Former Michigan State football QB Sam Leavitt wins starting job

After battling all offseason for a starting job, former Michigan State football quarterback Sam Leavitt is ready to lead ASU.

When the 2023 season concluded, Michigan State football fans felt good about Jonathan Smith taking over the program and guys like Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt returning to lead the quarterback room.

Both Leavitt and Houser showed flashes of being solid FBS quarterbacks but neither was truly ready for a full-time job in 2023.

After Smith met with the team, however, it seemed apparent that neither quarterback was going to stick around. Leavitt decided to transfer which was a little surprising but it felt like he and Smith didn’t quite see eye-to-eye (maybe dating back to his days of recruitment as an Oregon-based prospect?). And Houser also decided to hit the portal.

Houser ended up at East Carolina and Leavitt was staying in the Power Four, picking Arizona State.

It looks like Leavitt bet on himself and won.

Sources: Sam Leavitt has been named the starting quarterback at Arizona State for the opener against Wyoming. He beat out transfer Jeff Sims (Georgia Tech/Nebraska), and both have been informed of the decision. pic.twitter.com/sfFzEMMFZJ

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 19, 2024

Per the Pete Thamel report, Leavitt beat out Nebraska transfer Jeff Sims for the starting job at Arizona State ahead of the 2024 season and while that was kind of expected, his emergence leading to the transfer of former five-star Jaden Rashada in the spring was shocking. While there were many factors leading to Rashada’s transfer, it probably didn’t help that Leavitt looked like the real deal.

Michigan State fans can’t be too surprised by this news because many believed that Leavitt was the best quarterback on the roster last season and that he should’ve gotten the nod over Houser and Noah Kim. That may not have changed much, but the offense would’ve been more fun.

Leavitt will open the season as Arizona State’s starting quarterback when the Sun Devils take the field against Wyoming and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him become one of the Big 12’s breakout stars. Leavitt has some serious star potential.

While he may not have worked out here, he’ll be a guy worth monitoring and rooting for.