A disappointing season for the Arizona State Sun Devils is only getting worse with news that star quarterback Sam Leavitt already has one foot out the door. Leavitt, heralded during the offseason as one of the best returning quarterbacks in all of college football, has struggled to meet expectations since the departure of Thor's hammer in the backfield, Cam Skattebo.
Kenny Dillingham's team was one play away from advancing to the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff last season, when a fourth-and-long in overtime turned into a Texas touchdown. This season, as the highest-ranked Big 12 representative in the preseason AP Poll, the Sun Devils have failed to meet their self-imposed sky-high expectations.
A non-conference loss to SEC bottom-feeder Mississippi State began the spiral, with a crushing loss to Utah and a humiliating slip against Houston hampering ASU's chances a second consecutive Big 12 championship game appearance. Few look at this year's team as the giant-slayers who toppled Texas Tech -- Arizona State is a team clinging to life in the greater picture of the conference they once ruled.
Pouring vinegar into the wound, On3's Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nackos report that the face of the program, quarterback Sam Leavitt, is actively shopping his abilities in the transfer portal "at a high level", suggesting the gunslinger's days roaming the desert in Tempe, Arizona, may be numbered.
Possible transfer portal landing spots for Sam Leavitt
Leavitt's family ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would lead one to assume the red-hot BYU athletic department would take the first swing at the QB, but with true freshman Bear Bachmeier flourishing in the role and 5-star Ryder Lyons in the pipeline, the starting role in Provo may be locked up for the time being. Public beef from his brother, former Cougar DB Dallin, may likewise dissuade Leavitt from considering BYU altogether.
Similar inklings that Utah could eye Leavitt in the offseason are unlikely, as the program remains very high on Devon Dampier and true freshman backup Byrd Ficklin, though if the Utes are unable to retain both talented signal callers, a window could open for Leavitt to spend his final two seasons of eligibility in Salt Lake City.
Other potential landing spots could include Penn State, a prestigious program that, while lacking a head coach, will be without quarterback Drew Allar next season. In similar vein, James Franklin's new home with Virginia Tech could look for a talented arm to start the new era of the program in the right direction.
Leavitt, an Oregon native, could likewise eye his home state as a possibility as the Ducks' standout quarterback Dante Moore is likely set to jump to the NFL at the conclusion of this season.