Why Jeff Sims Remains Underrated Despite Strong Week 10 Showing

TEMPE -- Arizona State's 2025 football season has taken many twists and turns - specifically with starting QB Sam Leavitt being lost for the season due to a foot injury that required surgery.

In came senior Jeff Sims to start for the remainder of the season - the longtime collegiate talent stepped up and carried the Sun Devils to a 24-19 victory over Iowa State on November 1 with the odds stacked against him.

The performance impressed many across the country - but not necessarily ESPN's Bill Connelly, who ranked the Florida native as the 52nd best quarterback at the power four level out of 68 players at the position.

While valid points were brought up in the rationale, there are bits and pieces of information that were simply omitted.

"You know what you're going to get with Jeff Sims at this point. The journeyman, starting with Sam Leavitt's season-ending injury, can run as well as anyone, as evidenced by his 100 non-sack rushing yards against Utah and 228 against Iowa State. But if you're relying on his arm, you're going to be disappointed. He's completing 51% of his passes and averaging 4.7 yards per dropback."

Arizona State on SI explores what Sims brings to the table that wasn't accounted for below.

What Kenny Dillingham Had to Say About Sims

The head coach spoke about how the team has rallied behind the new starter following Wednesday's practice - simply confirming that Sims brings intangibles to the table that are invaluable to the squad.

"Yeah, our team loves Jeff. Jeff's a great kid. Jeff's a great person. Jeff started a lot of games. Jeff's joke, like a man of the people, like guys just love him. He's just a man of the people, right? He's just another guy out there doing his part, and he's a great person. So it's fun to see him kind of get an opportunity."

Sims regularly gets talked about glowingly within the program, with many pointing out his hard-working mindset, consistency, and willingness to take charge as reasons for admiration.

Beyond the intangibles, Sims showed marked growth as a passer in the win over Iowa State. Although the completion percentage doesn't look the best to the naked eye, Sims was routinely making big-time throws to the trio of TE Chamon Metayer, WR Jalen Moss, and close friend Malik McClain that kept the Arizona State offense moving.

Is Sims the best passer in the nation? No. Is he a pushover when in the pocket with the right plan of attack? Absolutely not.

Sims is set to take the field on Saturday morning, when the Sun Devils take on West Virginia from Mountain America Stadium.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State 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, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!