Wyoming’s New OC Very Familiar With Arizona State’s Starting QB

LARAMIE -- When Sam Leavitt called to inform the coaching staff at Michigan State he was heading to East Lansing for college, Jay Johnson admitted it was a "fist pump" kind of moment.

"We were very excited about that one," MSU's former offensive coordinator added.

That's not so much the case anymore.

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The redshirt freshman Monday was named Arizona State's opening-day starter under center, beating out Jeff Sims and Trenton Bourguet. Johnson, the man who recruited Leavitt, will be on the opposite sideline that night in Tempe, calling plays for Wyoming's offense.

"I really enjoy Sam as a person," Johnson said on Monday in Laramie. "He's such a competitor. You know, that's what I really liked about Sam, his competitiveness and then his ability to learn and learn quickly. That was really, really exceptional when he first came in as a young player. So, yeah, he's a good player."

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Leavitt appeared in four games for the Spartans last fall, completing 15-of-23 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He also tossed a pair of picks in losses to Minnesota and eventual national champion Michigan. Leavitt also showed off his athleticism in that setback against the Gophers, amassing 52 yards on six carries.

Lack of turnovers, according to ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham, is part of why he eventually earned the nod.

"In 300 clips of team series scenarios, he has two interceptions," Dillingham azcentral.com. "That's roughly five football games and you have two interceptions – that's pretty good. That's taking care of the football at a high level. On top of that, he cares, has work ethic, he's mobile. He's got a lot of traits to where I think he's a really, really good football player."

The former Gatorade Player of the Year and top-ranked prospect in Oregon, Leavitt received interest from Florida State, Washington State and Arizona, among many others. Additionally, On3.com ranked him the No. 7 quarterback in the nation.

That will happen when you throw for 3,184 yards and 36 touchdowns while leading his West Linn High School team to a 6A state championship.

"The game has slowed down a little bit," Dillingham told the local newspaper. "Obviously, it's going to speed back up when you have bullets coming. Let's not kid ourselves, there's going to be some Year 1 things that you don't see until you see it. But the game has definitely slowed down for him."

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Johnson isn't surprised one bit.

"He knows what he wants to do and how he wants to do it," Wyoming's first-year OC added. "He's full of confidence, which you really love at that position. So, I'm excited to see him play ... He just likes to have the ball in his hands and make things happen."

Wyoming and Arizona State will meet Aug. 31 inside Mountain America Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be televised on FS1.

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