Transferring to ASU
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The 6-foot-2, 200-pound, redshirt freshman entered the transfer portal after four games at Michigan State last year, looking for a change of scenery that would benefit his growth both on and off the field.
After deciding that Tempe was the city he would call home for this season, he was going to compete to be head coach Kenny Dillingham’s No. 1 QB with now-former star Jaden Rashada, Nebraska transfer Jeff Sims and longtime Sun Devil Trenton Bourguet.
Rashada himself would put his name in the portal – transferring to Georgia – to narrow the battle down between Leavitt, Sims and Bourguet.
Impressing during the spring and now in fall training camp, Dillingham announced Monday that Leavitt will be the starter to open up the season.
When making his first media appearance since receiving the news, Leavitt stated that seeing the opportunity to be the “go-to guy” from Day 1 at Arizona State was a key factor in his decision.
“Coming out the portal, that’s your main attention,” Leavitt said after practice Tuesday. “Finding a school where you feel like you’re gonna develop the best but also get a shot to play in your first year in the program. Coming into here, I thought I was going to start 100%. Got to beat out Jaden [Rashada], then we brought Jeff [Sims] in and Trenton [Bourguet] has been here for a while. It’s been a process for sure, but I don’t know if you can really put a percentage on it. Just kinda always come into the situation thinking you are going to be the starter.”
“Coming into here, I thought I was going to start 100%.”
Transferring from Michigan State, Sam Leavitt saw the opportunity at Arizona State and believed it was a good fit out of the portal.#ASU #SunDevils #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/1a5nSNwcEi
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 20, 2024
Leavitt taking in the moment, ready to lead Sun Devils
Working hard, listening to the coaching staff and becoming a vocal leader around the team has seen him take over the reins that Rashada left and he looks to fulfill what it takes to be the face of the team.
Becoming the starter means so much to Leavitt even though he has kept the self-belief and determination throughout the process that this was going to eventually happen.
“All sorts of emotions, mostly joy,” Leavitt said. “I kinda had that idea come along, that was my goal this whole time. I definitely took a moment to thank God for the opportunity and feel appreciative of it.”
“That was my goal this whole time.”
After officially being named the starting quarterback for Arizona State, Sam Leavitt shared that he had a lot of emotions when he received the news.#ASU #SunDevils #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/iyUbyWIayO
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 20, 2024
Leavitt admitted that there were rumblings about the possibility that he was the frontrunner in the quarterback battle for the starting job. Though it wasn’t final, he still pushed himself during training camp to make sure there was no doubt that he was the favorite.
While some coaches may reveal significant news to their players face-to-face, Leavitt shared that he got a text message from Dillingham while he was alone, making the news feel even more significant personally.
“He actually texted me the night before, so it wasn’t in person, I was by myself,” Leavitt said. “We had kind of sprinkled around the subject and kind of got a hand of it before, so it wasn’t a complete shock or anything. Being by myself just made me really be able to embrace the moment.”
With the new season around the corner and getting the answer he was anticipating receiving, Leavitt is not letting his foot off the gas and wants to show why the coach’s decision was the right choice.
Keeping his competitive spirit flowing inside of him, the Oregon native wants to exert his full effort whether it is on the field, studying film, learning the playbook or in any department of life that can make him the best version of himself.
“What drives me? This is all I know, my family is a football family and it is what I have done since a young age,” Leavitt said. “Taking it day by day. I live by a motto, ‘How great do you want to be?’ I have that on my mirror when I wake up. I ask myself that question and coming out to practice in this weather and you know you’re hot out and gotta get the juices going, so every single day I push myself to the max.”
Sam Leavitt wins ASU quarterback battle over Jeff Sims, named starter
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
