Sam Leavitt Disrespected Heading into Week 4 Matchup

TEMPE -- Sam Leavitt has rapidly risen from relative unknown to one of the biggest stars in all of college football since becoming the starting quarterback at Arizona State last season.

Leavitt entered the season with incredibly high hopes - from being placed in the Heisman Trophy conversation, to even being lobbied as a potential first-round pick in next April's NFL Draft.

The redshirt sophomore has experienced a start full of ups and downs - some even go as far as to label the first three games as a disappointment altogether.

Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports listed Leavitt as one of the 12 biggest disappointments in the nation going into week four of the season.

The rationale below:

• "Leavitt was expected to build on his breakout 2024 season, but so far, he has struggled to find that same spark. He is completing 58% of his passes for an average of 176 yards per game, with five touchdowns and three poor interceptions.

• He has consistently targeted Jordyn Tyson and used his legs effectively, rushing for 157 yards and three scores. But the Sun Devils' schedule toughens significantly, and Leavitt needs to rediscover his 2024 form quickly to keep Arizona State in the Big 12 title picture."

Leavitt is joined by fellow quarterbacks Arch Manning, DJ Lagway, Cade Klubnik, LaNorris Sellers, Nico Iamaleava, Gio Lopez, and Mark Gronowski.

The 20-year-old raised eyebrows nationally with a 10-for-22 passing performance against Mississippi State that also featured two ill-advised interceptions. That loss undeniably negatively impacted how he is viewed currently, but he bounced back massively with an efficient performance against Texas State.

Now, the challenge is to outpace some of the other best quarterbacks in the conference in the weeks to come - Leavitt is set to go toe-to-toe with Sawyer Robertson, Josh Hoover, Devon Dampier, Behren Morton, Conner Weigman, and Rocco Becht over the next six games.

The next two months will make or break whether Leavitt lives up to the billing as a potential legend program in Tempe.