Why Sam Leavitt Remains Elite Quarterback Despite Slow Start
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TEMPE -- Arizona State football has become a pillar of consistency in the Big 12 over the last season-plus, going 15-4 in games played since August of 2024.
A massive piece of the puzzle has been Sam Leavitt - who has gone 15-3 in games he has started as a member of the program.
Leavitt is unlikely to have enough runway to reach heights such as Taylor Kelly's 26 career victories as the starting signal caller (unless a 2026 return is in play), but he has already become one of the greatest players to ever take snaps for the program at the quarterback position.
ESPN's Bill Connelly hasn't been fully convinced of Leavitt's play this season, however, as the redshirt sophomore was ranked 31st out of 68 power four players at the position
Rationale from Connelly below:
- "After an offseason of pretty big hype, Leavitt stumbled out of the gate in 2025. But he has picked up steam since.
First two games: 42.0 Total QBR, 57% completion rate, 5.7 yards per drop back, 3 INT
Last three games: 73.6 Total QBR, 67% completion rate, 7.0 yards per drop back, 0 INT
He hasn't been a top-30 quarterback over five games, but the guy we've seen in recent weeks sure is."
Leavitt's first two games of the season didn't go according to plan - particularly during the loss to Mississippi State - but he has bounced back into the form he was in over the second half of 2024 over the last three weeks.
The 20-year-old being written off this early on in the season will be of great folly to those who did so, as he continues to be one of the most clutch players in the nation, leading the Sun Devil offense to consecutive victories after slow starts.
Leavitt's big arm, creativity when exiting the pocket, improved decision making, and increased willingness to target receivers not named Jordyn Tyson have resulted in a more potent Arizona State offense.
The discussion point that has been overlooked is the shift in national perception. Fox analyst Devin Gardner failed to name Leavitt as a top-five quarterback in the Big 12 during the TCU broadcast - he went on to outplay Josh Hoover, as he did Sawyer Robertson the previous week.
Leavitt also has a substantial sample of being more effective compared to others, such as Iowa State's Rocco Becht and Texas Tech's Behren Morton.
The next opportunity to catch the best quarterback in the Big 12 in action is on October 11 - when Leavitt squares off against dynamic Utah QB Devon Dampier.
Read more on major takeaways from Arizona State's clutch-time victory over TCU here, and more on why Arizona State fans should be feeling confident about the outlook of the season following the win here.
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.