Tragic news struck the Arizona State locker room when it was revealed that quarterback Sam Leavitt would be undergoing season-ending surgery. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore had his eyes on the NFL after his second season with the Sun Devils, but that dream has now been put on hold.
After Leavitt left the team’s game against Houston on October 25, ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham announced that the team would be without its starting quarterback for the rest of the year.
What Does Sam Leavitt’s Injury Mean for His NFL Future?
Initially, the Sun Devils were optimistic that Leavitt’s removal from the game was just precautionary. In the end, however, lingering issues required a procedure that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. Now, Leavitt will, in all likelihood, return to ASU, as his NFL hopes will have to wait another year.
For those discussing Sam Leavitt potentially going to the NFL draft, there’s still so much to consider, but it wouldn’t make any sense to leave to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick.
Sam Leavitt would make more as a college QB than a rookie 2nd round pick.
— Anthony Totri (@Anthony_Totri) October 31, 2025
As Arizona State beat writer Anthony Totri wrote, the financial incentive to turn pro may not have been there anyway. “For those discussing Sam Leavitt potentially going to the NFL draft, there’s still so much to consider, but it wouldn’t make any sense to leave to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick,” Totri noted. “Sam Leavitt would make more as a college QB than a rookie 2nd round pick.”
With the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness deals, college athletes are increasingly encouraged to stay with their respective teams. These NIL deals can provide more money for athletes than they would make as a Day 3 pick in the NFL, so it makes little sense for Leavitt to make the jump, especially coming off an injury. While he has not been injury-prone throughout his career, an NFL team would likely only draft him as a backup at this point.
The 5-3 Sun Devils, who fell to 3-2 in conference play, were surprisingly defeated by Houston, 24-16. The loss came just one week after a thrilling 26-22 upset over No. 7 Texas Tech. Leavitt’s absence was a major factor in the defeat, and it presents a challenge the team will need to navigate moving forward. In his place, backup quarterback Jeff Sims entered the game and went 6-for-11 for 58 yards with a touchdown.
Breaking: Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt will miss the remainder of the season with an injury, coach Kenny Dillingham confirmed to @PeteThamel. He’s set to have surgery.
Get breaking news alerts from Pete Thamel through the ESPN App 🔗 https://t.co/huu2E9vdNL pic.twitter.com/RQsUseZNFa
— ESPN (@espn) October 31, 2025
Sims, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior from Jacksonville, Florida, will now have the chance to start the team’s remaining four games. ASU is at home for two of those contests, but they will be on the road against Iowa State and Colorado. Sims will lead the team at home against West Virginia and Arizona.
The sixth-year senior began his career at Georgia Tech, where he played from 2020-2022. He then transferred to Nebraska for just one season before joining the Sun Devils in 2024. He has already thrown nearly double the number of passes he did a year ago, but he has not attempted more than 100 passes in a season since 2022.
