Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham has to go to work on finding a new quarterback to lead the Sun Devils. Sam Leavitt missed some time this season with a foot injury, which forced him to the sidelines.
Leavitt played an integral role in leading Arizona State to a Big 12 Championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff, where it lost to the Texas Longhorns. But Leavitt now wants to get to greener pastures for next season.
Dillingham, who has just signed a long-term deal to remain as Sun Devils head coach, has to start reviewing some tapes of available quarterbacks. There’s one out there right now who might find a new home in Tempe, Ariz.
Which QB Might Be In Kenny Dillingham’s Sights?
For Dillingham, one name that he’s going to zero in on is former UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea. He’s entering the transfer portal after this season with the Rebels. So, will Dillingham be able to pick him up?
Colandrea, according to the PFSN CFB QB Impact metrics, had an impact score of 86.7 and graded out to a B for the Mountain West Conference school.
What might pique Colandrea’s interest? Well, Dillingham does love his quarterbacks. He helped Leavitt reach new heights as the Arizona State signal-caller.
Even with Leavitt out, along with the Sun Devils’ top receiver, the team won eight games and had an offense grading out at just 75.9.
Colandrea started 13 games this season for the Rebels, throwing for 3,275 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He averaged 251.9 yards passing per game. Oh, defenses have to watch out for Colandrea carrying the ball at times, too.
He had 118 rushing attempts for 621 yards and nine rushing touchdowns. Imagine Colandrea bringing this type of dual-threat possibilities to Dillingham’s offense next season. It opens a whole bunch more opportunities when the Sun Devils are on offense.
Dillingham knows that this season simply wasn’t up to his own standards. Yet bringing Colandrea into the fold really can give the Sun Devils a boost when they have the ball.
Additionally, Dillingham likely saw Colandrea play either on TV or in game footage. He’s got a pretty good idea of what the former UNLV quarterback could bring to the Valley of the Sun.
Now, would Colandrea be open to playing at Arizona State? Maybe he’s looking for a big-name school beyond the Mountain West Conference to go and play for next season. Dillingham, though, should not be discounted if he goes for Colandrea. He’s got a lot of positives to share with Colandrea, making it a tough decision for the quarterback.
