Arizona State has had its fair share of accomplished quarterbacks over the years. Jake Plummer is a legend, as is Jeff van Raaphorst. Brock Osweiler left a legacy as big as him in his short tenure in Tempe. Manny Wilkins, Andrew Walter, Taylor Kelly, and Mike Bercovici all fit into the category of people who will never have to pay for a beer among Sun Devil fans.
However, there is one thing that none of those illustrious quarterbacks have: a Heisman trophy. In fact, Arizona State is one of the few Power 4 programs today that has never seen a player win the prestigious award.
Sam Leavitt is about to change that.
According to DraftKings sportsbook, there are only five players ahead of Leavitt in Heisman betting odds. Texas' Arch Manning leads the field, and he is followed closely by LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson's Cade Klubnik, Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith (the only wide receiver in the top 10), and Penn State's Drew Allar.
The sheer fact that Leavitt is sixth in Heisman odds gives him a good starting point. Rarely does the preseason betting favorite actually go on to win the award. Nussmeier, Klubnik, and Allar have all been Heisman contenders in previous seasons as well, but failed to live up to the standards of the award. Meanwhile, Smith faces an uphill battle as a non-quarterback.
In short, it's easy to envision Leavitt's path to the front of this pack by season's end. Of course, it'll take some excellent play from the Sun Devil quarterback, too, but there's reason to believe that will happen.
It's not just that Leavitt played great last year, though that's certainly true. Of the starting quarterbacks who return from last year, Leavitt ranked seventh in passer rating in 2024; of the six ahead of him, three transferred to new schools, and will thus be learning a new playbook.
Leavitt was especially great throwing to star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. His 116.3 passer rating when targeting Tyson was the second-best among returning quarterbacks. The chemistry between these two, who moved into an apartment together this offseason, was already at an insane level.
That wasn't enough for Kenny Dillingham, though. He added three transfer receivers in the offseason, headlined by Fresno State transfer Jalen Moss, to provide Leavitt with ample weapons outside of just Tyson. Dillingham made clear at Big 12 Football Media Days that Leavitt will look for Tyson early and often, but he now has a deeper receiving corps than he did last year.
On top of that, Leavitt will also get more opportunities to show off.
The Sun Devils were fairly run-heavy last year, largely because of the presence of Cam Skattebo. Leavitt was great when called upon, but the offense was fundamentally built around Skattebo. This year will be different, and Dillingham has stated as much several times this offseason.
Arizona State aims to be more pass happy, especially on early downs. They like their running back room - which features a likely committee of Kanye Udoh, Kyson Brown, and Raleek Brown - but they also recognize that there's no replacement for Skattebo.
As such, they're going to lean on Leavitt and Tyson. Both players are more than up for the challenge, which is why Leavitt is rising in the Heisman odds. Between his natural talent, the elevated opportunities to rack up stats, and the likelihood that Arizona State will be a major contender in the Big 12 this year, Leavitt is a great candidate to take home the Heisman trophy this year.
Of course, it all comes down to Leavitt actually playing well, but all the pieces are lining up for him to do something that nobody has done before in Tempe.