Arizona State’s season turned inconsistent after Sam Leavitt’s injury. Besides, the real twist came in the NIL department. Amidst uncertainty, the ASU AD, Graham Rossini, came forward to reveal a crucial NIL update and an unsaid promise: Leavitt’s the quarterback Arizona State wants to build their team around.

Following the injury, Leavitt did get on the field against TCU, Texas Tech, and Houston. But while taking down Houston Leavitt left the game twice with a “scare,” after which he decided to go in for surgery on his lingering foot injury. Now, Leavitt has two paths from there: turning pro next year or heading back to Arizona State. Additionally, if he decides to return, NIL won’t be a concern.

As ASU’s AD Graham Rossini said, “I mean, I don’t see any concerns or limitations there. You know, he’s a college player in this environment where college players can earn, and we’ve been prepared to do whatever it takes to build a great team, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Well, Rossini’s words might work as a sign of relief for Sam Leavitt, as his NIL already took a massive hit this season. After losing against Mississippi State in Week 2, Leavitt’s pocket saw a significant dip of $383k from the then valuation of $2.7 million. Currently, he ranks 24th in On3’s valuation, trailing QB Brendon Sorsby by $1.9 million in NIL value.

But even with the injury, he put up substantial numbers in his last two games against Texas Tech and Houston. He threw for 589 yards with two touchdowns. Yet the injury did affect his rushing ability, as after averaging 56.2 yards per game before missing the Utah game, he managed just 25 total yards on 18 carries against Texas Tech and Houston. That’s precisely why Arizona State’s concern remains more on getting him back to his complete form. “I know we’ve got a great medical team and a great performance team that’s committed to his rehab. That’s really where our energy is right now,” Rossini said.

Now, there’s a high chance Leavitt might make his way back to Arizona State. He’s ranked 7th among signal callers in the class by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. as of October 29, which is outside of his top 25 prospects, a group that has 4 QBs. Even PFF ranked him in a similar range at No. 54 overall back on October 24. And let’s be real: a season with 1,628 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and five more is not something that shows pro-caliber.

So, now returning to the Sun Devils seems like a smart move, like Carson Beck did last year. Even Rossini sounds positive on that front, as he said, “We have all the personnel conversations happen within our coaching staff, so that’ll be something that coach will lead, and obviously the offensive coordinator and the rest of the coaches will participate in. There may be a moment where I’ll get involved in this particular environment of college football, but we know that Sam has been a great member of this program.”

But with Sam Leavitt’s NIL update, there’s another concern hanging over the Sun Devils’ heads.

Kenny Dillingham’s team takes a massive injury hit

Arizona State has lived up to the “next man up” mentality pretty well this season. However, the injury scare worsens each passing week, as Kenny Dillingham’s team has already lost 16 players, including Leavitt and their star receiver, Jordyn Tyson, who will miss his third game of the season.

Despite the setbacks, Dillingham is pushing his team hard. “When the glass is empty, we fill it back up,” Dillingham said.“I love how they care about each other and the way we compete for one another. I think it shows.”

Therefore, that mentality is already showing up. Backup QB Jeff Sims already broke ASU’s single-game rushing record for a QB with 228 yards in their win against Iowa State and earned AP National Player of the Week honors. Even receivers Malik McClain, Jalen Moss, and Chamon Metayer stepped up without Tyson. Now, with a rebuilding team, let’s see how this season turns out for the Sun Devils.