Kenny Dillingham Confirms Sam Leavitt's Absence in Week 10

TEMPE -- The expected outcome is now the confirmed one for an Arizona State program that continues to be heavily impacted by injuries.

Star quarterback Sam Leavitt has been confirmed to be out of commission for Saturday's road trip to face the Iowa State Cyclones in what is a rematch of the 2024 Big 12 Championship game - this came straight from the source, as head coach Kenny Dillingham confirmed as much following Tuesday's practice.

This came on the heels of reports coming out earlier Tuesday that Leavitt was expected to miss the game due to an undisclosed injury that forced him to exit the final two drives of the loss to Houston last Saturday.

To watch Dillingham's full availability, view below.

This development means that backup quarterback Jeff Sims will get his third start at the position in his time with the program in a battle opposite of Iowa State standout Rocco Becht.

Sims struggled to generate offense in the loss to Utah, but stepped in and nearly rallied the group to tie the game against Houston in a direct response.

As for Leavitt - it appears that his current injury will be treated in a week-by-week manner - as once again stated by Dillingham.

Leavitt's Long-Term Status Unclear

"Yeah, I mean, I don't want to say that yet. I it's definitely something that's been lingering all year, so it's, it's definitely something that could definitely turn into that, for sure, just because it hasn't progressed like we hoped. I mean, he's been dealing with this for pretty much the whole year. He hasn't been at full speed. So you know, we'll definitely reassess it during the pie and make a decision from there."

Arizona State is set to embark on another off week following the Iowa State battle, which hopefully allows enough time for Leavitt to return for the November 15 game against West Virginia.

However, there has to be a point in which the training staff and coaches decide that the opportunity cost makes it difficult to justify placing the star in harm's way without a Big 12 title game appearance to play for.

On the contrary, freshman QB Cameron Dyer has officially been cleared to play and will likely serve as the backup to Sims this week, as third-string Christian Hunt has been out for the last two games.

Arizona State-Iowa State is set to begin at 10 A.M. AZT Saturday from Ames, Iowa.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the 2025 football team is at a crossroads following a loss to Houston here.

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