Michigan State lost numerous players to the transfer portal this offseason.
While coach Jonathan Smith was able to rebound by securing a respectable transfer class, Michigan State undoubtedly lost a ton of talent at key positions. The Spartans lost expected starters and players with the potential to become regulars in East Lansing or elsewhere in a mass exodus that initially set Smith and his coaching staff back.
One of those players is quarterback Sam Leavitt, who played for the Spartans for one season before transferring to Arizona State in the offseason. In high school, Leavitt was a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. On3 Sports ranked Leavitt as Oregon State’s best overall player in the 2023 recruiting class, and numerous other media outlets ranked him as one of the best quarterbacks in the country in that class.
He played sporadically at Michigan State, appearing in four games for the Spartans. During that time, he completed 15 of his 24 passes for 139 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also ran for nearly 70 yards in his four games at Michigan State.
After barely getting any playing time with the Spartans in his only season in East Lansing, Leavitt was unlikely to get much more playing time as quarterback Aidan Chiles transferred from Oregon State to Michigan State along with Smith and all was clear as far as the team’s starting quarterback position was concerned. He transferred to Arizona State looking for a better opportunity, and it seems he found it.
In his first start with the Sun Devils, Leavitt completed 14 of his 22 pass attempts for 258 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against Wyoming. In his first start with the Spartans, Chiles completed 10 of his 24 passes for 114 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions against Florida Atlantic.
Michigan State continues with Chiles at quarterback and hopes the young signal-caller improves before the Spartans open Big Ten play on the road against Maryland. Michigan State enters its next game, which will be Coach Smith’s first game in the Big Ten, as an underdog. He hopes the Spartans make significant progress by the end of the week.
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