Michigan State's Sam Leavitt runs for a first down against Nebraska during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Former Spartan QB Projected Big 12 Player of the Year

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 6:50 PM ET

After playing just four games in the Green and White in 2023, former Michigan State quarterback Sam Leavitt took the college football world by storm last year, leading the Arizona State Sun Devils to a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance.

He is slated to be the No. 1 offensive player in the conference this year.

Leavitt was named the Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, as announced by the conference earlier this week. After throwing for 2,885 yards on 61.7% completion with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, it is a no-brainer decision to assume he would be the top offensive player in the conference.

Preseason praise

Sam Leavitt named @Big12Conference preseason offensive player of the year ‼️#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/jVX6VVaeHp
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) July 7, 2025

The difference from Year 1 to Year 2 for Leavitt is mind-blowing. He was barely mixed into the lineup for head coach Mel Tucker and the 4-8 Spartans and in less than one year, put Arizona State back on the map of elite college programs.

The Spartans failed to unleash the talent of the 2022 Oregon Mr. Football winner, but head coach Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils did. It is a direct reflection of the Tucker era at MSU and how poorly it was managed.

Thank goodness the Spartans have moved on to bigger and better things, but I think all Spartan fans would be lying if they said they would not want Leavitt in shotgun in East Lansing this year and last. He is currently projected to be a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Arizona State won the Big 12 last year and is seeking to do the same with Leavitt at the helm in 2025. After back-to-back seasons of going 3-9, Leavitt led the Sun Devils to an 11-3 record. That type of talent deserves to be projected as the top offensive player in the conference, maybe the country.

It will always feel like a 'what if?' situation for the Spartans as they continue to watch their former quarterback flourish, but the position that the program is currently in could be much worse. Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles is a talented player and should surprise some people this year.

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