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Arizona State quarterback transfer Sam Leavitt has already visited LSU and Tennessee this portal cycle and is planning to hear Miami's sales pitch very soon, CBS Sports' Chris Hummer reports. The Hurricanes, coming off Thursday night's College Football Playoff semifinal victory, are expected to host Leavitt after his visit with the Vols is complete.

Miami's in the market for a top-end quarterback with Carson Beck prepping for his final start at the program on Jan. 19 in the national championship game ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. One of the highest-paid transfers in the 2025 class, Beck starred several years at Georgia before signing with the Hurricanes in the offseason.

Through 15 starts at Miami, Beck has thrown for 3,581 yards and 29 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. His second touchdown run of the season in the Fiesta Bowl with 18 seconds left pushed the Hurricanes to a 31-27 win over Ole Miss.

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Leavitt is the top-ranked player in the portal, per 247Sports. He threw for 1,628 yards with 10 touchdowns, three interceptions and five scores on the ground in limited duty before a season-ending injury in October. In addition to LSU and Tennessee, Leavitt has also visited  Kentucky and Texas Tech as musical chairs at the quarterback position continues.

Could Alabama's Ty Simpson be a wild card? 

Multiple sources close to Miami's program told CBS Sports on Friday that while Leavitt is the primary target for the Hurricanes, there's a chance other signal callers enter the picture, including Alabama's Ty Simpson, who recently declared for the NFL Draft. Jan. 14 is the deadline for Simpson to keep his name in the draft or withdraw to play another season of college football.

The transfer portal's entry deadline is two days after that, making it feasible that Simpson could enter if he chooses not to turn pro. Simpson led the Crimson Tide to the playoff in his only season as Alabama's starter, finishing with 3,567 yards passing, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions.

During the 2024 transfer cycle, future No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward — then at Washington State — declared for the draft before briefly entering the portal and ultimately landing at Miami. Beck did the same following Georgia's Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame last December prior to signing with the Hurricanes over an offer to stay with the Bulldogs.

Both Leavitt and Simpson would be considered "ideal fits" in Shannon Dawson's offensive scheme for the Hurricanes, one source put it. Simpson is more of the pocket passer while Leavitt has shown success on the ground, similar to Beck at times this season in third-down situations.

Leavitt is a former Michigan State transfer and was the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year for the playoff-bound Sun Devils under coach Kenny Dillingham. Arizona State recently filled the void left at QB1 by Leavitt's departure with Kentucky's Cutter Boley.

"High-end" quarterbacks in the portal this cycle are expected to fetch over the $3.5 million threshold for the 2026 campaign. Washington's Demond Williams is returning to the Huskies on a deal around $4 million after previously saying he was planning to enter the transfer portal days after signing a new contract.

New Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby signed with the Red Raiders for $5 million, despite interest from other programs, including Lane Kiffin and LSU, who failed in their bid to get him.

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