CHANDLER – Arizona State was projected to be last place in the Big 12 last season. That didn’t happen. Instead, the Sun Devils finished 10-2 in the regular season, won the Big 12 conference versus Iowa State in the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Football Championship and also secured the fourth seed in the College Football Playoff.
When ASU fans reflect on the 2024 season, the first thing they think about is Cam Skattebo’s record-breaking season as the motor of the offense. Now that he has left for the NFL, the spotlight pans to another key contributor from a season ago who is ranked as a top 10 quarterback in the college football world: Sam Leavitt.
The sophomore quarterback came off a solid freshman campaign for the Sun Devils, throwing for 2,885 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes with only six interceptions. He also rushed for five touchdowns.
Transferring from Michigan State to ASU, Leavitt felt as though he found his forever home with Dillingham leading the team and feeling that there is something special building in the desert.
He’s extremely proud to be a part of the future of the program.
“It’s the culture, the trust and the belief in each other and the coaching staff,” Leavitt said. “(Dillingham’s) such an honest person and he’s never going to steer you wrong. That’s trickled down to every single aspect of our entire staff.”
At Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson’s first annual youth football camp last Saturday, the Sun Devils quarterback loved working with the young athletes, observing them in their drills and making conversation. He made it clear that to be a player of his caliber and beyond, it takes hard work and mental strength to push through the negative and believe in one’s potential.
“I remember when I was a kid, people would always tell me, ‘You’re not going to be like your brother. You’re not going to get a (Division) I offer,’” said Leavitt, whose brother Dallin Leavitt played in the NFL. “That didn’t matter to me ‘cause they weren’t putting in the dark hours like me. They didn’t see what I saw.”
“You have to have something that fuels you every single day.”
It took Sam a while to start moving on from last season’s CFP loss to the Texas Longhorns. He spoke with ESPN’s Matt Barrie last Thursday and stated that he’s “still not over it,” despite it being such a memorable game for both squads.
That hasn’t changed his thoughts about leaving ASU, even when it involves NIL contracts and potentially receiving more money from other schools. Leavitt said he does not care about earning more money at the collegiate level.
“Why would you not want to be in a situation where you know exactly what’s going on?” Leavitt said. “You’re playing in Arizona State. A great team. Who cares if you get paid a couple hundred-thousand dollars less when you’re going to have a shot to now go play in the NFL and make 10 times more money.”
This offseason, Leavitt is looking to improve in every aspect to go into next season feeling more confident and fluent with his playing style. In particular, he continues to improve in building relationships with his teammates on and off the field.
His strongest bond is with wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who discussed the duo’s strong bond. Tyson had a great freshman season, finishing with 1,101 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns and looks forward to what he can do next season.
Leavitt and Tyson have been putting in the work this offseason – and it feels as though they’re accelerating their work ethics to reach their ultimate goal of winning the national championship.
“Shoot, we’ve been on a 7 a.m. wakeup,” Tyson said. “We grinding. What we were doing last year, we’re just taking it up a notch.”
The early morning workouts are going to help refine their new offensive system, especially with Skattebo now a member of the New York Giants. Leavitt knows that the offense is going to look different, but believes that they are going to make it work.
He has full confidence in what himself, the offense and the coaching staff have been planning out this offseason.
“That’s going to be an area that we’re going to have to figure out,” Leavitt said. “We’re going to be a different team. I’m not too worried about it.”
The ASU Sun Devils kick off their 2025 season versus Northern Arizona University on Aug. 30 at Mountain America Stadium.
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