Arizona State's Sam Leavitt to miss remainder of season: QB will undergo surgery to correct lingering injury
Leavitt is undergoing surgery to correct a lingering injury issue that has impacted him this season
By
Will Backus
•
2 min read
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will undergo season-ending surgery to correct a lingering injury issue, Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham announced Friday during an appearing on Arizona Sports radio's Bickley and Marotta.
Leavitt missed Arizona State's Oct. 11 loss to No. 24 Utah but has appeared in every other game this season. That includes Arizona State's last two contests against Texas Tech and Houston, in which he threw for a combined 589 yards and two touchdowns.
The 6-foot-2 and 205-pound Leavitt was clearly limited as a rusher against the Red Raiders and the Cougars. He managed just 25 yards on 18 total carries in that span after rushing for 56.2 yards per game prior to missing the Utah game.
"Our guys are competitors," Dillingham said. "Our guys are fighters and our guys are going to want to do whatever they can to win the football game. I think that's the culture that we built."
Leavitt initially suffered the injury in Arizona State's Sept. 20 win against Baylor. He returned the next week to lead the Sun Devils to victory against TCU but re-aggravated the issue ahead of ASU's clash against Utah.
A former Michigan State transfer and the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, Leavitt threw for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games this season. He also added five touchdowns on the ground.
What it means for Arizona State
Arizona State will now turn to one of the most experienced backup quarterbacks in college football. Sixth-year senior Jeff Sims has served as Leavitt's understudy over the last couple of seasons with spot-starting duty whenever Leavitt has not been able to go.
He led the offense against Utah and completed 18 of his 38 pass attempts for 124 yards. He also rushed for 66 yards on 21 carries. Sims appeared late in Arizona State's Week 9 game against Houston and threw for one touchdown.
Leavitt isn't the only major injury that Arizona State and its offense has to contend with. Star wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who is widely regarded as a first-round prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, is doubtful for Arizona State's Big 12 Championship Game rematch Saturday against Iowa State.
That means Sims will likely lean heavily on wide receiver Malik McClain, who had his best game of the year with seven catches for 159 yards against Houston. Tight end Chamon Metayer is also available after he caught Sims' touchdown pass last week.
