From joining Michigan State last year to entering the transfer portal and committing to ASU, Sun Devil starting quarterback Sam Leavitt made his highly-anticipated debut on Saturday against Wyoming and showcased his true potential of what he can become.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Leavitt makes statement, has high potential to grow
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound freshman completed 14-of-22 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 47 more yards from eight carries in Arizona State’s resounding 48-7 win over the Cowboys.
Having the skillset of agility and speed tagged along with the potential to develop an elite passing capability, Leavitt roamed out of the pocket with relative ease and spotted his targets when he needed to make a play. He, running back Cam Skattebo, wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and the offense contributed to 499 total yards.
When reflecting on how he performed in his first start donning a Sun Devil jersey, Leavitt was happy with his performance and understands there are parts of his game that he wants to work on.
“It’s fun being out there with the team, and seeing the atmosphere,” Leavitt said postgame on Saturday. “I feel like I played pretty well, always going to be certain things you want back. Overall, happy with the win.”
Coming into the season, the quarterback debacle of who was going to get the starting job was up in the air. Leavitt and backup Jeff Sims battled it out in training camp until Leavitt won the competition. Like Leavitt, Sims also transferred to Arizona State but from Nebraska.
From the start of camp to now, Leavitt has been laser-focused on succeeding and utilizing his strengths to his advantage, something ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham thought was evident against Wyoming.
“I thought he was good, I thought he was poised,” Dillingham said. “Before the game, I just told him to ‘be yourself and when in doubt, run.’ Most of the time when you are a running quarterback, you’re like, ‘I want to prove that I can throw it.’ So you get out there and you scramble, you’re like, ‘Watch me show everybody that I can deal this thing.’ Like no, if you are athletic and you get out there, run! What I was proud of was he took that and he applied it to the game.
“We talk about it all the time on first and second down, we don’t need you to be a superstar, we need you to manage the game. It’s third downs when you can extend plays and use your legs because if you get sacked, you’re still going to play, who cares? That’s when his running showed up was on those third downs, other than some called runs that we had for him.”
“Couldn’t be more proud of how he executed.”
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham praising QB Sam Leavitt after he made his Sun Devils debut. #ASU #ForksUp #SunDevils pic.twitter.com/beW94HeSjz
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) September 1, 2024
Sharing that the belief between himself and the team is mutual, Leavitt credited the people around him for making him feel comfortable and putting him in the best situations.
“I actually wasn’t too nervous coming into this game, that’s a testament to the coaching staff and the team just preparing and having answers for every situation,” Leavitt said. “On film, just watching it and seeing the situation and understand what I got to get to, whether it’s a check or I got to give the ball to a playmaker. I didn’t do anything special tonight, just got the ball to my playmakers and let them make a play. We had great results.”
Wyoming struggled to find any answers to combat both the offense ASU produced and their rugged presence on defense. The Sun Devils allowed Wyoming 118 yards of offense, accumulated two interceptions and forced Cowboys starting quarterback Evan Svoboda to complete six of his 15 pass attempts.
With Big 12 action on the horizon, Leavitt and the Sun Devils will be put up to the test against some of the best teams in the country. ASU was 3-9 the past two seasons and with a new quarterback at the helm, there will be a bigger spotlight and more pressure on the program to succeed in the new conference going forward.
Off of the gigantic win, however, Dillingham has full confidence that Leavitt can lead Arizona State and develop into a star for years to come.
“Couldn’t be more proud of how he executed the plan,” Dillingham said. “Are there some growing pains? Oh yeah, there are some things that he can get better at, there’s some things that he can grow off of. The kid cares, he’s passionate and he’s talented. If you have a care level, you are passionate, you’re talented and smart, that’s why I have so much belief in what he is and what he is going to become over the next four years.”
ASU football recorded 2nd-highest student attendance in program history vs. Wyoming
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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
