Sep 13, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) warms-up before a game against Texas State Bobcats at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Sam Leavitt Cementing Status as a Legit Draft Prospect

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 9:00 AM ET

TEMPE -- Sam Leavitt seems to be at the center of discussion whenever the Arizona State program is circulating across the nation.

Leavitt's breakout 2024 season set him up to potentially be one of the only Arizona State players to ever be invited as a finalist to the Heisman Trophy ceremony, along with potentially being a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

An uneven start to 2025 season has dampened the general view on him, although not everyone is convinced that the start should determine his draft stock.

ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel broke the report that NFL scouts were polled to give their opinion as to who is the best quarterback that is eligible for the 2026 draft at the moment - Leavitt was represented in said poll.

Chris Jones-Imagn Images

More from Thamel:

"ESPN polled 25 NFL scouts and executives to see who they projected as the top quarterback for the upcoming draft. The responses were varied, as seven different quarterbacks came back as the answer for QB1 among the 25 different responses.

South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers came back as the top vote-getter with 8, edging LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (7). The next crop, in order, are Miami's Carson Beck (3), Oklahoma's John Mateer (3), Penn State's Drew Allar (2), Arizona State's Sam Leavitt (1) and Texas' Arch Manning (1)."

Leavitt quite arguably holds as high a ceiling as any of the names mentioned above - his arm strength, natural athleticism, and leadership all blend exceptionally well consistently.

Leavitt's relative youth (21 in December) also theoretically presents more time for the redshirt sophomore to come into his own compared to some of the older prospects.

Detractors will claim that the former Michigan State player resorts to 'hero ball' mode too often, displays shoddy footwork at times, and processes the field slower than one would like - even if those points hold any truth to them, those are clearly weaknesses that can be worked on at the next level.

Leavitt continues to pursue a second consecutive Big 12 title for Arizona State in the present moment ahead of a potential NFL draft decision.

Read more on major takeaways from players discussing the victory over Texas State in the post-game press conference here, and on how Arizona State fans should be feeling about the team heading into Big 12 play here.

This article first appeared on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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