Transfer speculation heats up after Sam Leavitt misses team banquet

Questions about Sam Leavitt's future are heating up. Just a few weeks ago, it was reported by On3 that Leavitt intended to enter the transfer portal. Leavitt's brother, who is also his agent, threw cold water on the report immediately.

The latest development, though, has ominous implications for Leavitt's future in Tempe:

While it is not entirely uncommon for players to occasionally miss the team's end-of-year banquet, team captains and star players are usually the first ones to arrive. Leavitt met both descriptions, but he was not present Sunday night for the team banquet, raising eyebrows.

More concerning was the fact that Kenny Dillingham publicly addressed it, saying "it would be cowardly not to mention" Leavitt despite his absence. Dillingham then said "We wish him well in whatever his future may hold."

Reportedly, Leavitt had not communicated to Dillingham or others that he would not be present at the banquet. Some in attendance took Dillingham's comments as an ironic shot at the quarterback for no-showing on the banquet.

It has been previously reported that there were tensions in the locker room with Leavitt since his season was ended due to injury. A lack of public acknowledgement for backup Jeff Sims' stellar performances - especially after Sims had his game jersey from a record-setting performance against Iowa State inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame - was not well-received in the locker room.

There was also apparently consternation over Leavitt not staying in the stadium for the home game against West Virginia, with some noting that he could have easily gotten a seat up in the booth if he simply needed to be away from the sideline for injury recovery purposes.

Dillingham downplayed these reports later on, assuring fans that he's still in contact with Leavitt and that nothing in their relationship has changed. With this latest development at the banquet, though, it's tough to not sound the alarm.