ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham on freshman QB Sam Leavitt’s growth
ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham says growth of Sam Leavitt included how the freshman quarterback learned when to run.
NFL draft analyst Todd McShay believes Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt has a bright future.McShay graded Leavitt highly on his quarterback rating scale, comparing him to J.J. McCarthy and Brock Purdy.Leavitt’s performance in the 2025 season will be crucial for his draft stock.
Longtime NFL draft analyst Todd McShay is a big believer in Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt. So much so that McShay devoted an entire episode of his podcast, The McShay Show, to the Sun Devils’ signal caller.
McShay, who used to be part of ESPN’s lead draft coverage and now works for The Ringer, went in-depth on Leavitt with his co-host, Steve Muench, for a 37-minute episode.
“Luck is when opportunity meets preparation, and that’s what happened for Leavitt last year,” McShay said at the opening of his June 19 podcast.
Since transferring after a single season at Michigan State, Leavitt has dramatically altered the way scouts view him.
‘This Leavitt guy is talented’
After going over Leavitt’s season accolades, which included going 11-2 while winning the Big 12 title en route to a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, McShay broke down his grading system for quarterbacks. There are four parts: mental makeup, accuracy, release and arm strength and pocket mobility.
The system is on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the best. The lower the score, the better. Here is where McShay graded Leavitt:
Mental makeup – 2Accuracy – 2.5Release and arm strength – 1.5Pocket mobility – 2
NFL comparison?
McShay’s co-host, Muench, who has been working as a draft analyst since 2001, said his NFL comparison for Leavitt is J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy led Michigan to the 2024 national title before being drafted No. 10 by the Minnesota Vikings.
“The thing that jumps out to me is their intermediate passes, the 10-19 yard passes. Both of these quarterbacks are really good in that area,” Muench said. “Say whatever you want about Cam Skattebo, there’s a lot of great stuff to say what he did for that team, and you can say whatever you want about (running back) Blake Corum for Michigan two years ago, when these guys need to make plays for their team, they step up and make plays. They will get hit in the mouth, cut in half, they will make a throw when they need to.”
This is a comparison that McShay eventually came around to and agreed with in his written scouting report.
McShay believes that Leavitt can sling it better than McCarthy.
“I actually think he has a little bit of a stronger arm,” said McShay.
McShay also referred to Leavitt as a “more athletic Brock Purdy” — a player those in the Valley know well as the Gilbert Perry alum went from Mr. Irrelevant to helping lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl.
“I think he would be awesome in the (Kyle) Shanahan tree,” McShay said. “Kevin O’Connor, whether it’s a Mike McDaniel. But he has a bigger arm than Purdy. He’s more mobile than Purdy.”
Just starting out
Last season was the first full year for Leavitt as the starter. The progression was undeniable on the field, considering how Leavitt looked in the game against Wyoming in August and then in facing Texas in the Peach Bowl in January.
And, as McShay pointed out earlier in the episode, Leavitt came and took the starting job as a 19-year-old. This is why McShay is so high on Leavitt.
“I think we’re seeing just the beginning of this guy,” McShay said. “I think his future is really, really bright. Tough, competitive. You know what I like about him? I just think he’s a natural athlete. He’s kind of that basketball-athletic.”
McShay is spot on with the basketball analogy — an offseason video showed Leavitt looking smooth on the court during a pickup game (don’t worry, it was done at the house of coach Kenny Dillingham).
Closing thoughts
To end the episode after detailing some specific plays from Leavitt’s season that he liked, McShay summarized where he stands on Leavitt headed into the 2025 season.
“The talent is there,” McShay said. “There’s enough good athleticism, pocket mobility there. Sometimes the eyes are dropping. If the first thing isn’t there, it’s like, ‘Let’s run.’ There’s a little bit of that quarterback immaturity. Now it’s about taking that next step this year. Now he’s gotta do it without Skattebo. This is a big year for him. I’m excited. It’s his team now. I freaking love this dude. I think he’s got a chance to really elevate. I think Leavitt is going to be a starting NFL quarterback and could be a pretty good one.”
While it’s very early on in the process for next year’s NFL draft, all signs point toward McShay having Leavitt projected as a first-round pick.
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.