Arizona State boasts two NFL-ready quarterbacks, says Dillingham
Aug 5, 2024, 6:00 PM | Updated: Sep 3, 2024, 12:06 pm
Sam Leavitt #4 of the Michigan State Spartans runs the ball up the field in the fourth quarter of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Spartan Stadium on November 04, 2023 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Arizona State doesn’t have a starting quarterback named. Sun Devil fans likely have little understanding of what potential starters Sam Leavitt and Jeff Sims will bring to the table when one of them wins the job.
Head coach Kenny Dillingham is not about setting low expectations despite Leavitt’s college inexperience or Sims’ topsy turvy background at two schools.
“I think both those kids can play on Sundays, I firmly believe that,” Dillingham told reporters on Monday, according to Sun Devil Source. “The last two guys I’ve coached at my last two schools (Oregon’s Bo Nix and Florida State’s Jordan Travis) are playing Sundays. I think both of the two new guys have Sunday ability and I actually think they’ll both have a chance to play on Sunday.
“We have NFL-caliber quarterbacks on this roster. We have more than one right now.”
"We have NFL caliber quarterbacks on this roster and we have more than one right now."
Kenny Dillingham on Jeff Sims and Sam Leavitt:@SunDevilSource pic.twitter.com/6APsGIAatU
— Gabriella Chernoff (@gabbyjchernoff) August 5, 2024
That is a big comment considering Leavitt and Sims remain in a quarterback battle.
“You saw Jeff go with the 1s today, Sam went with the 2s,” Dillingham told reporters Monday, noting a switch from the start of camp. “Sam probably had his best practice. I love that. Little adversity, what happens? ‘I’m going to have the best day. Go ahead, try to put me with the 2s ’cause Jeff had a good day the day before. I’m going to have my best day.'”
Leavitt received limited action to start his freshman season with Michigan State last year, losing the starting job to Noah Kim and then opting to shut himself down to maintain redshirt status as Katin Houser took over for the rest of the Spartans’ season.
As a changeup option for MSU, Leavitt completed 15 of 23 passes for two touchdowns and two picks while carrying the ball 13 times for 67 yards.
Sims has played parts of four years, three with a run-heavy Georgia Tech scheme from 2020-22 before transferring to Nebraska for 2023.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback threw for 4,464 yards, 30 touchdowns and 23 interceptions with Georgia Tech and rushed for a total of 1,152 yards and 11 scores more. But with the Cornhuskers, he threw six picks and lost four fumbles in just five appearances.
