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College Football Playoff team's projected $2 million star quarterback out for season

One Big 12 contender is losing their star quarterback for the rest of the season. Find out how this impacts the Big 12 and College Football Playoff races.
Jonathan Adams|
NCAA Football Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt
NCAA Football Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

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Arizona State Sun Devils

It is looking like the Big 12 will have a new representative in the College Football Playoff. The Big 12 is one of four conferences whose champion earns an automatic bid to the postseason.

Arizona State impressed last season, but already face a tall task to make the Big 12 title game given their 3-2 conference record. Now, things just got even harder as head coach Kenny Dillingham announced that star quarterback Sam Leavitt will miss the rest of the season.

"BREAKING: Arizona State star QB SamLeavitt will miss the remainder of the season due to injury, via (Arizona Sports' "Bickley & Marotta")," On3 detailed on Friday. "Kenny Dillingham announced Leavitt will have season-ending surgery to take care of a lingering issue."

Jeff Sims is expected to be Arizona State's starting quarterback moving forward. Prior to joining the Sun Devils, Sims had stints at Georgia Tech and Nebraska. Leavitt is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 with a projected NIL value of $2 million, per On3.

The Big 12 is likely to have a new team in the College Football Playoff

At 5-3, Arizona State already faced long odds to win the Big 12 and return to the College Football Playoff. Unless there is a major shakeup, it appears to be a four-team race.

BYU and Cincinnati head into Week 10 with a perfect 5-0 record in conference play. Houston and Texas Tech are still very much in the mix with 4-1 conference records.

The Big 12 may find it challenging to get two teams into the College Football Playoff given the number of top SEC and Big Ten teams.

Will Kenny Dillingham stay at Arizona State amid college football coaching carousel rumors?

After a magical 2024, Arizona State's season has had much more turbulence in 2025. The Sun Devils are on the outside looking in for the Big 12 race. Dillingham's name also continues to be linked to major job openings.

"I'm trying to win as many games as I can here," Dillingham said of the ongoing rumors, per Arizona State Sun Devils on SI. "That is my number one focus - is our players, our football team, everything about us, that simple.

"I am so singularly focused on us to win football games, to become a better football team this season. That is my singular focus."

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Jonathan Adams
JONATHAN ADAMS

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports writer who has written for notable outlets and interviewed some of the top athletes for more than 10 years. Since 2015, his sports coverage has been read by tens of millions and has been prominently featured on Heavy, NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and more. Jonathan is a member of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a voter for the Maxwell Award and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. He has interviewed many of the biggest stars in sports — Bryce Harper, Jayden Daniels, Justin Jefferson, Bijan Robinson and Micah Parsons to name a few — and has traveled the country to cover the College Football Playoff, NFL draft, Masters, March Madness, Senior Bowl, McDonald’s All-American Game and beyond. Jonathan Adams studied at the University of Central Florida and The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. He holds master degrees in sport business management, business administration and theology & culture.

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