Sam Leavitt and Arizona State appeared to be heading toward a separation this offseason, prompting head coach Kenny Dillingham to address the quarterback position quickly. With the Sun Devils in need of a starter, Dillingham turned to the transfer portal and secured a quarterback from Kentucky to take over the offense.

A true Kentucky kid from Lexington Christian Academy, QB Cutter Boley flashed serious upside in his redshirt freshman year. Leavitt’s replacement finished the season with 2,160 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. His loudest statement came against the Tennessee Volunteers- 330 yards, five touchdowns, and only one interception despite the loss.

Boley looked like one of Kentucky’s brightest quarterback prospects in years. So why the exit? According to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones, new head coach Will Stein had other plans, targeting a transfer quarterback to crank up the competition.

And Dillingham must be secretly thanking Stein for this. In the market, searching for Leavitt’s replacement, the Sun Devils got the perfect high upside quarterback. Boley is not new to Dillingham.

The now Arizona State head coach was serving as offensive coordinator at the Oregon Ducks. That’s when he had already extended an offer to the quarterback when he was a high school junior and the 24th quarterback in the 2024 class. 

Boley, the SEC’s youngest quarterback with real minutes this season, operated mostly as a game manager, hitting short throws behind or around the line. PFF credited him with just six “big-time” passes, elite placements into tight windows, tied for last among 15 SEC quarterbacks who qualified.

However, Boley and Leavitt are the two sides of the same coin. He wraps up his Kentucky run with 2,498 yards, 17 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a couple of rushing scores. The arm? Big-time. Can make every throw. On the flip side, Leavitt leaves Arizona State with 4,513 yards, 34 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and 10 rushing scores- clearly more productive. But the similarities are in the traits.

Neither is winning a 40-yard dash, yet both can scramble when the pocket collapses. Both boast elite arm talent, able to hit any throw on the field. Leavitt’s the polished passer; Boley’s the high-upside project if developed right.

Maybe this is how Boley won Dillingham’s trust to receive Leavitt’s keys. Otherwise, he had quite a few options in his hand. There was Colorado State Rams’ proven veteran starter, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. He has been at Colorado State since 2022. Then there was Texas Longhorns’ Trey Owens. Now that Dillingham has filled the void, what about Leavitt? 

Sam Leavitt shows interest in the SEC program

After a standout run at Arizona State, Leavitt is ready to shop himself around the transfer portal, with plenty of quarterback-needy programs knocking. He is chasing a fresh start and a chance to boost his NFL Draft stock. And with the urgency mounting, the first report has already hit.

“Arizona State transfer QB Sam Leavitt remains on his visit to Kentucky. He is set to have dinner with the UK staff later tonight, sources tell KSR,” Kentucky Wildcats insider Jacob Polacheck dropped a scoop on X.

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If the Leavitt-to-Sun Devils plan materializes, it will be the perfect swap game after Kentucky lost Boley to the Sun Devils. While fans were yet to wrap their heads around the Wildcats’ visit news, another update dropped about Leavitt’s chase. 

As per the latest intel, Leavitt left Lexington without signing with the Wildcats. Going by On3’s Pete Nakos’ reporting, Leavitt is set to visit the Texas Tech Red Raiders. 

While Sam Leavitt is still looking for his next home, Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils faced yet another blow in the quarterback room. Jeff Sims declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. If Leavitt commits to Kentucky, it would mark the second straight season the two programs have essentially swapped starting quarterbacks.