Arizona State Freshman QB to Serve as Week 10 Backup

TEMPE -- The loss of Sam Leavitt for the week 10 battle against Iowa State is a crushing loss for the Arizona State football program, but the 'next man up' mentality remains all the same.

Backup Jeff Sims is set to receive his second start of the season and third over the past two campaigns in relief of Leavitt - while a player that has been out all season to this point will receive a major opportunity this Saturday.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham confirmed on Tuesday that freshman Cameron Dyer had been fully cleared in recent weeks, and that the four-star is slated to serve as the backup to Jeff Sims in the game.

"Yeah, he is, Cam's cleared. So he's having a good, he's working his way back. I cleared a couple weeks ago or last week."

Dyer's road to get to this point has been a lengthy and complicated one, but the standout now has an opportunity to impress in the weeks to come - Arizona State on SI covers numerous Dyer-related topics below.

Dyer's Journey to Arizona State Backup

Dyer was a star at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico - the freshman was actually rated as the top recruit in the state - being pursued by Texas Tech, Utah, and others in addition to Arizona State.

Dyer committed on June 4, 2024 after taking a visit on May 31 and primarily being recruited by recently minted WR coach Hines Ward - he eventually enrolled on January 3rd of this year despite suffering an ACL tear during his senior season.

The climb back has been a lengthy one, as Dillingham had previously stated that the hope was for Dyer to be cleared early into the season - now his opportunity to be a full participant on the field has arrived.

Dyer's Potential to be Long-Term Starting QB

It's difficult to pinpoint Dyer as a long-term solution at the position at the moment - as there are so many moving parts in play currently. Leavitt has the potential to decide that a 2026 return is in his best interest, which would clearly result in Dyer being in a backup role next season.

The other avenue is if Dillingham opts to find another quarterback via the transfer portal if Leavitt opts to move onto the NFL - incoming freshman Jake Fette is also sure to take reps over the summer after being committed to the Sun Devils for over a year.

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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