Sunday Headlines: Sam Leavitt Watch and Mark Pope is Struggling

6 days ago 2

Kentucky Football hosted quarterback Sam Leavitt on Saturday, but he left Lexington without a firm commitment to playing for the Wildcats in 2026.

The preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year had season-ending foot surgery a little over two months ago, but through seven games, he had Arizona State at 5-2 and threw 10 touchdown passes to just three interceptions. He also ran for five scores, reaching double-digit carries in five of the seven games — all of which were wins.

Leavitt would begin his college football career at Michigan State in 2023 before transferring to Arizona State in 2024, spending two seasons there and now in the transfer portal once again.

In 2024, he led the Sun Devils to an 11-1 record, a Big 12 Championship game victory, and fell just short in a tough, double-overtime game against Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.

After leaving Lexington without a firm commitment, he is now visiting with Texas Tech, and that means Kentucky fans are stuck waiting for a final decision from Leavitt.

While the waiting game is never fun, Leavitt will surely be worth it if he ends up back in Lexington. It would be a massive win for new head coach Will Stein and his staff.

Meanwhile, to say Kentucky Basketball is struggling might be an understatement.

Lack of preparation, energy, and in-game adjustments are blatant. The roster makeup has not been near what it was expected to be. Opposing teams see Kentucky’s weaknesses and make a point to exploit them every chance they can.

ALL of this falls on the shoulders of head coach Mark Pope, and it’s evident that he doesn’t have any answers on how to fix these problems.

Kentucky has not played well this year, regardless of how great or mediocre its opponent has been. They’ve also shown a vast lack of energy and grit when facing adversity, which again falls on the coaching staff failing to motivate the players.

Every sign points to this being a bad season for Kentucky men’s basketball, with no clear path to a better future. That’s not saying Pope can’t turn things around — because anything is possible.

But at the same time, don’t hold your breath.