Big 12 availability report: Sam Leavitt listed as probable for ASU’s matchup against Texas Tech

Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt has been listed as probable on all three Big 12 availability reports this week.

Leavitt, who has been dealing with a right foot injury, continues to be on track to play against Texas Tech on Saturday after missing last week’s game against Utah.

Leavitt took all of the first-team reps during Tuesday’s practice and was back Wednesday with more mobility on display than the week before.

“There’s still two more days, but I feel really good about Sam and where he’s at,” coach Kenny Dillingham said Wednesday after Leavitt had gone through a few days of practice.

Leavitt was listed as probable last Wednesday before eventually being ruled out.

If Leavitt doesn’t play, Jeff Sims would be lined up to make his second straight start. Sims was 18-of-38 for 124 passing yards with 52 rushing yards on 21 carries at Utah, a 42-10 loss last weekend.

On the other side, Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton remains questionable with an ankle injury after coach Joey McGuire said Monday he was considered day-to-day. It’s to his right leg, which also cost him the end of a game against Utah on Sept. 20.

Morton’s backup, redshirt freshman Will Hammond, has 57 pass attempts across six games and is expected to get the start.

Hammond’s best performance came at Utah when Morton exited with two separate injuries. He threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns (81.3% completion rate) with 61 rushing yards on eight carries.

Two members of the Red Raiders’ stellar defensive line, DL Skyler Gill-Howard and OLB Romello Height, landed on the availability report as out and probable, respectively.

Sam Leavitt injury timeline

Dillingham told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta before Leavitt was ruled out for the Utah game he had been “battling through” the injury since the Baylor game on Sept. 20.

He played one of his best games as a college quarterback the next week against TCU, and he got the following week worth of reps off during the bye. While he practiced the Tuesday and Wednesday before the Utah game, it was largely stationary work.

Leavitt was listed as probable that Wednesday night in the first Big 12 availability report of the week, but he was downgraded to doubtful on Thursday night. He was ruled out the following afternoon.

He traveled with the team to Salt Lake City, wearing a boot over his right foot.

Kyson Brown’s injury now long term, other Arizona State updates

Running back Kyson Brown will be out “for the foreseeable future, probably all the way through the (Nov. 8) bye,” Dillingham said.

Brown has had 11 touches since returning from an ankle injury he initially suffered in the first half at Mississippi State in Week 2. He did not play at Utah, after which Dillingham revealed he had tweaked the ankle and the team didn’t want to risk further injury in the rain.

With Kanye Udoh also not practicing due to illness, who was listed as probable, freshman Demarius “Man Man” Robinson took many of the first-team running back reps on Wednesday.

“I have 100% trust in Man Man,” Dillingham said. “That dude just cares. … You guys see it, work level’s high. I can sleep at night knowing Man Man’s gonna play.”

Punter Kanyon Floyd and defensive lineman Ian Shewell were listed as doubtful. There were 13 players listed as out, including Brown.

ASU was also managing the health of center Wade Helton remains probable in the first week of practices without Ben Coleman on the line, so Makua Pule got most of the first-team reps on Wednesday. Helton remains probable for Saturday.

Pule has mainly gotten on the field as a fullback in jumbo packages, with 19 such snaps last year and one this season against Baylor. He has 17 career in-game snaps at center, with most coming at the end of the Big 12 title game.

“Whenever he jumps in, there’s not a whole lot of stuff in him like, ‘Hey, I don’t even recognize what’s going on,'” offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said of Pule’s practice. “I think it’s just the reality of a guy who just maybe has less reps and you may pay closer attention.”

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