Sam Leavitt Is Blowing Up: How the Breakout Talent Captured the Internet Overnight

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is suddenly the hottest name in college football circles, and the timing could not be better for the Sun Devils as they prepare for their first full Big 12 campaign. The red-shirt sophomore has locked down the starting job in Kenny Dillingham’s up-tempo offense, showing the arm talent and mobility that made him one of PFF’s top-graded freshman passers last year. Leavitt’s meteoric rise was underscored this week when he landed on both the Manning Award and Davey O’Brien preseason watch lists, honors reserved for the nation’s elite signal-callers. Analysts at Pro Football Focus already list him as a dark-horse contender for the 2025 Heisman Trophy after a spring in which he posted a 71 percent completion rate during scrimmages and routinely stretched the field with 60-yard strikes. Inside the program, coaches rave about Leavitt’s leadership transformation. “He’s settled in as the vocal heartbeat of this team,” head coach Kenny Dillingham told local reporters, noting that the quarterback was the first player in the building every day of offseason workouts. That commitment has galvanized a roster that returns nine offensive starters and adds former Colorado star wideout Jordyn Tyson, who, along with Leavitt, inked a new NIL partnership with adidas earlier this month. Scouts have taken notice. Sports Illustrated draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. now projects Leavitt as a potential top-50 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft if he continues his current trajectory. The buzz has translated into ticket sales; ASU announced its highest season-ticket renewal rate in a decade days after Leavitt graced the cover of multiple preseason preview magazines. For Sun Devil fans, the intrigue is simple: a dynamic quarterback finally appears ready to restore Tempe’s reputation as a quarterback factory. If Sam Leavitt converts hype into wins—starting with the August 30 home opener against Northern Arizona—Arizona State could leap from conference newcomer to legitimate Big 12 contender overnight, with a Heisman campaign and NFL chatter only fueling the momentum.