Sam Leavitt exudes confidence at Big 12 Media Days

Sam Leavitt has had a meteoric rise to fame in just one season of starting football at the college level. After transferring to Arizona State as a redshirt freshman, Leavitt claimed the starting job and promptly led the Sun Devils to their first ever College Football Playoff appearance.

While much of last year's offense was built around the run game, and specifically star Cam Skattebo, this is now Leavitt's show. On Monday, he was named the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and Leavitt has frequently been listed as a Heisman contender entering the new season.

It's a lot of pressure for a quarterback just entering his second season as a starter, but at the conference's Football Media Days this week, Leavitt made it clear he isn't shying away from the expectations.

The Big 12 is loaded with talented quarterbacks for 2025, with nine returning starters who threw for at least 2,400 passing yards last year. Leavitt, however, is the cream of the crop. When asked about his fellow quarterbacks, Leavitt shared that he got to know most of them via the Manning Passing Academy that he attended.

When asked if he picked up any advice from NFL legend Peyton Manning while there, Leavitt shared a great nugget that hints at his comfortability with second-year offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo.:

"One thing that I really took from Peyton was talking about, you know, play-calling. He said he still has the record for rookie interceptions in a year and he told me the reason why: he had some play calls that he wasn't comfortable with in the game plan, but his offensive coordinator really wanted to call them.

He said "Don't ever run a play that you're not comfortable with." "

Leavitt wasn't the only one who settled into their new role as last season unfolded. Arroyo started the season off with some stretches of play-calling that didn't necessarily fit into the team's identity, but by the time the postseason hit he was a master in knowing how to utilize Skattebo, Jordyn Tyson, and knowing how much he could put on Leavitt's plate.

Now, the relationship between the two is better than ever. Leavitt will feel comfortable with a much larger selection of plays, and part of that is due to the work Leavitt has done this offseason in fine-tuning his mechanics:

"Yeah, I've done a lot of under center stuff, just honing in on my footwork. Taking a couple of things out of my throwing motion. You know, I'm always looking at little things I can add. My foot placement, how my waist transitions, the trajectory of my body along with my arm mechanics, trying to sync everything up and get it all in rhythm. "

Between the improved mechanics, the growing relationship with his play-caller, and the return of star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, it's understandable why Leavitt feels he can have a Heisman season. Ir's also understandable why some might be worried that he'd be too focused on individual stats in pursuit of such an award, but Leavitt offered fans reassurance on Tuesday:

"I really don't think it's that much pressure. At certain times, it might get overwhelming, but that's what I've asked for since day one. I asked to be in this position and I put myself in this position; for me, it's kind of like this was supposed to happen. So for people that say it's too much pressure, then this isn't the situation for you. "

It's hard to miss the confidence that Leavitt carries himself with. At one point, Kenny Dillingham even addressed it, saying that some people mistake it for cockiness but that he views it as Leavitt being his genuine self. Confidence is key in a quarterback, after all.

There's plenty of reason to be excited for Year 2 of the Sam Leavitt era. And if the quarterback fails to meet his lofty expectations, it certainly won't be because the moment was too big for him. With Leavitt under center, Arizona State has exactly what it needs to get back to the College Football Playoff.