Sam Leavitt is reportedly weighing his options as the transfer portal window approaches in early January. But the situation brewing in Tempe goes beyond the typical quarterback recruitment saga. There’s a sense that the overall landscape surrounding the program might not be conducive to what Sam Leavitt needs to take that next step. 

Analyst John Kurtz laid out what might be brewing behind the curtains in Tempe. “It does get your attention because now you start to think, ‘Are things really happening behind the scenes with Kenny Dillingham and LSU despite what he might be saying from a front-facing perspective?’ I would be pretty shocked. I really like Kenny Dillingham. I’d be pretty shocked if he’s going out and saying, “I was never leaving.” And then, actually behind the scenes, is orchestrating some of that.”

Kenny Dillingham has become the betting favorite for the LSU job despite publicly declaring, “I was never leaving,” after the West Virginia game. The timing of Sam Leavitt’s camp, “actively shopping the talented passer at a high level to other programs,” while Dillingham’s name keeps popping up in Baton Rouge for the $95 million job, is raising some eyebrows.​ It’s all speculation at this point. But the pieces fit together uncomfortably for Sun Devils fans. 

Kurtz also talked about the financial reality facing Arizona State that might be encouraging this move. He pointed out that “the sheer math of the situation might make it hard for Arizona State to retain Levitt if it got into a bidding war. And even if they kept him, it might prevent the Sun Devils from building a quality roster beyond QB1.”

Leavitt’s market value sits around $3 million for next season. And ASU isn’t even utilizing its full revenue share allotment. They’re spending roughly $18 million compared to the $20.5 million cap. That gap might not sound huge, but when you’re competing against programs that max out their rev share and still have booster-funded NIL money on top of it, you’re already behind before negotiations even start.

He also talked about how Kenny Dillingham’s roster has left Sam Leavitt with no choice. “It’s like, hey, Leavitt might be looking around saying, I don’t know what this roster is going to look like, okay? Like, if I don’t have Jordan Tyson, you saw how the rest of the receiving core looked this year. They were halfway through the season. They didn’t have anybody else with more than seven catches in the receiving corps.”

That roster-building concern is already a glaring issue when you look at the receiving corps. Jordan Tyson is having a good season, hauling in 57 catches for 628 yards and 8 touchdowns. However, Tyson’s a draft-eligible player heading into the 2026 NFL Draft and is projected as a potential first-round pick. Without him, the depth chart becomes concerning quickly. The next wide receiver, Malik McLain, managed just 17 catches for 286 yards this season. After that, it’s Derek Eusebio with 15 catches. 

So you’ve got a quarterback and a coach who could command top dollar on the open market and a program that’s not spending to its financial ceiling. On top of that, the roster is about to lose its only proven weapon at receiver. Schools like LSU, Miami, and Vanderbilt are all expected to be shopping for quarterbacks this cycle. And most of them have deeper pockets than Tempe. It’s the recipe for downfall for the Sun Devils.

Family and potential suitors push back on reports

Texas Tech emerged as one of the schools mentioned as a potential landing spot for Leavitt. But sources within the Red Raiders program were quick to pump the brakes on that speculation. A Texas Tech source told The Athletic that the school would not be pursuing Leavitt, citing their existing quarterback situation as the primary reason. 

Will Hammond, a former four-star recruit who has been backing up Behren Morton for the past two seasons, is already locked into a two-year revenue-sharing contract with the program and has been groomed as Morton’s successor. That’s a pretty significant financial commitment for a program to make. And it suggests that Texas Tech isn’t looking to bring in a high-priced veteran like Leavitt, who would command upwards of $3 million per year. Hammond’s recent knee injury, which ended his 2025 season, doesn’t appear to have changed the school’s long-term plans at the position.​

Meanwhile, Leavitt’s family has been actively denying the reports that he’s already made up his mind to leave Tempe. His father, Jared Leavitt, rejected the idea that his son is entertaining a transfer. 

He told The Athletic, “No, that isn’t true.” The family’s pushback is yet another confusing factor in an already murky situation. But publicly denying transfer rumors while privately exploring options isn’t exactly unprecedented in the modern CFB landscape.​