The last few days at Tempe were all about Sam Leavitt exiting the Sun Devils. His foot injury in October sidelined him, fueling speculation. Arizona State faces tough financial choices. They may not outbid richer programs offering their QB lucrative NIL deals rumored to top $3 million. Apart from that, there are numerous talks and discussions, even about head coach Kenny Dillingham’s future. But here is a positive update.

“It’s just it you just move forward, focus on what we can control, and that is playing our best football versus Colorado,” Dillingham said on all the reports about exit rumors and shut down the outside noise on the Bickley & Marotta show. Even though the HC doesn’t want to pay any focus on those rumors, the last time he was more confident about his QB staying. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep Sam here.” In fact, during Wednesday’s press conference, Dillingham labeled his QB “my guy.

“Oh yeah, he’s doing great. He’s on the road to recovery. We’ve had lots of conversations. Sam’s my guy. I have a great relationship with Sam. Everything I’ve ever said about him is true.”

The redshirt sophomore QB, who transferred from Michigan State in 2024, helped lift the Sun Devils to a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff spot last year. He wrapped up the season completing 61.7% of his throws for 2,885 yards, with 24 touchdowns and just six picks. But now, the chatter around his future is loud.

Why? It ultimately comes down to opportunity and money. Arizona State may not be able to offer the kind of lucrative NIL deals that Power Five programs with deeper pockets can. His resume until the injury justified the hype: 1,628 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and just three picks. But the hype brought with it some controversy that the QB’s family had to clarify.

On3’s Pete Nakos first reported that the quarterback is hitting the transfer portal when the window opens on Jan. 2. However, Sam’s brother, who represents him through CAA, shared that it is not true and called out Pete Nakos and On3. “@0n3 Y’all are a joke. Addressed this right before Pete released the news….”he wrote. Dallin, a former NFL safety who played for six years in the league with the Raiders and the Packers, later confirmed that the situation is still unclear.

Dallin Leavitt clearly stated, “That’s not where things are right now. He’s still deciding what he wants to do.” And even father, Jared Leavitt, responded to the speculation with a subtle, “No, that isn’t true.” Since there is a lot of uncertainty, the approach from HC Kenny Dillingham is a measured one.

It’s not just Kenny Dillingham who can stop Sam Leavitt from leaving

Sam Leavitt’s transfer buzz is turning into a full-blown saga. It’s been just three days since the ASU QB announced his decision, and three prominent programs are already geared up to roll out the red carpet. First up, Clemson, Texas Tech, and Vanderbilt are reportedly all interested in securing the ASU QB. With Cade Klubnik’s eligibility wrapped up in 2025, Clemson’s HC Dabo Swinney needs a QB. Similarly, Diego Pavia is not returning, so the Commodores need a QB who can keep their surprising SEC momentum going. But even the Sun Devils don’t want to lose their key asset.

“I mean, I don’t see any concerns or limitations there,” ASU’s AD Graham Rossini confidently assured about retaining the team. “You know, he’s a college player in this environment where college players can earn, and we’ve been prepared to do whatever it takes to build a great team, and we’ll continue to do that. But another stress for Rossini currently is that even the HC has had offers. While Leavitt’s camp is reportedly shopping the talented passer to top programs, Kenny Dillingham’s name keeps surfacing for LSU’s $95M vacancy.

“I would be pretty shocked. I really like Kenny Dillingham. ‘I was never leaving,’ and then actually behind the scenes, is orchestrating some of that,” analyst John Kurtz painted a grim picture. For now, it is all noise for the head coach. Let’s see if they capture their third straight win against the Buffs.