ASU redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt was in the transfer portal less than a year ago but is now the highest PFF-graded freshman in college football.
Leavitt tallied just 206 yards and two passing touchdowns in four games with Michigan State in 2023. This season, he's accounted for 2,509 yards and 22 touchdowns. ASU football is 9-2 this season and 9-1 in games Leavitt started.
Leavitt's numbers hold up to college football's best freshmen including Nebraska's Dylan Raiola and Florida's DJ Lagway.
Raiola, the top quarterback recruit in the country, has led Nebraska to its first AP Poll ranking since 2019 during weeks 3 and 4 this season. Lagway, another five-star recruit, has earned praise from an NFL draft analyst as a future No. 1 overall pick.
However, neither Raiola nor Lagway have outperformed Leavitt statistically. The Sun Devil has more total yards, touchdowns and wins than Raiola or Lagway.
Leavitt's 87.6 PFF grade ranks higher than some of the biggest freshman names in college football like Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith and Koi Perich.
What Leavitt has done well
Leavitt has done a remarkable job mitigating mistakes. He has three turnover-worthy plays and a 13.1% pressure-to-sack rate, far below the desired 20% rate.
Leavitt's elite rushing ability sets him apart with the best rushing-success rate in the country, according to Game on Paper. He has also succeeded at throwing over the middle with 408 yards and four touchdowns with a 90.0 PFF grade on intermediate throws over the middle.
READ MORE: By the numbers: A statistical analysis of Sam Leavitt this season
The Sun Devil starter is even effective from play action with an 82.5 play-action pass grade, which is his highest among all passing concepts. Leavitt has also made strides with improving his deep ball this season.
"Sam has unbelievable poise," said head coach Kenny Dillingham. "The dude's mindset is a professional mindset. He prepares every week like a pro. He shows up every day, and he's getting better and better and better and better."
Why has Leavitt succeeded?
A great environment is a huge reason for Leavitt's success this season. It is often said a quarterback is only as good as the talent around him, and Leavitt is no exception. ASU has a completely revamped offense this season.
The Sun Devil offensive line which struggled in pass protection is now one of two teams in the country with two offensive linemen who have top-15 pass blocking grades.
The ASU offense also has a reliable receiving target with redshirt sophomore receiver Jordyn Tyson, who has more yards than all other Power Four receivers since week seven.
"(Tyson) just has a great feel for the game, and we constantly work on it," Leavitt said. "We talk about almost every single rep. So when you get in the game, and you see a look, he knows exactly what I want."
Leavitt can also rely on a great running game for backup as senior running back Cam Skattebo has racked up 1,221 rushing yards this season.
"You're building your pass game around the ability of your run game in this offense," said ASU offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo. "The play-action stuff has been going, and you got a rookie quarterback at third down and a lot of different presentations at defense."
It is debatable whether or not Leavitt is the best freshman in college football. But one thing is for sure: Leavitt's skill level and leadership are rare for a freshman.
"Sam's going to play on Sundays," Dillingham said. "There's zero doubt in my mind, Sam's an NFL player. The sky is his limit, and I think he's going to be the face of Sun Devil football."
Edited by Jack Barron, Abigail Beck and Alexis Heichman.
Reach the reporter at jwkartso@asu.edu and follow @kartsonis3 on X.
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Jack is a sophomore studying sports journalism. This is his second semester with The State Press. He has also worked at other student journalism organizations.
