The Sam Leavitt era at Arizona State might be over, and it could be spiraling disappointingly. According to a report from On3’s Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos, Leavitt’s camp is “actively shopping” the sophomore quarterback at a high level, and his return to Tempe in 2026 is looking doubtful.
That said, shortly after the report dropped, Leavitt’s brother, Dallin, shared a text sent to On3’s Pete Nakos calling him out for an inaccurate report.
Even though Hall wrote on his Instagram story saying, “On3’s a joke. Addressed this right before Pete released the news.” Still, if you’re an Arizona State fan, his texts don’t really deny the story. In his last text, Leavitt finished by saying, “He’s still deciding what to do,” and in an era of uncertainty, deciding isn’t worth much.
Leavitt, a former four-star out of Oregon who transferred in from Michigan State, was incredible during his first season in Tempe, leading his squad to the College Football Playoff and winning the Big 12 Championship. Entering the 2025 season, Leavitt was dubbed one of the best quarterbacks in the conference and was already generating serious NFL buzz. Since then, injuries have taken their toll, and Leavitt hasn’t quite been the player he was one year prior.
Whether it’s frustration with how the season played out or a business decision tied to NIL and exposure, Leavitt’s team appears to be looking elsewhere, when news like this hits, it usually means talks are already well underway behind the scenes.
For Dillingham and ASU, this creates a pretty big wrinkle in the offseason plans. Leavitt was the face of the program. His ceiling is still high, and for a program that’s trying to elevate to a national power in a crowded Big 12, losing your top quarterback sets you back more than a step or two. It means re-opening the portal search, re-evaluating your depth chart, and trying to hold onto offensive pieces who thought they’d be growing alongside Leavitt.
It also leaves a weird cloud hanging over what was supposed to be a turning point for the program. If ASU can’t keep its top quarterbacks after just one semi-poor season, what kind of message does that send to the next transfer looking to take a swing in Tempe?
There’s still a slim chance Leavitt returns, but based on how this is being reported, don’t count on it. If this is it for his time at Arizona State, it brings quite the unfortunate end to what might have been special.
