ASU Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) scrambles away from Houston Cougars defensive lineman Eddie Walls III (90) at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Oct. 25, 2025. Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State Regular Season Grades: Quarterback

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Dec 1, 2025 9:00 AM ET

TEMPE -- Year two of the Big 12 era for the Arizona State Sun Devils did not go according to plan - as the team posted an 8-4 record in the regular season just a year after going 10-2.

A myriad of factors can be pointed to when looking for the "why" - including injuries, poor special teams play, and the inability to get off to fast starts offensively.

Ultimately, it was quite impressive that the Sun Devils were able to win eight games with all the roadblocks, with QB play being a facet of the squad that was imperfect, but generally productive.

Arizona State on SI grades the two quarterbacks that started games during the 2025 season below.

Sam Leavitt: B

Season Stats: 145-239, 1,628 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT, 73 carries, 306 yards, 5 TD

Leavitt didn't reach the heights he was expected to heading into the season. He remained an effective quarterback that tended to step up in key moments. Both can be true.

Although Leavitt didn't take the leap to Heisman Trophy contender that many expected him to, he still showed an improved ability to layer the ball - particularly on deep balls - while also continuing to perform as well as anyone else in the nation when it comes to improvising and creating plays with his legs.

There were still areas that Leavitt needed to be better in, including footwork in certain situations, a penchant to bail on the pocket in various parts of the game, among other aspects.

At the end of the day, Leavitt is one of the best quarterbacks in recent program history, and was the main reason why the Sun Devils came back to win their first two conference games, as well as securing a season-defining upset over the 11-1 Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Jeff Sims: C+

Season Stats: 78-150, 886 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT, 93 carries, 466 yards, 3 TD

Sims was not perfect in five starts this season. The Arizona State offense stalled in the final game of the regular season against Arizona.

Regardless, Sims sparked a rally in the contests against Iowa State, West Virginia, and Colorado that gave an Arizona State season that was considered on the brink of going to the wayside life.

The senior sacrificed much to be a backup in Tempe, showed up every single day as a professional, and put together a string of gutsy performances. This should absolutely be commended.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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.

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

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