Sam Leavitt: From Big 12 Champion to Heisman Contender?

With Big 12 baseball officially in the books, we can now fully focus our attention on football. While we are still over 60 days away from kickoff, it is never too early to start talking about football.

One of my favorite things growing up was getting every preseason college football magazine I could get my hands on. I could spend hours in my room reviewing all the teams and trying to determine who could win a national championship.

Just like with anything, times have changed. People don’t read magazines like they used to, and trying to put together a preseason college football magazine is tougher than ever, thanks to the transfer portal.

Although I no longer read magazines personally, I still buy two of them every year. That, of course, is Phil Steele’s and Athlon’s College Football Preview magazine. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of it all, but as long as I’m still alive, I’ll continue buying these magazines if they’re still around.

Sometimes the content you read can be a bit dull, but then you come across something that catches your attention, and one of the things that always has mine is the Heisman Trophy.

Ah, yes, the most prominent award in all of college football. From the history of the trophy to the past players who have won it, it truly is the most iconic individual award in all of sports. As great as the award is itself, I always find it fascinating to see who is favored to win it.

Phil Steele Lists Sam Leavitt

Sometimes the preseason favorites win it, but there always seems to be that one player who comes out of nowhere to find his way to New York City. According to Phil Steele, Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt could be that guy.

In his Top 10 list of favorites to win the Heisman, Steele has Leavitt ninth with 30/1 odds. Last season, Leavitt had a career year as a first-time starting quarterback. He helped lead the Sun Devils not only to a Big 12 title but also to a college football playoff berth.

Leavitt finished the 2024 season throwing for over 2,800 yards along with 24 touchdown passes on just six interceptions. And his QBR of 80.0 was top ten in the entire country last season. Plus, he also added 442 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

He was a player whom we saw grow up right before our very eyes. Once thought of as a question mark for the Sun Devils offense, it didn’t take very long for him to catch on. Leavitt went from a game manager to a playmaker.

As the weeks passed, he improved, and his confidence grew. I saw him in person on the road against Texas State, and I also saw him in Arlington for the Big 12 championship game. I can honestly say that he was a completely different player compared to the first time I saw him.

While he may not have lit up the stat sheet like Shedeur Sanders did last season, Sam was one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 in 2024. Coming into this year, one can argue that he is the best quarterback in the conference at this very moment.

It’s been over five years since the Big 12 has had a Heisman Trophy finalist. And whether it’s Sam Leavitt or someone else, that needs to change sooner rather than later. The Big 12’s credibility will partially rely on it.