If Tennessee football is able to land the commitment of Arizona State quarterback transfer Sam Leavitt, would he be the best quarterback in the SEC? According to On3 college football talking head J.D. Pickell, you have to at least put him in the conversation, and it would be far from crazy to say he is.
“Where does Sam Leavitt rank today among the top quarterbacks in the SEC? Who is in that conversation?” Pickell said on if Tennessee would land Leavitt. “Probably Gunner Stockton and him. I think Arch Manning has made a really strong case to be one of the top dudes in that conference next year. Trinidad Chambliss, let’s say he’s gone. Ty Simpson, let’s say he’s gone.
“I think Sam Leavitt is definitively top three in that conference. And, y’all, I don’t think you’re that crazy if you like the Coke/Pepsi taste test the best with Sam Leavitt and think he’s the best quarterback in the SEC next year. I don’t think that’s nuts.
“So what does that mean if you’re a Tennessee fan? College Football Playoffs expectations, they’re absolutely back. They were probably going to be back regardless next year, just because that’s how I think Tennessee is feeling about themselves after this past season, with how bad the defense was and how good the offense was, with again, a quarterback that missed all of spring ball and hadn’t played a down in the SEC. There was already a good amount of optimism.
“But I think it’s not just make the playoffs. It’s like, hey, we got Sam Leavitt in the fold here, and he is going to be a top-three quarterback in this conference, or the best quarterback in the conference, it’s playoffs and then some. It’s like, yeah, we got to make the dance, that’s first off. But when we get to the dance, we’re not cool with just showing up in the first round and getting a beatdown from whoever, or losing our first playoff game. It’s let’s get to the College Football Playoffs and go make some freaking noise when we get there.”
IF Sam Leavitt ends up at Tennessee, it’s not crazy to say the Vols would have the best QB in the SEC.https://t.co/ZH6XA8aSOJ pic.twitter.com/3KKdxVliwO
— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) January 7, 2026
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If Leavitt is such a dynamic option, that begs the next question: How likely is it that Tennessee can reel him in?
According to On3’s college football insider Pete Nakos, it’s certainly a possibility. He said on Wednesday on Rivals’ Recruiting Show with Josh Newberg that there is a ‘legitimate chance’ UT could land him.
The hype has now grown even more on Thursday. VolQuest reported that Leavitt has extended his stay in Knoxville and will now leave on Friday instead of Thursday afternoon.
Leavitt just finished up his redshirt sophomore season with the Sun Devils, but it came to a rocky close. Before the season concluded, there were reports that he intended to transfer out following the season. Ultimately, he played in only seven games and none after a loss to Houston on Oct. 25 after suffering an injury.
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However, in 2024, Leavitt put together one of the greatest seasons in program history. Alongside running back Cam Skattebo, the pair led Arizona State to the College Football Playoffs. In 13 games, he threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He finished that 2024 season as the school record holder for total offense by a freshman (3,328 yards), second in passing yards by a freshman (2,885) and eighth in total yards of offense in a single season (3,328).
Leavitt began his career at Michigan State in 2023 as a true freshman before transferring to ASU. He was considered a four-star prospect by On3 and 247Sports and a three-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals out of high school.
