A Setback for the Sun Devils: Freshman QB Sam Leavitt Sidelined

Well, here we are, already hitting a snag before the season even truly begins for the Arizona State Sun Devils. It's news that's, quite frankly, a bit of a gut punch for fans eager to see new blood on the field: promising freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt has officially been ruled out for the highly anticipated season opener against Iowa State. A high ankle sprain, picked up during spring practice, is the culprit here, and honestly, the timing couldn't be worse.

You see, it wasn't a fresh, dramatic injury from a recent scrimmage, but rather a persistent issue that's lingered from those early training sessions. A high ankle sprain, for those who've ever dealt with one, is a notoriously tricky beast; it's not a quick fix, and recovery often stretches far longer than anyone would like. In Leavitt's case, the prognosis isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows for early fall: he's not expected back on the field, actually playing, until perhaps late September or even early October. That’s a significant chunk of the season gone, just like that.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham, speaking on the situation, expressed — and you could feel it — a natural sense of disappointment, yet also that familiar "next man up" mantra that coaches live by. He didn't shy away from admitting the challenge, stating quite plainly, "It’s hard when you don’t have one of your best players on the field." And, yeah, that’s just the truth of it. But then, almost immediately, the pivot: "But that’s why you have a team; that’s why you have depth." It’s the kind of gritty pragmatism you expect, really, from a coach building a program.

So, where does this leave the Sun Devils in their quarterback room? Well, it certainly narrows the field, at least for now. The competition, already fierce, now focuses squarely on the remaining contenders. We’re talking about Drew Pyne, the transfer from Notre Dame who brings some big-game experience; Trenton Bourguet, a returning player who's shown flashes of brilliance; and Jaden Rashada, another true freshman with heaps of potential who, for what it’s worth, also has a bit of an injury history himself from high school. It’s a fascinating dynamic, and frankly, a high-stakes one as the season approaches.

Leavitt, for his part, arrived in Tempe with quite a bit of fanfare. A four-star recruit from the 2023 class, he was initially headed to Washington State before flipping his commitment to ASU, a move that stirred up some excitement. His athleticism, his arm talent – there was genuine buzz around what he could bring to the offense, especially in Dillingham's system. And now, this. It’s a setback, no doubt, not just for Leavitt personally, but for the team’s early-season strategic depth, for sure.

Ultimately, the Sun Devils will have to forge ahead without one of their brightest young talents for a while. It’s a test, you might say, of that depth Dillingham mentioned. The starting job remains hotly contested among the healthy QBs, and how they navigate these opening games without Leavitt will truly set the tone for the entire season. It’s never easy, is it? But then, college football rarely is.