Ranking Arizona State Starting Quarterbacks Since 2016

5. Trenton Bourguet

Bourguet played some truly inspired football during the 2022 season, including 435, 349, and 376 yard showings after taking over as the starter from Jones.

Bourguet's 2023 season didn't go according to plan, but much of that was due to an injury that he suffered early on in the season that resulted in a severe lack of mobility for much of the season.

The Arizona native has to be commended for the grit, loyalty, and performances that he gave the program as a player.

4. Jeff Sims

Sims transferred to Arizona State during the spring transfer portal window in 2024, spending the last two seasons with the Sun Devils.

While his total stats of 1,423 passing yards and 637 rushing yards aren't gaudy, the Jacksonville native truly put it all on the line as the full-time starting player over the last two months of the season, putting the Sun Devils in a position to compete for a spot in the Big 12 title game in the very last week of the regular season.

Sims' parting gift was 375 passing yards in the Sun Bowl loss to Duke, which has revived optimism that the Arizona State offense is still in a position to be great moving forward.

3. Jayden Daniels

The major "what-if" of the list.

There's little denying that Daniels is likely the most talented player to ever suit up for the Sun Devils at quarterback, and it appeared as if Herm Edwards had found a foundational player during the 2019 season.

In an unfortunate turn of events, Daniels' freshman year OC in Rob Likens was fired, which was followed by the COVID-19 season and a subpar hire in Zak Hill to replace Likens. The 2021 season was an unmitigated disaster on the offensive side of the ball despite an incredible season from Rachaad White - with the unraveling of the Edwards era resulting in Daniels transferring to LSU.

There's little doubt that Daniels would have went into the NFL as a Sun Devil if things were managed better during the 2020 and 21 seasons.

2. Manny Wilkins

Wilkins was a three-year starter for the Sun Devils from 2016-18. He wasn't the fastest, didn't have the biggest arm, and certainly wasn't a ceiling raiser in the traditional sense.

However, Wilkins did provide incredible leadership during uncertain times, was a productive player on a reliable basis, and set the foundation for Arizona State to succeed beyond 2018.

1. Sam Leavitt

Leavitt's exit from ASU to LSU (coincidentally tied in with Daniels) was surely messy and will leave many fans bitter, but he manned the fort of the historic 2024 Arizona State season that laid the foundation for Dillingham to build a Big 12 power.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.