Favorite team:	LSU
Location:	Kemah, Texas
Biography:	LA Native, turned Houstonian turned New Orleanian turned Texan again.
Interests:	all things LSU
Occupation:	education
Number of Posts:	3469
Registered on:	12/23/2003
Online Status:	Not Online

re: Thamel: Leavitt Expected To Sign With LSU

Posted by Griffmanjoe on 1/12/26 at 11:15 am to UncleRuckus

A lot of people are concerned that he will be “out” of Spring practice. He may not be 100% but can be involved. Per ChatGPT:

Sam Leavitt — Right foot Lisfranc (plant foot) breakdown

Because Leavitt is a right-handed QB, the right foot is his plant / drive foot. That makes this more limiting than a trail-foot injury, especially for velocity, stability, and pocket movement.

?

Why the plant foot matters

The plant foot is responsible for:
• Transferring force from the ground into the throw
• Stabilizing during dropbacks
• Hard stops and re-sets in the pocket
• Explosive push-off when escaping pressure

Lisfranc injuries directly affect midfoot rigidity, which is critical for all of that.

?

Phase-by-phase impact

1. Early throwing (8–12 weeks post-op)

What he can do
• Seated throwing
• Standing throws with a narrow base
• Short, controlled mechanics

What’s limited
• Full lower-body drive
• Torque through the plant foot

?? Arm strength may look fine, but ball velocity and consistency lag until the foot stiffens.

?

2. Mechanics return (12–16 weeks)

Progress
• Full throwing motion returns
• Better rhythm and timing
• Increased reps tolerated

Still limited
• Sudden re-planting
• Throwing while drifting or resetting

?? Coaches often say the QB “looks normal” throwing — but movement throws are restricted.

?

3. Footwork & dropbacks (4–5 months)

This is the most critical window.

Allowed
• 3–5 step drops
• Controlled rollouts
• Light pressure simulations

Delayed
• Hard plant ? reset ? throw
• Escape + throw across body
• Sudden stops on pass rush

?? This is where plant-foot Lisfrancs separate from trail-foot recoveries.

?

4. Explosiveness & trust (5–7 months)

Key milestones
• Sprinting off the right foot
• Hard vertical plants
• Pocket slides at game speed

Mental factor
• Even when medically cleared, QBs often hesitate to fully trust the plant foot
• Confidence usually returns after repeated high-stress reps

?

Hardware removal factor

If Leavitt had planned screw removal (~4–5 months):
• Short dip in performance (2–4 weeks)
• Often improves comfort and push-off
• Many athletes feel “looser” and more explosive afterward

?

What this means for his calendar
• Spring practice: throwing looks good; movement is managed
• Early summer: biggest jump in performance
• Fall camp: should be fully functional
• Week 1 readiness: realistic barring setbacks

?

Bottom line
• Plant-foot Lisfranc = slower movement return, not slower throwing
• Velocity, pocket reset, and escape throws are the last pieces
• Timeline still aligns well with full availability for the season

Griffmanjoe

Recent Posts