Kenny Dillingham must thank all his stars for his last season’s turnaround. After a dismal 3-9 season in 2023 and a thin quarterback roster, Arizona State’s head coach took a leap of faith and turned to the transfer portal and found a gem. Enter Sam Leavitt, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback from Michigan State. Dillingham knew instantly Leavitt wasn’t just a temporary fix but the real deal. Leavitt didn’t just rescue the Sun Devils; he led them to a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff appearance. However, even with all that success, a few clouds still hang over his game.

We all saw Sam Leavitt’s potential last season with 2,885 yards, 24 TDs, and just 6 interceptions. But there are still some areas where he might need to focus. And Dalton Wasserman laid it out clearly on the PFF College Football Show. “This is another one where I look at his footwork within the pocket — still could get a little bit better — but man oh man does he have athletic talent and arm talent. And I think one of the things that impressed me the most sometimes it looks like he can be reckless and even invite pressure a little bit, using that athleticism and leaning on it a little too much. 1.1% turnover-worthy play — I believe there were only five or six turnover-worthy plays all season last year.” 

Well, Sam Leavitt’s pocket presence might get better, but his athleticism and arm talent are undeniable. “And again, playing on a team that never started before, playing on a team that was projected to finish last in the Big 12 — winning the Big 12, taking Texas down to the wire in the CFP quarterfinal — and now all of a sudden you head into this year with Arizona State expected to repeat as Big 12 champions. I mean, he’s the reason,” Wasserman said. And despite losing against Texas last year, Sam Leavitt and the team did give them a tough fight and lost with a close margin of 31-39.

Even Max Chadwick added words of praise for Kenny Dillingham’s emerging QB. “Sam Levit, man — he showed in that Texas game especially — he’s an electric quarterback. He makes some plays out of structure that are very, very special. I like him a lot. As of right now, he’s my number two quarterback in the country.” And why wouldn’t he? In his redshirt freshman year, Leavitt achieved an 89.1 overall grade, placing ninth nationally among quarterbacks. No other Power Four quarterback boasts passing and rushing grades above 80, a distinction held solely by him. And on top of that, Sam Leavitt’s turnover-worthy play rate sits at just 1.1%, placing him fourth in the country. Plus, as a runner, he scored 34 tackles, which makes him the 4th among Power 4 QBs.

Out of all, Kenny Dillingham has full faith in his QB. “His ability to get the ball out fast, to get the ball out in rhythm, and to throw the quick game is going to be a weapon for him,” Dillingham said. “Sam’s athletic, so the first thing you do to an athletic quarterback is you spy on him, or you bring twist games to recontain him. Well, if you bring spies, you can throw the ball vertically.” That’s surely the case. Remember his exceptional game against Iowa State? This guy completed 12 out of 17 passes with 3 TDs.

So, it’s clear why he is the first and only choice for Kenny Dillingham’s team success. And for having a smooth run, even Dillingham is trying to put out a perfect game plan with key pieces.

Kenny Dillingham’s triple move to secure Arizona’s future

Look, last season Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State shocked everyone after finishing their season with 7 rank in the country, their highest AP Top 25 ranking since 1996, when they were at no. 4. After finishing the season, Sam Leavitt received early Heisman hype, receiver Jordyn Tyson’s stock rose to become one of the best receivers in the country, and Cam Skattebo emerged as the best back in the country. So, now the plan is to stay on top. But with Skattebo moving to the NFL, things look tricky for the team.

But let’s not sleep on that, as Kenny Dillingham has a perfect army to back his QB, Sam Leavitt. And Dalton Wasserman made that pretty clear. “Now with Skattebo gone, and I know they got Kanye Udoh in from Army, they’ve got Kyson Brown in the backfield as well, but Levitt’s now the engine. Levitt’s the centerpiece. He’s the guy you’re going to be looking at on every single play to run this offense for Kenny Dillingham, for Marcus Arroyo.” That’s an explosive plan.

Well, we all know replacing Cam Skattebo isn’t that easy, but Kanye Udoh is sure an exceptional player with an impressive record last year. This guy rushed for 1,117 yards on 179 carries with 10 TDs last season. But with Udoh, there’s another RB, Kyson Brown, who’s got the skills to push teams future. Last season, Brown rushed for 351 yards with 73 carries and 2 TDs. But now it’s all on Sam Leavitt how he takes up the charge of the offense.

However, with Brown and Udoh, there’s another playmaker on Kenny Dillingham’s team who’s a real kill deal. “And look — it’s a quarterback-friendly offense — but Levit makes the big plays necessary that are really the X-factor, especially when Tyson emerged down the stretch. So if Jordan Tyson is healthy and recovered from that shoulder injury, and Levitt takes that next step in his development that he could — because he’s got the arm and the legs to be the centerpiece of this offense — this could be a really fun season for Arizona State and for Sam Levitt’s NFL prospects as well,” Wasserman said.

Now, Jordan Tyson is an explosive player who recorded 75 receptions for 1,101 yards with 10 TDs last season, but got out of the run for the remaining season after suffering an upper-body injury against Arizona. And we all know that his absence knocked the Sun Devils out of the championship run against Texas; even Max Chadwick believes the same. “Dude, if Jordan Tyson was healthy — I mean, they went to double overtime with Texas — they might have beaten Texas.” This guy was active for spring practice, and that’s sure a sign of relief.

And Tyson and Leavitt can be a dynamic duo this year, as Chadwick said, “Cam Skattebo is gone now, but you still have Jordan Tyson, one of the best receivers in the country. That pairing, I think, right there is the best quarterback-wide receiver pairing we have in college football right now.” So, for now, Kenny Dillingham’s focus is on keeping Tyson healthy for the entire season and working on some areas where Sam Leavitt is running thin. If he does that, who knows, this year they might finally end up in the playoff finals.