Arizona State’s starting QB in place of Sam Leavitt has a lengthy history in college football.
Arizona State starting quarterback Sam Leavitt has been officially ruled out of Saturday’s game at Utah, which means the Sun Devils will be starting backup Jeff Sims in a projected rainy night game in Salt Lake City.
Sims’ journey to Tempe has been a long and winding one, but he’ll get his chance for a marquee win over Utah on Saturday.
Sims began his college career at Georgia Tech in 2020, where he started all of the Yellow Jackets’ 10 games in the pandemic-shortened season. He threw for 1,881 yards and 13 touchdowns (with 13 interceptions), adding 492 yards and six scores on the ground as Georgia Tech went 3-7.
The following year, Sims was again the Yellow Jackets’ starting quarterback in another three-win season, throwing for 1,468 yards and 12 touchdowns with seven interceptions and rushing for 372 yards and four scores over eight games before missing the rest of the year with an injury.
In 2022, his last year at Georgia Tech, Sims started the first seven games, throwing for 1,115 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions and adding 288 yards and a score on the ground, but again he suffered an injury that led to him missing the remainder of the season.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Sims transferred to Nebraska and won the starting job there, starting the first two games, but once again, injuries and turnover issues derailed his season.
He finished with 282 yards and a touchdown with six interceptions with a 59.6 completion percentage and 189 rushing yards with one touchdown and six fumbles.
Sims then transferred to Arizona State ahead of the 2024 season, where he’s been Leavitt’s backup since.
Sims’ only meaningful snaps at ASU came in Week 8 at Cincinnati last year, when he started for an injured Leavitt. In a 24-14 loss to the Bearcats, Sims was 12 for 23 for 155 yards, adding 53 yards on the ground.
His favorite target, by far, was receiver Jordyn Tyson, who had six receptions for 108 yards. All of ASU’s other receivers had just two receptions for 14 yards.
A six-year college football veteran, Sims has totaled 4,914 yards and 31 touchdowns with 29 interceptions on 57.4% completion and added 1,464 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns with 27 fumbles.
As far as backups in the transfer portal era go, Sims is solid. There’s a reason he’s behind Leavitt — he’s never been able to get a handle on turnovers in his career and has never eclipsed 60% completion in a season — but it’s rare to get a veteran starter at quarterback who’s willing to sit behind another player in this day and age.
Like Leavitt, Sims can make teams pay on the ground, which means that Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham won’t need to drastically alter his game plan.
With the forecast calling for rain throughout Saturday night’s contest, Arizona State’s game plan will likely be to keep the ball on the ground a fair amount — something the Sun Devils excel at.
Arizona State, which has made its living on the ground this year with 216.6 yards per game, is just fine with the stormy weather.
“He makes explosive plays, which is what he’s done early in his career. My first game at Florida State, I lost to Jeff Sims as the offensive coordinator,” Dillingham said on the Bickley & Marotta” radio show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “… “The game plan is not changing. We got a lot of confidence in Jeff.”
On the news that Leavitt was out, the line moved considerably towards Utah, which is now a 9.5-point favorite.
Now at his third stop, Sims has the opportunity to upset the Utes and continue the Sun Devils’ unbeaten streak in Big 12 play. Will he be able to do it against a Ute defense that can force its share of turnovers?
We’ll find out on Saturday night.
Category: General Sports
