Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State Sun Devils are finally on the brink of seeing some bright stars return to the field ahead of their crucial clash with Iowa State. After a rough patch riddled with injuries, the team is welcoming back several key players. Quarterback Sam Leavitt hurt his foot in the recent loss to Houston, forcing him to miss more time. Jeff Sims has taken over as the starter and is working hard to find his rhythm in the system. So there is good news for ASU fans.

Backup QB Cam Dyer will soon get medical clearance, so Sims won’t have to run the offense alone for much longer. Chris Karpman posted on X, “Freshman Cam Dyer has been medically cleared and will be the backup to Jeff Sims on Saturday, Kenny Dillingham said.” He further added, “Dyer was the top-ranked offense recruit in New Mexico’s 2025 class. He suffered a torn ACL in the state championship game.”ASU expected 6-foot-4, 200-pound dual-threat quarterback Cam Dyer to be a lethal weapon in its 2025 class. Dyer suffered a right knee injury during La Cueva’s state semifinal win over Las Cruces last November.

But still, he played through the pain and even suited up the very next week for the state championship. However, he was visibly hindered. The 19-year-old legit turned into a pocket passer and struggled on the field with just 6 completions on 27 tries, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He even rushed, but only nine times for 36 yards. Sadly, his team lost that championship game 26-8. Following the injury, Dyer underwent knee surgery and shared a photo on social media showing his recovery setup.

This was a huge loss for the Sun Devils because Dyer is a three-sport athlete. Excelling in basketball and track, and field. His stats? Absolutely jaw-dropping with 3,842 total yards and 51 touchdowns during his senior season. But now, the team has officially removed Dyer from the injury report. The medical staff had already cleared him before the Houston game, but the coaches kept him on standby because Sam Leavitt took the field.

Dyer getting in the mix poses as a huge help for Jeff Sims. He single-handedly steered the Arizona State offense in the absence of Leavitt. Sims has started 26 career games for Georgia Tech, Nebraska, and now ASU, proving himself as a battle-tested quarterback. The way he runs the ball: 13 touchdowns on 1,478 career rushing yards perfectly explains his dual-threat potential. So, Kenny Dillingham even called Sims an NFL-caliber talent. However, the injury scares are still a thing.

The injury curse at Tempe is a no-nonsense factor

With Cam Dyer returning to the roster and being a backup behind Jeff Sims doesn’t really erase all of the Sun Devils’ injury woes. Sam Leavitt won’t be leading the Arizona State offense against Iowa State in Week 10. Yeah, that’s right. Kenny Dillingham confirmed after Tuesday’s practice that Leavitt is out for the road trip to Ames due to an injury that’s been nagging him pretty much the whole year. Leavitt’s injury first flared up during the final two drives of the tough loss to Houston.

The coaching and medical staff are now weighing the opportunity costs: is it worth risking their star QB for regular-season games without a guaranteed Big 12 title game fallout? But wait, the somber parade doesn’t end there. ASU’s most important weapon, Jordan Tyson, suffered a hamstring injury during the thrilling 26-22 win over No. 14 Texas Tech. He came back onto the field to snag a crucial 33-yard pass on a fourth down late in the game, setting up a touchdown that sealed the win.

But that was it. Dillingham admitted the team is doing everything to protect Tyson from pushing himself too hard and making the injury worse. He was out in the Houston game, and as per recent updates. “Jordyn Tyson is questionable for Iowa State,” Chris Karpman writes on X. “Kenny Dillingham said. ASU will evaluate him on Thursday or Friday and make a determination.” Tyson is leading the Big 12 with 57 catches and ranking third nationally in receptions. He’s tied for second in the FBS with eight touchdown grabs and has piled up 628 receiving yards. All this makes him a really lethal weapon that could be missing for the Sun Devils.