Sam Leavitt had an increasingly strong performance at Saturday’s Camp Tontozona scrimmage, earning praise from Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham. The redshirt freshman quarterback’s first drive ended with a fumble, but he later led a successful drive culminating in a chip-shot field goal. His standout play was a back shoulder fade to junior tight end Chamon Metayer, who made a one-handed catch for a touchdown, thrilling the crowd as ASU’s offense celebrated. Leavitt also threw a 30-plus-yard touchdown pass to sophomore running back Kyson Brown on a wheel route.
Leavitt’s performance might increase his chances of starting ASU’s opener against Wyoming in three weeks. “It was a really good day for Sam,” Dillingham said. “Sam responded well after the fumble. (Senior quarterback) Jeff (Sims) had two interceptions. We can’t afford those mistakes—just like Sam’s fumble. They’re poor plays.”
Leavitt’s pocket awareness stood out, allowing him to extend plays and make smart decisions. He demonstrated this skill by stepping into the pocket and making a quick, decisive throw to evade a defender and secure a first down.
“I don’t think about the movement pre-snap,” Leavitt explained. “It’s more about reacting post-snap and understanding pressure and protection. Knowing my escape routes and where pressure is coming from makes a big difference.”
Pressure was a recurring issue for the Sun Devils, with Sims struggling to handle it. He was sacked four times and threw two interceptions, including one to junior linebacker Zyrus Fiaseu and another to sophomore safety Kamari Wilson, who redeemed himself with an interception after an earlier mistake. The absence of several offensive linemen contributed to Sims’ difficulties.
Dillingham noted that Sims’ second interception was a result of a boundary blitz that caused him to make a poor throw angle. “It’s a good teachable moment,” Dillingham said. “Sims needs to understand why drifting away on flat throws can lead to issues.”
Sims acknowledged his performance fell short of expectations, stating, “The performance overall from my group wasn’t up to par. We need to improve our route running, offensive line blocking, and overall feel for the game.”
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