Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham Gives Update on Sam Leavitt's Injury Status

The Sun Devils have lived dangerously in their bid for a Big 12 repeat.

Kenny Dillingham (left) and Sam Leavitt (right) have a Big 12 repeat on the brain. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State entered 2025 with designs on national championship contention, but the Sun Devils have been shaky so far. They lost at Mississippi State and just recently re-cracked the Top 25 after a Sept. 26 win over TCU.

The ever-so-slight regression of quarterback Sam Leavitt has cost Arizona State this year—several of his key numbers have ticked downward, although he is completing a higher percentage of his passes. On Friday, coach Kenny Dillingham revealed a possible cause of that regression.

Per Dillingham on KMVP-FM in Phoenix via Pete Thamel of ESPN, Leavitt has been "battling something" since the Sun Devils edged Baylor 27–24 on Sept. 20. He was initially ruled doubtful for Arizona State's game against Utah Saturday, which the Sun Devils' injury report Thursday revealed. Later Friday afternoon, he was ruled out.

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Thamel noted Thursday that Jeff Sims would step in for Leavitt if needed. Sims is in his sixth year of college football, having played three years at Georgia Tech, one at Nebraska and two at Arizona State.

After visiting the Utes, the Sun Devils host a white-hot Texas Tech team on Oct. 18.

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