Sun Devil Football quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson received recognition for their outstanding performances on Saturday. In Arizona State’s 24-14 victory over No. 16 Kansas State, the duo played a key role, connecting for two touchdowns and helping ASU improve to 8-2, marking their first College Football Playoff ranking since 2014. Their contributions earned both players significant national honors.
Jordyn Tyson was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and received an honorable mention for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which honors top offensive players with ties to Texas. Meanwhile, Sam Leavitt was recognized as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the second consecutive week and for the third time overall. He was also selected as one of eight quarterbacks for the Davey O’Brien Great 8 Quarterback of the Week. Additionally, Leavitt was awarded the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week honors, making him just the second Sun Devil to achieve this.
With these accolades, ASU has now garnered 10 National Player of the Week honors during the 2024 season. Under head coach Kenny Dillingham, Sun Devils have won 14 conference player of the week awards. ASU leads the Big 12 with ten player of the week selections this season, and for the fourth time in 2024, they had two players recognized among the league’s weekly award recipients.
Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week – Jordyn Tyson
Jordyn Tyson was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, marking the fifth time a Sun Devil has claimed this honor this year, with running back Cam Skattebo responsible for four of those. Arizona State has the most Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week selections in the conference.
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week (Honorable Mention) – Jordyn Tyson
For the second week in a row and third time this season, Jordyn Tyson made the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honor Roll, recognizing top offensive players with connections to Texas.
Career Day
In Arizona State’s road win over Kansas State, Jordyn Tyson delivered an impressive performance, recording 12 catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns, clearly establishing himself as the standout player. He achieved career highs in both receptions and yards.
Premier Production
Tyson is the first Sun Devil to catch two touchdowns in consecutive games since Frank Darby did so in 2019. His 176 receiving yards are the highest since Brandon Aiyuk’s 196 against Washington State in October 2019, and the most in a road game since Devin Lucien recorded 200 yards at California in November 2015. He ranked second in the FBS for receiving yards this week and led the Big 12 in several receiving categories. His two touchdowns were tied for fifth among FBS wide receivers.
Elevated Performance
Tyson has amassed eight touchdowns in the past six games, totaling 624 yards (an average of 104.0 yards per game) on 44 receptions during this stretch. In his first four games of the season, he had only 14 catches for 209 yards and one touchdown.
Finding the Endzone
With nine receiving touchdowns this season, Tyson has matched the total that N’Keal Harry posted in 2018. A tenth touchdown would tie him for sixth all-time in Sun Devil Football history and make him one of only 11 players in the program to reach double digits in a season, the highest since Jaelen Strong’s 10 touchdowns in 2014.
Report Card
Tyson received the sixth-best overall offensive grade among FBS wide receivers from PFF, with an impressive 84.5 score, the second highest for a Power Four receiver. He ranked fifth in the FBS for yards per route run and sixth in yards after the catch.
Big 12 Newcomer Player of the Week – Sam Leavitt
Sam Leavitt earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors for the second consecutive week and third time this season, a feat unmatched by any other player in the conference this year.
Davey O’Brien Great 8 Quarterback of the Week – Sam Leavitt
The Davey O’Brien Foundation recognized Sam Leavitt as one of the Davey O’Brien Great 8 quarterbacks for Week 12, acknowledging his exceptional performance among college quarterbacks that week.
Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week: Sam Leavitt
Each week during the 2024 season, the Maxwell Football Club honors an exceptional college freshman with the Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Week award. This week, Sam Leavitt, quarterback for the Sun Devils, received the accolade, becoming only the second Sun Devil to earn this recognition since it was established in 2018.
Sam Leavitt has been named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week! #ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/9gyFXTBL7s
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) November 19, 2024
Outstanding Performance
Sam Leavitt had a remarkable showing in Arizona State’s 24-14 win over No. 16 Kansas State. He completed 21 of 34 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, displaying impressive efficiency while leading the Sun Devil offense. Additionally, he rushed for 42 yards on five carries, converting two first downs with his legs.
Team Chemistry
Leavitt’s connection with wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was evident, as Tyson accounted for 172 of the passing yards. However, Leavitt also involved other players, including running back Cam Skattebo, who caught four passes, and tight end Chamon Metayer, who scored a touchdown.
First Half Dominance
All three of Leavitt’s touchdown passes came in the first half, contributing to ASU’s early lead of 21-0. He became the first quarterback since Jayden Daniels to throw three touchdowns in a single first half, a feat accomplished against UCLA on October 26, 2019.
Consistent Performer
Leavitt has now thrown three touchdown passes in each of the last three games and four times over his last five starts. He currently boasts a 17-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio for the season and hasn’t thrown an interception in his last three games. He ranks among the top six quarterbacks in the nation for the week with three touchdown passes and no picks, placing his three touchdowns seventh in the FBS. His 116.3 NFL QBR rating is the tenth highest nationally and fourth among Power Five quarterbacks.
The Leav-ITT Impact
This season, Arizona State sports an 8-1 record in games started by Sam Leavitt, averaging 32.7 points per game in those matchups compared to just 14 points in the sole game he did not play.
Performance Ratings
Leavitt received the highest overall offensive player rating in the Big 12 for the week from PFF, scoring 87.2. This was the 28th-highest rating among all FBS offensive players and the 15th for quarterbacks, ranking fifth among Power Four quarterbacks. He was also the fifth-highest graded freshman offensive player in the nation for the week.
National Recognition in 2024
Week 12
- Jordyn Tyson – Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week (Honorable Mention)
- Sam Leavitt – Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Week
- Sam Leavitt – Davey O’Brien Great 8 Quarterback of the Week
The Sun Devils continue to shine, with notable performances across the season.
Notable Trends
Leavitt’s impressive performance fits with Arizona State’s strong start to the season—eight wins in their first ten games, a .500 record in road games for the first time since 2014, and remaining competitive in the Big 12 standings by moving to 5-2 in conference play.
Quotables
Sam Leavitt on His Connection with Jordyn Tyson:
“It is a product of all the work we have put in. We have spent a lot of time before and after practice working on timing. He is an incredible receiver, and it has been exciting to build that connection with him.”
Coach Dillingham on Leavitt’s Performance:
“He executed the game plan well and didn’t get rattled by the environment. I was proud of how focused he was, setting the tone for the rest of the team. His leadership is growing, and the guys respect his play.”
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