Positional analysis: Sam Leavitt has Heisman hopes for Arizona State in 2025

A year ago at this time, Arizona State had plenty of questions under center. Former walk-on Trenton Bourguet had finished as the starter in Kenny Dillingham’s inaugural season running his alma mater, but few expected him to start in 2024. Jeff Sims had transferred in after uneven runs with both Georgia Tech and Nebraska, while Sam Leavitt transferred out of the rebuild at Michigan State to come to Tempe.

Before long, though, Leavitt had won the job as a redshirt freshman, though people still didn’t know what to expect. The Oregon native quickly proved his merit, though, with a keen sense for improvising in the pocket and some raw downfield passing ability. By the end of the year, Leavitt had grown so much as a player, even offering Sun Devil fans flashbacks to the glory days of Jake the Snake.

Now, Leavitt enters his sophomore season as the undisputed face of the program after Cam Skattebo’s graduation. Considered a Heisman contender, Leavitt is entering this year with perhaps the highest expectations for an Arizona State quarterback since Rudy Carpenter’s senior year in Tempe. Can Leavitt live up to the hype?

Our own Andrew Hayslett and David Howman take a look at the position and discuss preseason expectations.

Hayslett: Sam Leavitt was recently placed on Phil Steele’s all-Big 12 third team, which will be a take that will age like milk in the 2025 season. Leavitt developed throughout the 2024 season, and as he improved, the team improved.

I expect that to continue into the 2025 season as Leavitt will look like the polished passer other experts expect him to be and progress into a first-round NFL draft pick. Last year, when he missed the game at Cincinnati with an injury, the Sun Devils did not look the same and lost a game they should have won if they had their star quarterback. If he has to miss some time this season, I expect the Sun Devils to look a bit different.

As someone who attended the majority of the Sun Devils' spring practices, Leavitt did look a little rusty, missing on some passes throughout the spring, but this might be the toughest defense Leavitt will play all year. Leavitt will likely shake the rust off by the time the season starts. Without Skattebo, the offense rests more on Leavitt’s shoulders and will feature more passing.

Howman: The depth behind Leavitt brings up an interesting conundrum, for sure. Getting Jeff Sims back for another year of eligibility was a coup in my mind, as it would’ve been hard to draw any other transfer quarterback to Tempe with such a young quarterback firmly entrenched as the starter.

Still, Sims was the starter for the Sun Devils’ loss in Cincinnati, a team which they should have (and likely would have) beat at full strength. Sims fits the profile of a solid backup, with plus mobility and a strong arm with rare levels of starting experience at two other Power 4 programs. But I’m not sure Arizona State can win too many games in an improved Big 12 if Sims has to start multiple games this year.

That’s not the only way that everything rests on Leavitt, as you alluded to. Last year’s offense was pretty much the Skattebo show, and rightfully so. Leavitt was given more responsibility as the season went on, but it will still pale in comparison to what he’ll likely be asked to do this year. Personally, I’m a little concerned about such a big jump in usage from one year to the next, especially after Leavitt’s rusty spring practices. Tell me I’m overreacting.

Hayslett: I think Howman is overreacting. There is plenty of time for Leavitt to improve and get back to form. Running backs coach Shaun Aguano has had a 1,000+ yard rusher every full season he has been at Arizona State.

I expect that statistic to continue. The run game might not be as electric as it was last season with Skattebo. However, it still should be effective with rising juniors Kyson Brown and Army transfer Kanye Udoh, along with rising redshirt junior Raleek Brown. I go back to the old football adage, “you have to run to open up the pass,” and I think the run game will be more prevalent than what most national media are expecting. The run game will help relieve some stress off Leavitt.

Leavitt has shown that he can be successful on the ground as well. He rushed for over four yards per carry in 2024, totaling 443 yards and five touchdowns. I expect the total yards to take a small dip as the rushing numbers came down in the second half of the season.

Behind Leavitt and Sims, it will be an interesting battle to see who leads the scout team. Freshmen Cameron Dyer and Michael "Butter" Tollefson look to battle for that position. Dyer is one of the Top-10 Athlete prospects across expert rankings and a 4-star recruit. Tollefson is a three-star recruit. Both are highly touted with their arms and legs, which should make it a seamless transition if Leavitt and Sims miss time.

Howman: Not only are Dyer and Tollefson rounding out the bottom of the depth chart, but there’s a 4-star quarterback in Texas named Jake Fette who committed to Arizona State several months ago and has been steadfast in his commitment even as his rating continues to rise. Fette won’t arrive in Tempe until next year, but many analysts view him as the most likely successor to Leavitt, though I’m sure Dyer and Tollefson will have something to say about that.

Getting back to Leavitt, though, I’m still holding my breath a bit. Call it cautious optimism, as opposed to full bore optimism. The growth that Leavitt showed down the stretch last year was really, really promising and I fully understand why he’s in the Heisman conversation to start this year.

I’ve just seen it happen too many times with college quarterbacks not being able to live up to a full offseason of hype; Avery Johnson was the best example just last year, but I’m old enough to remember the ill-fated Heisman campaigns of Spencer Rattler and Jeremy Johnson. It’s not that I don’t believe Leavitt can play at a Heisman level - he certainly has the supporting cast and coaching staff to do it - but I’m just nervous about getting emotionally invested in the idea of it all.

Hayslett: Leavitt will not need to play at a Heisman level for the Sun Devils to be successful. Six of the last ten national champions did not have a player who finished top three in Heisman voting, including the last four. Leavitt doesn't need to reach his ceiling and win the Heisman, although it will be nice, but he will have to have a season that is healthy, reliable and improved from last year, which is something he can easily do.

If Leavitt can do that, Arizona State will be back in the picture to win its second consecutive Big 12 Championship (and be the first school not named Oklahoma to win back-to-back Big 12 titles, a feat the Sooners have done many times) and return to the College Football Playoff, where anything can happen.