Leavitt’s goal when transferring from Michigan State and coming to Tempe was to be the starting quarterback. He believed in himself and in his abilities to successfully contend with two senior quarterbacks to become the Sun Devils’ starter this year.

“Coming out of the portal, that’s your main intention, finding a school where you feel like you’re going to develop the most but also get a shot to play with your first year in the program,” Leavitt admitted. “So, coming here, I thought I was going to start 100%. It's been a process for sure, coming into the situation thinking you’re going to be the starter.

“Trenton [Bourguet] is great, and Jeff [Sims] is great; they’ve both played in a lot of games and a lot of situations, so just taking bits and pieces and understanding what it takes to be a quarterback at this level. Just constantly competing is one of my favorite things to do in life, competing with them and trying to one-up them.”

While the redshirt freshman wasn’t surprised by the news that was relayed to him on Sunday evening, a major announcement that ironically found himself alone with no one to share in person at the moment, he still was extremely appreciative of how much trust the coaches have shown in him to entrust him with this significant role.

“I got to enjoy the moment for sure,” Leavitt said. “I probably sat there for a few minutes and just really soaked it in. Looking at the ceiling and indulging in the moment. That was the ultimate plan. They actually texted me the night before. We had kind of sprinkled around the subject; it wasn’t a complete shock or anything, but being by myself, it really just made me be able to embrace the moment and thank God.”

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham knew he saw something special in Leavitt long before naming him the Sun Devils’ starter. During the quarterback’s official visit to Tempe, he met with offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, where they talked shop for roughly six. Following that meeting, it was clear to the ASU staff the kind of player and person Leavitt is and why he would be a good fit for the program.

“When you bring quarterbacks on campus, you’re interviewing them,” Dillingham commented. “It takes a certain kid to be a successful quarterback. It matters to him like he loves this crap; that's the sign of a quarterback that can lead and win football games. This is when I said to myself, ‘Okay, we have a guy’”.

“We sat in the office and just talked schematics and everything quarterback play,” Leavitt recalled. “Off the field mentality, how do you carry yourself as a leader? We actually talked as well when I first met him in person at dinner for like two hours. He’s a ball junkie as well, just like me.”

Prior to becoming the head coach at his alma mater, Dillingham spent time at Auburn and Oregon as a quarterbacks’ coach and Offensive coordinator for Heisman Trophy winner and now Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Being a leader and mentor for Nix, Dillingham claims to see a lot of similar traits in Leavitt, and that is an assertion the 19-year-old hasn’t taken for granted, understanding the magnitude of the comparison.

“Me and coach Dillingham talk about Bo, a bunch,” Leavitt noted. “He says I resemble him, which is amazing to hear, so I try to watch him play and just see how he operates. The kinds of checks and reads he makes really separate him, and that’s the level I’m trying to get to.”

For Leavitt, being a competitor and achieving his goals has been a staple throughout his life. Instilled by family values and experiences, he’s worked hard to do whatever it takes every day to be the best version of himself.

“This is all I’ve known my family is a football family,” Leavitt explained. “My dad and brother instilled that in me, and it's just what I’ve done since a young age. Me and my brother live by a motto, ‘How great do you want to be’ I have that (saying) on my mirror … Ask yourself how great do you want to be because it's as great as you’re going to make yourself.

“I guess my actions are my answer throughout the entire day, how I eat, how much I sleep? Did I do everything I needed to do the night before in the film meetings? How I carry myself to my teammates so they can do the same thing as well.”

Dillingham sees his starting quarterback exerting the type of leadership he would want to see from every player on the team, not just his signal caller. Granted, it’s a trait that is still a work in progress, given that Leavitt is only a redshirt freshman, but the strides made to date have been pleasing to witness.

“He's getting way more comfortable in his own skin,” Dillingham described. “I think early on, he led how he wanted to be led. That kid responds to people getting after him. He loves it and he embraces it. He loves the competitive juices and yelling at each other, but not everyone responds like that, so you have to lead, not just the way that you respond.

“I think he’s slowly learning those other leadership styles, not just the alpha style.”

***

Leavitt’s teammates have been able to respond to the call as well, according to Dillingham, who made sure to test his players on the defensive side of the ball during Tuesday’s practice.

Dillingham let the defense hear it after a defensive lineman was too physical with the newly named starting quarterback during the 11-on-11 segment to end the practice. The Sun Devil head coach said he used the opportunity to see how his players would respond to sudden adversity, something that can often be an indicator of a football team’s mental fortitude.

Following Dillingham's burst, the defense was able to turn the offense over when defensive back Shemari Simmons caught an Interception. A response to the situation that Dillingham relishes.

“I wanted to find a scenario where I could lose my [expletive] and go crazy and see how we respond as a football team,” Dillingham said. “What I love is I went crazy on the defense, and two plays later, they executed; that's winning football teams that can respond to those environments.

“Last year, if something bad happened, our whole team would walk to the sidelines in the first quarter, and I knew we were in trouble. In the last few days, it's been back and forth, and that's a good sign for your football team. If you leave practice and you feel like, ‘Oh man, we just dominated,’ that's usually the sign of a bad team; there gotta be balance to be a good football team.”