Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State quarterback room for the 2026 season is undergoing a significant transition following Sam Leavitt’s departure for LSU. The Sun Devils’ signal-callers are now deep into spring practice, where a high-stakes competition is underway to determine the next starter in Tempe.
The Sun Devils are evaluating multiple options for their starting role, including transfers Cutter Boley and Mikey Keene, redshirt freshman Cam Dyer, and true freshman Jake Fette. While a definitive QB1 has yet to be named, Dillingham has praised the progress and professionalism of his entire quarterback room during spring drills.
Kenny Dillingham Praises ASU Quarterbacks for Progress Amid Spring Competition
“All those QBs have a great work ethic,” Dillingham said on Saturday. “I think we got a really good room. I think that room’s gotten better and better and better as the camp progresses. I think that even today out there, we’re in a scrimmage, and we didn’t have one interception throw. To me, we had a pick, but collision, ball at somebody’s hand, ball in the air. We didn’t throw the ball to the other team. That’s what I call an interception throw.
“So we didn’t throw the ball to the defense. And anytime you don’t throw the ball to the defense, you got a really good chance to win if the running backs and the skill guys don’t fumble. We’re really 90-something percent of the way there to having a zero-turnover, 85-, 90-play scrimmage. And that’s gonna lead to a lot of victories, just that alone, if you don’t get penalties and you don’t turn the ball over. So I think that growth you’ve seen throughout camp, but also their understanding of just how the game flow is gonna go.”
Boley enters 2026 as the projected starter for the Sun Devils, but Dillingham has made it clear that no formal pecking order exists. Boley is coming off a 2025 campaign at Kentucky in which he threw for 2,160 yards with a 65.8% completion rate and 15 touchdowns while adding 85 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
Boley also had 12 interceptions last season, but Dillingham mentioned the improvement in practice, suggesting that the turnover issues may be less of a concern at ASU. Boley earned a 76.1 score in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric last season. Even with Boley’s physical tools giving him a potential edge for the Sept. 5 opener against Morgan State, Keene’s presence ensures no room for complacency.
Keene, a Chandler native who spent last season at Michigan, brings significant experience to the room. He previously led the Mountain West Conference in completion percentage during his time at Fresno State and has amassed 8,245 career passing yards, proving he remains a serious challenger for the starting spot.
