tight ends and receivers.

The third-down effect

On third down, man coverage can turn defenders’ backs to the quarterback. Zone coverage keeps more eyes on Leavitt but can soften throwing windows. Alabama’s answer cannot be static; LSU will look for whichever rule creates the cleanest escape lane or one-on-one matchup.

What must Alabama decide?

The Crimson Tide can assign a spy, squeeze the pocket with controlled rush lanes or rotate a safety into the fit. Every choice has a cost. A dedicated spy is one fewer defender helping on Jackson Harris, Winston Watkins Jr. or Trey’Dez Green. Conservative rush lanes can buy Leavitt more time. A safety inserted into the box can expose the secondary to LSU’s vertical routes.

That decision sits inside the larger five-matchup framework for LSU–Alabama: LSU does not need Leavitt to lead the team in carries. It needs his legs to make Alabama hesitate long enough for the rest of the offense to work.

What should LSU avoid?

The quarterback-run advantage disappears if LSU treats it as a volume contest. Leavitt is too important to the passing game to absorb unnecessary contact. The best usage is selective: red-zone keeps, third-down scrambles, short-yardage reads and a few tendency-breakers that punish an overaggressive front.

Ball security is the second boundary. Alabama entered the week having forced 19 turnovers, including 12 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. Leavitt must finish runs with the ball protected and avoid turning a successful scramble into the shortcut Alabama wants.

Who benefits when Alabama respects Leavitt?

Dilin Jones gains cleaner interior reads because the edge cannot immediately chase the back. LSU’s offensive tackles gain a fraction of a second against wide rushers. Tight ends can release into space after showing split-flow action. Receivers gain leverage if a safety or linebacker is pulled toward the quarterback.

That is why this game carries more than a single-week consequence. LSU’s back-to-back home tests against Alabama and Texas will reveal whether the offense’s multiplicity can hold up against consecutive top-10 defenses.

What should LSU fans watch?

• Whether Alabama’s edge defender crashes toward Dilin Jones or stays square to Leavitt.

• Whether LSU uses Leavitt’s legs early enough to change the Crimson Tide’s coverage rules.

• How often Alabama assigns a linebacker or safety as a spy.

• Whether Leavitt protects the football and gets down after earning the necessary yardage.

FAQ

How many rushing touchdowns does Sam Leavitt have in 2026?

Sam Leavitt has eight rushing touchdowns through LSU’s first eight games of the 2026 season.

How many rushing yards does Sam Leavitt have?

Leavitt has 324 net rushing yards on 72 attempts, an average of 4.5 yards per carry.

When is LSU vs. Alabama in 2026?

LSU hosts Alabama on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. CT in Tiger Stadium. ABC will televise the game.

Why does Leavitt’s rushing matter against Alabama?

His ability to keep the ball adds an extra runner Alabama must account for, especially in the red zone, on third down and when LSU uses read-option concepts.

The bottom line

Leavitt’s arm gives LSU its ceiling. His legs give the Tigers a structural advantage Alabama cannot erase with ordinary coverage. If LSU deploys that advantage selectively, the quarterback-run threat can create space without asking Leavitt to carry the offense—or the punishment—by himself.