Sam Leavitt Gets Honest About Growth in 2025

The Arizona State star has shown marked improvement from week one until now.

Sep 20, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) in action against the Baylor Bears during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Sam Leavitt's rise from unaccounted for freshman transfer to major star at Arizona State has been documented in many media outlets over the last several months - the belief that the redshirt sophomore would emerge as a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate prevailed frequently as well.

The beginning of the season wasn't kind to those notions - with Leavitt even alluding to the lofty expectations playing a role in impacting his psyche early on in the season in his media availability following Tuesday's practice.

The 20-year-old has moved past those thoughts and is intrinsically motivated by showing up for his team heading into the stretch run of the Big 12 season for the Sun Devils - he also highlighted the factors behind the uptick in play in recent weeks.

• “Honestly, I started playing better because I started, you know, playing more quarterback and less playmaker, and, you know, started making plays when they needed to be made, rather than forcing it. Honestly, you know, I had a really good day at practice, day, you know, just trying to sit in the pocket and play more that style. So I'm just trying to get back to that. And, you know, it's really just being comfortable as the season goes on. So I'm just trying to approach the game like that.”

Leavitt truly hammered down what head coach Kenny Dillingham stated in his weekly press conference Monday - the potential NFL draft prospect has improved in-structure, with the game slowing down and more reads becoming clearer for the signal caller.

The comfort level reached an inflection point against Texas Christian, as a massive effort over the final 35 minutes of the game yielded nearly 500 yards of offense.

Arizona State on SI explores what has helped aid in making Leavitt more comfortable below.

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) hands the ball off to running back Raleek Brown (3) against the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

• Offensive line improvements. Center Ben Coleman has improved every single week in the new role, while Texas State transfer Jimeto Obigbo remains a pleasant surprise at left guard. Max Iheanachor has bounced back in a major way as well following a slow start.

• Raleek Brown's emergence. The junior has averaged 6.6 yards per carry and has proved to be a reliable target in the underneath passing game.

• Targets outside of Jordyn Tyson have emerged in recent weeks. Derek Eusebio, Jaren Hamilton, Malik McClain, Chamon Metayer, and even senior TE Cameron Harpole have all come up with massive catches in the weeks prior.

The return of slot receiver Jalen Moss, the continued growth of the running back room, the offensive line gelling more as time passes, and OC Marcus Arroyo's continued commitment to building strong game-plans should only aid Leavitt in continuing to take off over the final seven games of the regular season.

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.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here!