CAMP TONTOZONA — Many college football fans believe that the most difficult aspect of the game for its players is the physical one. With the violent nature of the sport, packed with body-crushing tackles and chaotic aggression, it seems as if any other facet of the game pales in significance. However, for many quarterbacks, especially Nebraska football transfer Jeff Sims, the mental battle is where the challenges lie the most.
“The off-season before I got here, just working on my mental,” Sims said. “I don't really think about it anymore. When you think like that, you just be appreciative of where you are and what you were able to do, God blessed me with the ability to play football. He blessed me with an opportunity. So just being appreciative of that just changed your whole mindset on how you look at things.”
Last season at Nebraska, Sims only played in five games, throwing six interceptions and just one touchdown, but the 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback meets all the measurables that a coaching staff could want. With an ability to throw the deep ball and make plays with his feet, Sims knows he needs to display confidence in his God-given talents.
“I think, at Nebraska, the pressure didn't come from all the fans in the atmosphere,” Sims recalled. “It came from myself. I lost touch of why I was doing it. I tried to try to do too much. I overthought a lot. Like I was in my head, but I wouldn't say that the outside factors in Nebraska put pressure on me. I think I just put too much pressure on myself.”
Sims credits his mindset growth to spending time away from football. He reenrolled in Georgia Tech, the school he played for the first three years of his career, during spring and took over 20 class credits to finish his degree in business administration. He says that the hiatus from the sport allowed him to focus on what’s important to him and stay ready for future opportunities.
“Once I got the call from ASU, I just looked at it as an opportunity from God,” Sims admitted. I just told myself, go out there and be you, have fun, be yourself, and just don't make it bigger than what it is.”
After quarterback Jaden Rashada transferred from ASU to Georgia during spring practice, when ASU approached Sims, he was convinced that this was the right situation for him.
“I was with my QB coach,” Sims said. “He was like, how would you like ASU? I was like, that's a good spot.’ A day or two later, I talked with Coach Dillingham (head coach Kenny Dillingham), and it was just a good conversation. You could tell he was the genuine dude. So, I came on a visit. I liked the vibe of the team, and it was just a good place for me to be.”
Since joining ASU in the summer, Sims has found himself in an interesting position amid a starting quarterback battle with redshirt freshman Sam Leavitt, who also transferred from the Big Ten conference last season, playing four games at Michigan State.
Leavitt played against Sims and Nebraska in 2023, throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass in a tight 20-17 win for the Spartans. With both of them being in the quarterback room for the Sun Devils, Sims has enjoyed the competition, relishing the chance to play with other talented players.
“I was telling myself during that game, this quarterback is good,” Sims remarked. “So, once I came here, I knew that it was going to be a good competition. I like good competition, to go against good people. Me and Sam, our relationship is growing every day. So, I think that it's a good quarterback room that we got.”
Dillingham doesn’t feel a necessity to name the starting quarterback any time soon, using practice and scrimmages as a key indicator for which guys he will trust to start the 2024 season.
“I think it's a really healthy competition between those guys,” Dillingham stated. “I think they’re helping each other. Some people make plays, but who actually plays football well in a game-like setting, and messes up and responds well that's what I’m looking for.”
Sims's key to potentially winning the starting quarterback spot relies on him pushing himself to his limits and drowning out the external factors. When speaking to the media, he made it abundantly clear he wants to avoid getting in his head or worrying about things he cannot control.
“Just go out there and play football,” Sims said. “Be me and not make it bigger than what it is, go out there and play. It could be zero people out here; it could be 100,000 people out here, and just try to be the same me.”
Coming in over the summer, learning the playbook, and acclimating to new teammates as a quarterback isn’t a guaranteed smooth process. Yet, Sims’s trust in himself lies in listening to others and trying to bond with his guys off the field as much as he does between the lines, which is a natural byproduct of the time spent in the close quarters and secluded facility of Camp Tontozona.
“I feel like this team is growing every day,” Sims claimed. “Having that much free time with each other, getting to know each other, we’re having bonfires and stuff, just getting to know different backgrounds and all that. I think it's building us closer as a team.”
Offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo played a key role in Sims's impressive early performance with the Sun Devils, helping him figure out the playbook and understand the offense quickly. Sims feels the help from his offensive coordinator has sped up the learning curve that takes place whenever a quarterback enters a new environment, and he trusts the process because of the previous quarterback success Arroyo and Dillingham have had.
“He stays on you,” Sims admitted about Arroyo. “He makes sure that you know everything that you need to know. I think the biggest thing about coach, he's the same person for everybody. That's something that's cool to see. The fact that he coached Justin Herbert at Oregon and Justin Herbert being what he is right now in the NFL as well.
“I feel like I've been picking up on it fast. Being in there watching, paying attention, going through my notes, and just coming out here and taking the reps at practice has been helping me.”
The starting quarterback position at ASU is yet to be officially decided, with two talented signal callers who each bring their own set of skills to the table battling. For Sims the battle however is just with himself as he continues to better himself not only in the pure football sense, and resolved not letting his past struggles to determine the football player he’ll be in Tempe.
“I put it past me,” Sims commented. “Nothing to do with football, knowing where I come from, knowing who I am, and just having self-confidence about myself. The time I had these past few months really helped me out a lot. I did a lot of soul searching, reflections, and it just showed me who I really am.”
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