Jeff Sims, the sixth-year veteran QB of Arizona State, was thrown into action against Utah after Sam Leavitt was ruled out due to injury. Even though he was backing Leavitt, Sims has nothing but praise for his junior. In their Week 7 outing, we saw the QB1 cheering for his QB2 from the sidelines. When asked about him, Sims gave the ultimate compliment.

“Sam is a great quarterback,” he said to Fox10Phoenix’s Blake Niemann. Jeff Sims kicked off his collegiate career back in 2020 and has played across Nebraska and Georgia Tech, starting over 26 games. His honest wishes to the redshirt sophomore are as wholesome as they can be. “I mean, Sam can go all the way. He can go as far as he wants to go. The sky is the limit for him, and just being around a guy like that and competing against him every day is good.”

His praise for his fellow player has certainly earned him respect from the football fraternity. “Jeff Sims is a class character,” Niemann writes. “He could’ve left ASU after last season and started somewhere else.” Last season, in Tempe, he didn’t see much action. With just one starting appearance against Cincinnati, he passed for 168 yards, along with recording one TD against Utah.

He further continues. “Instead, he came back to Tempe because this is where he felt happiest and could continue to develop alongside Sam Leavitt. Over his CFB career, Jeff Sims has racked up 4,914 yards and 31 touchdowns, in addition to 1,464 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. But his resume also lists 29 interceptions and 27 fumbles with a QBR of 57.4%. With his turnover-riddled career, never surging past a 60% completion rate has been a challenge for him.

Against Utah, when he replaced Leavitt as the starter, he couldn’t reach the end zone, completing 18-of-38 passing attempts for 124 yards, and was sacked five times, resulting in a 10-42 loss. But his work ethic has won over the locker room. “Jeff Simms’ work ethic and how he’s added on to the quarterback room, just overall his ability since he’s been here,” offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo praised Sims.

“He’s just a guy who’s come to work every day as a backup and a guy who’s been in college football for, you know, a long time now and still shows up every day with a good attitude and prepares well.”

With Sam’s injury, Jeff has taken over the reins. But the question persists: when will the QB1 return to the field?

Sam Leavitt injury update

After suffering a humiliating defeat to Utah, Kenny Dillingham’s schedule isn’t getting any easier. They go against the undefeated Texas Tech, a team with one hand to play in the conference championship game. To make matters worse, ASU has been without Sam Leavitt after he suffered an injury in their game against Baylor. The mystery unraveled when Leavitt was seen with a boot (right leg) on the sidelines against Utah, suggesting an ankle/foot injury. However, no official statement has been provided regarding the nature of the injury.

Presently, it’s like sailing through murky waters as to how he sustained the injury. Given, he appeared across two games (per Dillingham), trudging through the injury. So, when is he returning? Ahead of the Utah game, his status changed from probable to doubtful. This week, Leavitt was listed on a day-to-day basis by Kenny Dillingham. “I think we’re gonna have a conversation here today/tomorrow morning in terms of what that looks like,” he told the press. Sam had his first-team reps (after sustaining an injury) on Tuesday.

His increased pocket mobility compared to last week nudged the hopes of his quick return. “Last week, he never left the pocket, so we didn’t really know. Today, he moved around in the pocket, which was a positive. He looked more like himself,” he added. Last season, the QB chipped in 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. As of this season, he has registered eight touchdowns and three interceptions.