Sam Leavitt’s Arizona State exit warning just turned from rumor to reality. After months of speculation on Leavitt’s transfer portal move, the quarterback’s absence at the team banquet on Sunday made things evident. When every other team captain was right up there, this made it pretty clear that something significant is happening behind the scenes.

“BREAKING: Sam Leavitt was the lone captain not at ASU’s banquet tonight, per several people in attendance,” ASU insider Chris Karpman said on X. “The other captains went on stage individually. When it came time to honor Leavitt, Dillingham told the audience that he ‘wished him well in whatever his future may hold.”

Now, it’s hard to tell if Dillingham is talking about the NFL or a portal move. Last month, On3 reported that Leavitt was expected to enter the transfer portal before the 2026 season. Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos indicated that Leavitt’s representatives are actively looking for opportunities for him and have already planned to enter the portal on January 2. Now that he didn’t show up at the team’s banquet, fans grew anxious, and head coach Kenny Dillingham’s emotional statement added more to it.

“It would be cowardly not to recognize this, captain. We wish him well, whatever comes next,” Dillingham said.

Whatever might be the reason behind his absence, Karpman didn’t like Leavitt’s gesture of not being at the banquet at all.

“My opinion is that Sam Leavitt should have been at the banquet to convey respect and appreciation for his teammates and coaches,” Karpman said. “It’s pretty straightforward. Had he not been able to attend due to an emergency, that would have been conveyed. It wasn’t. So it’s a bad look for him.”

NIL emerges as the real deal behind the entire transfer portal chaos. Leavitt holds a $1.8 million valuation, with Sun Devils holding deals with Powerade, PayPal/Venmo, Adidas, and Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, which already makes him strong financially. Even AD Graham Rossini made it pretty clear that the team is ready to compensate Leavitt in the best possible way and do “whatever it takes to build a great team.” So NIL can’t be the reason.

But football factors are one among them. Arizona State failed to protect Leavitt this season, allowing 19 sacks in seven games. On top of it, his top target wide receiver, Jordyn Tyson, is expected to enter the NFL Draft, which makes it more evident. Even though Sam Leavitt’s father, Jared Leavitt, pushed back all the rumors of Leavitt’s potential move by calling it untrue, his absence from the team’s banquet raises red flags.

Sam Leavitt’s season was already cut short after he suffered a Lisfranc injury in his foot against Baylor, which needed surgery and restricted him from football activities for up to six months after Houston’s injury. But despite that, he racked up 1,628 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. He even rushed for 306 yards with five scores. Last year, he took the Sun Devils to the CFP. So, losing a player like him would be a massive blow for Kenny Dillingham and the team.

For now Leavitt status is up in the air but team is ready for it’s bowl game.

Kenny Dillingham’s teams ready for bowl game against Duke

After missing out on the championship this season, Kenny Dillingham and his team are heading to the Troy the Tiger Sun Bowl to face Duke. A wave of injuries to key players and their inconsistent offense and special teams production derailed their season. And fans couldn’t hold back their frustration with returning back to the Sun Bowl trip after Dillingham himself elevated the team’s standards last year.

While teams like Notre Dame opted out of the bowl game after the CFP snub, and Iowa State and Kansas State turned back, citing coaching changes and injuries, Kenny Dillingham’s team is still showing up.

As they know, despite the jabs, the Sun Bowl remains a major part of Arizona State’s football history. No bowl has hosted them more often, as it makes their eighth appearance. The Sun Devils hold a 4-2-1 record in the game and have won four of their last five Sun Bowls.

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ASU first stepped onto the Sun Bowl stage in 1940 and returned the next year before a long absence from El Paso until 1997, when they beat Iowa. Now, Kenny Dillingham and the team are hoping for similar success in the Sun Bowl and to end their season on a happy note before Leavitt’s chaos hits them.