ASU's Cutter Boley Might Become Defining QB of Portal Cycle
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TEMPE -- The departure of Sam Leavitt to LSU has opened the door for more questions surrounding the Arizona State football program - going beyond the losses of Jordyn Tyson and other seniors that ran out of eligibility.
Quarterback has become one of the most points of discussion during the offseason due to the uncertainty that arose following Leavitt moving on - head coach Kenny Dillingham maneuver through the loss by picking up former Kentucky star Cutter Boley, who is the presumed starter at the position and one of the most consequential players of the ASU season to come.
Boley comes out as the 35th best quarterback in the "power four" conferences according to ESPN's Bill Connelly in a preseason assessment of where programs from the Big 12, ACC, SEC, and Big 10 stand heading into spring practices.
Boley Brings Proven Track Record, Upside
There has been skepticism surrounding Boley's inclination to turn the ball over in recent months, but Connelly is quite adamant that there are moments of brilliance to build off of in 2026.
"Considering the degree of difficulty involved in piloting a mostly disastrous Kentucky offense, Boley's best moments were absolutely dynamite in 2025. He torched Tennessee for 330 yards and five touchdowns, and he dragged the Wildcats over the 30-point mark three times in a four-game before trailing off at the end of the season. And if nothing else, he has proved more than Sam Leavitt had when arriving in Tempe in 2024 to become a two-year ASU starter."
Boley's 12 interceptions neared the top 10 in all of the FBS in the category, with several points in which too many risks were taken, but the talent and high points are difficult to ignore.
The redshirt sophomore brings incredible arm talent to the table - with a three-game stretch in 2025 against Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee being the highlight of last season. Boley's ability to thread tight windows in the short/intermediate game, arm slots/angles the 20 year old can throw the ball downfield, and the moments of play extension have all been on full display, especially with the context of being surrounded by some of the weakest talent in the SEC.
Now, Boley is surrounded by a deep wide receiver room (Omarion Miller, Reed Harris, others), a running back group that has promise, and an offensive system that is sturdy around Dillingham/Marcus Arroyo.
Boley is currently the favorite to win the starting job as mentioned above, but Mikey Keene, Jake Fette, and Cam Dyer will all have opportunities to earn the job to different degrees. If Boley were to prevail, the support system is in place for the talented quarterback to succeed, with a real chance that he finishes 2026 among the best quarterbacks in all of the Big 12.
out of cutter boley's 12 interceptions (10 starts as a rs-fr. in sec), a few were off receivers' hands, as he was getting hit or in "gotta make a play" situations (3rd, 4th, end of half), some with timing just a bit off.
— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) January 7, 2026
only a few truly bad plays to be found.
a look at all 12: pic.twitter.com/NuBTvfH1dw
Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati 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.