Sam Leavitt injury update: Arizona State receives disappointing news on QB ahead of Iowa State game

The Arizona State Sun Devils just got some bad news ahead of their game against Iowa State. Star quarterback Sam Leavitt is expected to miss this weekend’s game, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

Leavitt was initially injured during last week’s loss to Houston. He suffered a foot injury after an injury in the game. It would be Jeff Sims, the veteran backup, who came for Leavitt, offering Arizona State some experience at that spot. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome a surging Houston program.

Initially, there had been some hope that Sam Leavitt wouldn’t miss time with the injury. However, he was forced to exit the game twice with issues that now appear to be too to overcome as of right now. First, he left after falling hard to the ground, but quickly returned. Later, however, he would be seen limping off the field. That time, he couldn’t get back out there for the Sun Devils. It’s that second injury that seems to have cost him.

“The first one was just kind of a scare, hopefully, based off what we saw,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said postgame. “The second one, we gotta look into it more before I really comment on it.”

Kenny Dillingham would add that this isn’t a new injury. Instead, it’s a re-tweak of the foot injury that kept him out of the Utah game on October 11th. However, he was back a week later to help the Sun Devils upset Texas Tech. Jeff Sims also filled in for Leavitt during the Utah game.

Sam Leavitt initially came to Arizona State as a transfer from Michigan State. He had previously been a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023. A native of Portland, Oregon, he was the 381st-ranked player and the 24th-ranked quarterback in his recruiting cycle. Since getting to Arizona State, he’s led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff.

This season, Leavitt has played in seven games and is completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns to three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 300 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Arizona State now sits at 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in Big 12 play, which makes them a long shot to repeat last season’s success, even if Leavitt were healthy. On top of that, this weekend’s game against Iowa State is a rematch of last season’s Big 12 Championship Game. However, similarly, at 2-3 in conference play, the Cyclones are also looking to finish the season strong.