On January 1st, the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta will witness an epic showdown between Arizona State and the Texas Longhorns, along with a fierce battle between Sam Leavitt and Quinn Ewers. Both quarterbacks have been key to their teams’ success, and it was the Sun Devils‘ QB who made one thing clear to his counterpart ahead of the Peach Bowl.
After securing a dominant 45-19 victory over Iowa State in the Big 12 Football Championship, Kenny Dillingham’s squad now sets its sights on advancing past the CFP quarterfinals, though standing in their way are none other than Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns.
Sam Leavitt, alongside running back Cam Skattebo, has been one of the standout figures for this team looking to make history this season. In the press conference ahead of the Peach Bowl, Leavitt gave a direct response when asked about what it means for him to face off against Ewers.
“I’ve watched him for a fair amount of time now,” Leavitt said. “I’m just excited for the opportunity. People keep counting me out since day one, and I’m gonna go prove why I’m the better quarterback.”
Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) gestures after scoring a rushing touchdown during the first half of the Big 12 Championship football game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Iowa State Cyclones on December 7, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. Arizona State won, 45-19.
Since his arrival from Michigan State, the talented quarterback has put up exceptional numbers this season with the Sun Devils: he completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,663 yards and 24 touchdowns to five interceptions.
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Sarkisian laments not having chosen Skattebo
Both the Longhorns and the Sun Devils boast exceptional talent within their rosters; however, they could have been even more powerful had they made the right choices at key moments in the transfer portal.
Amid laughs, Steve Sarkisian expressed regret for not having noticed Cam Skattebo during his time in Sacramento back in 2022. Had he done so, the head coach made it clear to the media that there would have been no doubt about recruiting him to Texas.
“In all reality, I wish I would’ve discovered Cam when he was transferring the first time around. I was unaware,” Sarkisian said with a laugh. “So, kudos to (Arizona State). They found him, and he’s a heck of a player.”
Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian makes his way across the field. Texas defeated Arkansas 20-10 in Fayetteville, AR.
Jahdae Barron still maintains a close relationship with Xavion Alford
Defensive back Xavion Alford now represents the colors of the Arizona State Sun Devils and will soon face his former team in the Peach Bowl. During his time at Texas, he forged a strong bond with Jahdae Barron, who reflected on their great friendship despite their paths in the NCAAF having now separated.
“That’s my brother,” Barron said. “Throughout the whole season, we chat literally every week except this week. We’re always chatting, I’m always reaching out to him, he’s always reaching out to me. Just motivation to keep us going.”
“It’s going to be good,” Alford said. “I’m very close to Jahdae Barron, one of the better players over there, Jaylon Guilbeau, really close to those two guys. Just being a kid from Texas, went to high school in Texas, it was a great opportunity, a great experience. Now getting to play against them somewhere else, it’s kind of like the best of both worlds. I played with them, and now I get to play against them.”
