Tennessee Should Pursue The Hell Out Of Sam Leavitt

Image: Arizona State Athletics

By Aidan Sidoti

On Tuesday, On3’s Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong reported that star Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is unlikely to return to Tempe in 2026, and his camp is actively shopping him “at a high level.”

If Tennessee aims to contend for an SEC title and College Football Playoff appearance in 2026, they need to be at the front of that line.

Leavitt suffered a lisfranc foot injury on Sept. 20 against Baylor, recently underwent surgery and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Before the injury, he was one of college football’s top returning quarterbacks, fresh off leading the Sun Devils to a Big 12 Championship and a College Football Playoff berth.

In 2024, he completed 61% of his passes for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Even in a shortened 2025 campaign, Leavitt still threw for 1,628 yards and 10 touchdowns in a handful of games.

Tennessee’s quarterback room in 2026 is talented, but raw.

Joey Aguilar will be out of eligibility, and redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger is a strong transfer portal candidate.

That leaves true freshman George MacIntyre and incoming five-star Faizon Brandon.

G-Mac showed flashes against ETSU earlier this season, but still needs to add obvious weight and lacks experience.

Faizon Brandon will be a STAR in Knoxville, but trusting a true freshman to lead an SEC offense is a gamble Tennessee really cannot afford if the goal is a championship.

Leavitt is proven.

He’s won big games and put up big numbers against Power Four defenses.

If Leavitt’s camp is shopping him, Tennessee should be aggressively throwing their hat in the ring.