LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt climbed to No. 17 in the latest CBS Sports college football quarterback power rankings after posting his second consecutive interception-free game in a 38-17 win at Auburn.
Leavitt threw for a season-high 388 yards despite a hamstring injury that limited his mobility. An early second-quarter pass that appeared to be intercepted by Auburn safety Eric Winters was overturned on replay, and Leavitt capitalized by completing 8 of 10 passes on a 95-yard touchdown drive. LSU coach Lane Kiffin told Leavitt he was "lucky" to escape the turnover.
"This is where we planned on being," Kiffin said. "Would have loved to be that way every game, but realistically, it was going to be a little bit slower with Sam missing all his spring."
Miami's Darian Mensah remains No. 1 after throwing for 387 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-23 win over Pittsburgh. Oregon State's Braden Atkinson holds the No. 2 spot, leading the nation with 2,604 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. Wake Forest's Gio Lopez moves up to No. 3, while Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker jumps to No. 4.
Notre Dame's CJ Carr drops to No. 5 after a 5.3 yards-per-attempt performance in a loss to BYU. Ole Miss's Trinidad Chambliss falls to No. 6 following a 25-of-52 outing against Texas. Houston's Conner Weigman stays at No. 7, and BYU's Bear Bachmeier slips to No. 8.
Alabama's Keelon Russell rises to No. 9 after a 311-yard, three-touchdown game versus Texas A&M. Kentucky's Kenny Minchey rounds out the top 10 at No. 10, guiding the Wildcats to a 7-0 record when he avoids interceptions.
The full top 25 includes notable moves such as Arizona's Noah Fifita jumping to No. 11, Georgia's Gunner Stockton at No. 12, and Northwestern's Aidan Chiles at No. 14. USC's Jayden Maiava drops to No. 15 after a career-worst 5.1 yards per attempt against Wisconsin.
