Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt Named No. 1 QB in 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By William Claye | Last updated Jan 27, 2025 5:07 PM ET

As we head into the 2025 college football offseason, the months of endless rankings descend upon us. For Arizona State Sun Devils star quarterback Sam Leavitt, that’s a good thing.

After a stellar 2024 campaign that saw Leavitt lead the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff, the redshirt sophomore is going into the new year considered one of the best players in the entire nation.

That is according to On3, at the very least. On Monday, On3 released their list of top 10 players in the nation from any position. It comes as no surprise that Ohio State Buckeyes WR Jeremiah Smith is at the top of the list. With his 15 touchdowns as a true freshman, Smith’s standing in the national hierarchy is hard to argue against.

After that, though, Leavitt made some waves by coming in at No. 2 on the list.

The play from the former Michigan State Spartan spoke for itself in 2024. After transferring to Tempe and joining second-year head coach Kenny Dillingham, Leavitt threw for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions. On top of that, Leavitt rushed for 443 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season.

NEW: On3 Impact Top 10 College Football Players next season

Do you agree? https://t.co/EdbGPofweg pic.twitter.com/lmZjLALUHD
— On3 (@On3sports) January 27, 2025

One of Leavitt’s best games came on a huge stage, where the redshirt freshman threw for 219 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Big 12 Championship Game against Iowa State, while adding 33 yards and a touchdown with his legs. Leavitt was solid in the quarterfinal playoff game against the Texas Longhorns, with 282 total yards, but no touchdowns and one interception contributed to the Sun Devils’ playoff exit.

Nobody is arguing that Leavitt isn’t a great player, but some may be surprised at how high he is on this list, especially considering some of the quarterbacks he was ranked ahead of. LSU Tigers QB Garrett Nussmeier is the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025, followed by Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning. When looking at the betting odds for the Heisman, you have to scroll all the way down to +3300 to find Leavitt, who is the 17th ranked player on the board.

Not according to On3, though. They have Leavitt as the No. 2 player in the nation, better than Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart, and Penn State’s Drew Allar.

It’s a bold ranking, but who are we to say that they’re wrong?

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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