Sam Leavitt's Growth In Recent Weeks Recognized
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TEMPE -- The 2025 Arizona State football program will go as far as Sam Leavitt takes them.
This has been the prevailing belief ever since the 2024 Sun Devil season ended - and Leavitt added fuel to that belief with a career-worst week two showing against SEC foe Mississippi State.
The 20-year-old has responded with several strong performances in a row - something that head coach Kenny Dillingham acknowledged in this week's press conference, which was held on Monday.
How Dillingham Felt About Recent Leavitt Showings
“Yeah, last week was really good. You know, I think it's how you can go back. But like, I like to go by where people are now. Last week, he was really, really good, really efficient on early downs. Got the ball up fast. We weren't forcing first and seconds. Weren't scrambling in first and seconds. So I thought I thought I was, I was really, really impressed by how he's played really the last three weeks.”
The second-year starting quarterback played phenomenal football once he got settled in against TCU - leading an offense that gained nearly 500 yards. Perhaps the most impressive moments were in the times that Leavitt found targets not named Jordyn Tyson in key moments - including the 44-yard shot to Jaren Hamilton - as well as his conspicuously improved play in structure.
In expansion on the topic, Dillingham went on to give his take on how strong the redshirt sophomore has played in-structure relative to out of structure.
“I mean last the last couple games, he's been really good in structure, obviously, to say better, I think he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country out of structure. I don't think there's a doubt about that. So he's still, you're still not wrong, like he's great out of structure. He's so good out of structure, but he's playing really good in structure these last few weeks.
I mean, you look at the first and second down passing, you know, third down passing is going to be a lot of out of structure for every quarterback in the country in college football, especially third and six plus 37 plus. So his first and that second down score. A lot of instruction the last two weeks, and he's been very efficient. So I've been really, really pleased.”
One of the areas that has been stressed the most by Dillingham and OC Marcus Arroyo surrounding the offense in recent weeks has been how the unit operates in early downs. Dillingham has frequently alluded to the responsibility he holds to set the talented field general up to make the 'easy' play in early downs to set up more manageable late-down situations.
The recent positive developments have been a mixture of Leavitt naturally progressing, Arroyo crafting tight-knit game plans while also adjusting well, and receiving options outside of Tyson stepping up in major ways.
The next opportunity to see Leavitt and the rest of the Sun Devils in action is this Saturday when the team travels to Salt Lake City to face Utah.
Read more about Arizona State basketball coach Bobby Hurley speaking directly to fans ahead of the start of the 2025 season here, and on previewing key individual Utah players ahead of the Sun Devil football game on Saturday here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.