Pressure Mounts on Sam Leavitt as Cameron Skattebo’s Departure Raises Serious Concerns
Vets were totally blindsided by Sam Leavitt’s sudden rise. One minute he was just another guy, and the next he was tearing up the field. Leavitt’s numbers were insane—2,885 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 443 rushing yards. To top it up, the Sun Devils poster boy has dwarfed Texas jewel Arch Manning in On3’s top 2025 ranking.
With all that said and done, the quarterback is clearly emerging as the leader of the offense at Arizona State, and 2025 has a lot to offer. But Leavitt has a potential threat, blocking his way.
Sam Leavitt has a hidden mousetrap in his lofty 2025 agenda
The Sun Devils left behind the bar following a loss in double overtime to Texas in the Peach Bowl. But it didn’t affect Leavitt’s loyalty. He turned back for a while and decided to stay another season at ASU in 2025. “Love this team!! We’ll be back. Believe that“—the prodigy divulged on one of his Instagram stories. He has been paving his way for three jewels: a Heisman trophy, a national championship, and an early NFL draft pick, and nothing could be a better stepping stone than the Sun Devils. But can he really capitalize on his goals without Cam Skattebo by his side? A million-dollar question to answer.
I kind of want to see what it looks like without a guy like Cam Skattebo at running back because it was a very run-heavy offense where look, Sam Leavitt had to do some things for Arizona State, and he did those things. It’s going to be a little bit more on his shoulders in 2025. Can he be that guy again? That’s why I have the number eight. You talk about a guy you want to go into battle with, Sam Leavitt,” said ROC Boys football host.
Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo has declared for the NFL and is waiting to be drafted by his ideal team. But Arizona State without him will feel a hiccup on the clutch for sure. Skattebo might not be the flashiest runner, but he’s a real grinder. When you need those tough yards, he’s the guy you can count on.
But mostly, Leavitt will feel the difference. The way the star RB every time creates room for the QB and lets him stay safe by blocking and protecting the pass is incredible. But apart from some minor inconveniences, Leavitt will find his way through the odds. He had that caliber to emerge as the single go-to guy for the Sun Devils. The Michigan transfer received a lot of help from the key RB, but on the reverse side, he gets kind of outshined in front of Skattebo’s stupendous presence. The curse can easily turn into a blessing if Leavitt takes a chance to cement his position among the Sun Devils even more.
However, the growth didn’t happen overnight. Sam Leavitt’s rise to the cusp of a main character was nothing short of slow magic, with Skattebo being the ultimate witness.
Cam Skattebo reveals Sam Leavitt’s unique journey to the helm of the Sun Devils
Skattebo opened up on Leavitt’s eventual evolution since his arrival in 2023. He didn’t do everything right in the locker room for a few weeks. Sam rubbed them the wrong way during the Sun Devils’ Cinderella season this year. “The first three or four months, Sam didn’t like anybody, and no one liked Sam,” said the retreating RB.
He was a guy that came in and was not comfortable at all… He knew what he could be. And nobody really believed him because he’s this 19-year-old kid… transferring in from Michigan State. We didn’t really know what he was about,” Skattebo continued.
Despite all the odds, Leavitt walked on his own path with a little push from the RB senior. “I push people even though he didn’t like people,” Skattebo said. That consistency and work behind the door, the baby steps to overcome all the behavioral patterns, bore fruit for the Oregon native. Eventually, by fall camp, he started to turn the heads and managed to grab the QB1 job in his first season with the Sun Devils.
During the summer workouts, Leavitt started to feel at home in the practices and made people wonder what was next. The journey from being a rookie to a star-studded asset is not easy but worth a thousand challenges. ”Everybody started to like him; everybody started to buy in. As you can tell, he’s a helluva player,” elaborated Cam.
It will be exciting how he pans out on the scoreboard the next season.
