Sam Leavitt's Leadership on Full Display Despite Injury

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils have reached an inflection point in their 2025 season heading into week 10.

This follows a crushing loss to the Houston Cougars that substantially narrowed the avenues that the Sun Devils have the ability to utilize to return to the Big 12 title game - this was accompanied with the exit of star QB Sam Leavitt late in the contest.

Leavitt was officially ruled out of the upcoming battle with Iowa State on Tuesday, but has remained a premier teammate in the process - as backed up by OC Marcus Arroyo on Wednesday when asked about the role that the redshirt sophomore has taken on in recent days.

"Yeah, I mean, he understands that that role doesn't ever go away, you know? I mean, I think once you're a leader, or you're the you're the guy who's gonna make, help make things go, or you're a catalyst in a program, or you're just a piece, whether you're in sports or business or your family, you don't just disappear. You got to be able to help guys out. Be able to still learn he's, he can still get a ton of mental reps. We're in there watching film. We're breaking down film. He's taking notes, whether he's playing or not.

He's still, he's still asked to be, to do what he's asked to do, to be able to grow both, both on and off the field. And I think that's easy to do with Sam, because he's just obviously a big piece of what we do in every fashion."

Leavitt's leadership has seldom been questioned since taking over as the starting quarterback - the Michigan State transfer has actually manage to demonstrate the ability to take charge beyond the field during his time in Tempe. This will undoubtedly continue to serve the program well as long as he is around - playing or not.

What is Leavitt's Status Moving Forward?

Dillingham confirmed that the injury could result in an absence of more than one game, but held back from making a commitment on any front regarding his status. This points towards the injury truly holding a week-by-week approach. Expect the off week of November 8 to go a long way to determine if Leavitt has improved enough to play against West Virginia on November 15.

Will Leavitt Enter the 2026 NFL Draft?

There is no discussion as to if Leavitt will enter his name in the upcoming draft, although he is still widely seen as a top six prospect in the class. The injury development has potential to play a role in the ultimate decision as well, but nothing will be official until December at the earliest.

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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