Sun Devil QB Sam Leavitt Won’t Face Utah, Sims Slated To Start

(Photo: Grace Monos/ WCSN)

Nearly a year ago, Arizona State football snapped Utah’s five-game post-bye win streak. In the second quarter, redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Leavitt sustained a blow to the ribs. Subsequently, he missed part of one offensive series and sat out the next entirely.

In Leavitt’s brief absence, ASU called on redshirt senior Jeff Sims to steady the offense. Fortunately for Sims, the offense had already driven deep into Utes territory, leaving only nine yards to go. After former Sun Devil running back Cam Skattebo brought ASU to the 2-yard line, Sims walked in for a touchdown.

The next possession gave Sims a chance to lead a full drive, but it proved uninspiring — the offense gained just 19 yards on five plays. Leavitt returned in the second half, but the injury prompted the Sun Devils to adjust offensively at halftime. For Saturday’s game against Utah (4-1, 1-1 Big 12), No. 21 ASU (4-1, 2-0) has made an even greater adjustment before kickoff— ruling Leavitt out for the entire game due to injury.

“Sam’s been battling something going back to Baylor. He’s been fighting, fought through the TCU game,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “This is nothing new, this is something that’s been going on.”

The Sun Devils will again lean on Sims to bring stability as they take on the Utes — this time, for all four quarters. Dating back to 2024, ASU has one full-game look at Sims — a 24-14 loss to Cincinnati, when Leavitt was sidelined with the same rib injury sustained eight days earlier.

Sims will face a Utah defense that allows 14.6 points per game — third fewest in the Big 12. Just like last season, the Utes are coming off a bye week before playing the Sun Devils. Despite the challenge, Dillingham doesn’t plan on making tweaks to the original game plan — a reflection of his faith in Sims.

“The game plan is not changing, we got a lot of confidence in Jeff,” Dillingham said. “This is his opportunity and I’m excited for him.”

The severity of Leavitt’s injury remains unknown. Still, even after last week’s bye, his status declined steadily — from probable on Wednesday to doubtful Thursday and ultimately, ruled out Friday.

Throughout the past week, Leavitt pushed to play through injury against Utah — similarly to last year’s game. Ultimately, Dillingham and ASU chose to prioritize long-term health over a short-term return.

“Sam has been working his butt as hard as he can to get better and be able to play in the game,” Dillingham said. “But at the end of the day, we got to protect people from people.”