The fact that Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is ready for the bright lights this fall doesn’t mean that the presumed starting quarterback narrative sways him. True, a strong spring practice, especially in the latter half of the 15 sessions, merited the Michigan State transfer’s preseason storyline. Yet, the redshirt freshman is all too cognizant of the fact that he has to earn those first-team duties.
“The approach is the same; just try to get better every single day,” Leavitt said. “Trying to play my best game and whoever else is on the field doesn’t matter to me. Ain’t nothing to me (speaking of the starter narrative) until it’s game day. Regardless if that’s the case or not. It doesn’t change my approach, and the chip on my shoulder will always be the same, and hopefully, that energy never changes the rest of my career, regardless of any success, because that is what makes great players great.”
Leavitt’s body of work is limited, as he played in just four games for Michigan State as a true freshman in 2023, completing 15-of-23 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions while rushing 13 times for 67 yards. This does, however, not detract from his confidence in his abilities.
“I’m a playmaker,” Leavitt noted. “I’m a pocket quarterback, and I’m going to make plays when they need to be made. I’m gonna play within the offense, I have a lot of juice on the field, and I’m gonna make some electric plays.
The Sun Devil signal-caller is eager for Big 12 play, citing the fact that this conference was one of his favorites to watch due to the high-scoring games it often produces. And as a motivating factor, he also looks forward to facing the programs and coaches that passed up on him in the college recruiting process.
“Utah, Oklahoma St, Kansas St, just programs and coaches that counted me out from a young age,” Leavitt admitted. “Facing players who were rated above me. In my bathroom, I wrote every single Quarterback that was rated above me, and that’s what drives me every day.”
How long is that list?
“I only put the top 25,” Leavitt said with a smile. “I’m super excited to prove people wrong.
Skattebo building on a successful inaugural season in Tempe
For Senior running back Cameron Skattebo, his stellar campaign last season propelled him into one of the program’s prominent leaders on and off the field. From his perspective, he has seen a positive shift in his teammate’s focus and maturity ahead of the new season.
“We all have our foot down, and we’re all full head of steam,” Skattebo said. “I think everyone’s focused in; I think guys that were immature last year are starting to mature a little bit and starting to understand we’re getting closer.”
The running back claimed that any player for the Sun Devils can be a leader despite their depth chart niche because the work ethic displayed on the practice field is valued as much as the actual number of snaps.
“Anybody can be a leader, even if you’re the fourth guy on the depth chart,” Skattebo mentioned. “If you’re working your tail off, guys are going to respect you. Even if you don’t play in the game, are you giving your full effort to your teammates and everybody that’s on the field with you?”
Fautanu values the winds of change in the program
Last season’s depth chart was noticeably thin for the ASU Offensive Line due to a plethora of injuries and, consequently, the lack of chemistry amongst the group of guys up front. Senior Leif Fautanu was a literal iron man for the Sun Devils, starting all 12 games at center, earning Pac-12 All-conference Honorable Mention and Offensive MVP for ASU. Fautanu witnessed a better-connected group in the summer and is anxious to take the field with them in the fall.
“The culture itself is so much different to last year,” Fautanu explained. “It gives us that lesson where even if things go wrong we can still preserve we can still get the job done. I think we have a lot more depth all around, especially on the offense. The one’s and the two’s are just as good. We can throw anyone out there, and it’s the same.”
With the shallow depth at his position group, Fautanu had to be the do-it-all all guy on the front five. Following a challenging year, the center feels that there is one trait this offensive unit has yet to display and
“I think we just have to create a sense of toughness,” Fautanu claimed. “Sometimes on the offensive side, when things get hard, guys kind of complain. Going into camp, that’s probably the biggest goal is to create adversity for the team, just like the season when things don’t go our way, we have to find a way to respond.”
Elliott looks to excel at the power conference level
An experienced transfer, junior Keyshaun Elliot was a standout Linebacker for New Mexico State last season. He had an incredible two years in Las Cruces, finishing 30th in the FBS in total tackles with 111, including 11 in just one game against Western Kentucky.
The standout numbers compelled Kenny Dillingham to rush and call Elliot’s phone as he was in the transfer portal all of five minutes before the ASU head coach engaged in an effective conversation, which effectively sealed the deal.
“Coach Dillingham was one of the first coaches to call me,” Elliot laughed. “He called me within like five minutes of me being in there. We talked for about 35 minutes, and I knew right there that’s where I needed to be.”
Being part of a bigger-stage program has certainly added some new perks Elliot is glad to have at his disposal. These will aid him in optimizing his performance in the season ahead after the high bar he was able to reach with NMSU.
“What [we] have resource-wise is that you see it now,” Elliot noted. “[At NMSU] we didn’t have a stadium like this, we didn’t have trainers or food like this. You can max out everything you possibly could here.”
Trying freshman season has helped Warren improve
As a newcomer defensive back, Montana Warren was expected to play a meaningful role in his freshman year at ASU before a broken collarbone suffered in fall camp sidelined him in the fall, forcing him to play only in one game and thus redshirting his first season with the Sun Devils. This being the first major injury of Warren’s football career, recovering from it has been as much of a mental toll as a physical one, finding himself going through the most difficult time he has experienced.
“I’d never known what it was like to not play football because my body gave out on me,” Warren admitted. “It threw me for a loop, I had to take some time off mentally. It really helped me realize there’s more to football. I always watched film but it made me have to prepare another way. I had to get mental reps just by watching everyone else’s film; that’s something I had to learn so if I did heal up, I could come back and not miss a step.”
Warren appreciates the fact that a first-year coaching staff in Tempe had some insurmountable obstacles to overcome in trying to employ an effective and quick turnaround. The safety said that following last season, he has felt that the coaches have been more demanding of their players, which is a natural progression one can expect when going through the second year in the program.
“I don’t think they could have pushed us that hard last year to take that next step,” Warren commented. “This year, even in the winter, they pushed us harder from day one than they ever did last year in the winter in the weight room, the team runs, and spring ball. This camp will be a whole different level of intensity, speed…everything will be at a whole different level.”
Fite rewarded for his beyond his years maturity
Sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Fite is primed to be a young leader for the Sun Devils this fall following a formidable freshman where he played in 11 games. His performance on the field and his demeanor off the gridiron earned him a seat on the team’s Pat Tillman Leadership Council.
“It’s just a blessing for sure,” Fite remarked. “You get the opportunity to just run with it, continue to grow and get better. It’s about what you do at the moment when the coaches and players are there.
Fite spent some of his July 4th break in the nation’s capital, a trip that featured multiple days of sightseeing, museum tours, and seminars. These experiences allowed him to better understand people and leadership.
“It was just learning about Humanity,” Fite described. “We’d go to the museum and reflect and have a discussion to reflect on what we experienced. The biggest thing they said was to not put yourself in other people’s shoes but to look at it from a humanitarian perspective and learn how to see it from a different viewpoint.”
When asked how this would impact his ability to be a leader for Sun Devil football, Fite answered: “Not everyone comes from the same background or views things the same. Realizing where they came from and how they grew up, the things they think about and bring that perspective when I try and talk to them.”
Patience makes perfect for Alford
It’s been two long seasons since redshirt junior Xavion Alford has seen the field. An injury, as well as being denied immediate eligibility last season, has naturally created a great deal of anticipation for the safety as he’s set to make his return to game day this fall.
“I’m feeling great, actually,” Alford said. “I was thinking about how confident I feel; I feel like a kid again with the football season coming up. I’m ready for camp, and it’s time to put it on display. From winter to spring ball to summer til fall camp we laid the foundation and a standard. Older guys are buying into it, new guys are buying into it, ultimately it gives us the fuel to our fire, everyone has a job to do, and our job is to go win football games on Saturdays.”
Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, run by the longest-tenured Sun Devil sports beat writer, to discuss this article and other ASU football, basketball, and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today and get your daily fix of Sun Devil news!
