
Former MSU QB Sam Leavitt projected as first round pick in next year's NFL Draft
Former MSU QB Sam Leavitt projected as first round pick in next year's NFL Draft Sam Leavitt transferred to Arizona State after the 2023 season and is now considered a potential first round pick in next year's NFL Draft
A former Michigan State quarterback is projected to be a first round pick in next year's NFL Draft.
The 2025 NFL Draft came to a conclusion on Saturday, and quickly afterwards, the focus turned to next year's draft. No current Michigan State players were included in Pro Football Focus' initial first round mock draft for next year, but there was one former Spartans quarterback: Sam Leavitt.
Leavitt is currently projected by Dalton Wasserman of PFF as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft -- which would send him to the Indianapolis Colts in this mock. He is the fourth-highest quarterback in the mock draft behind only Texas' Arch Manning, Clemson's Cade Klubnik and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
Leavitt played in four games as a true freshman for Michigan State in 2022. He was a big-time prospect signed by former head coach Mel Tucker and quickly entered the transfer portal after current head coach Jonathan Smith was hired at Michigan State. It was assumed quickly that current Spartans' starting quarterback Aidan Chiles would follow Smith from Oregon State to Michigan State via the transfer portal -- which, of course, happened. So Leavitt made the right choice to hit the transfer portal.
Leavitt ended up at Arizona State, where he started right away last season and led Arizona State to the Big 12 championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. He threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions last year with the Sun Devils.
If Leavitt can have similar success to last year, it sounds like he'll be moving on to the NFL as a top pick in next year's draft. Check out the complete mock draft from PFF in the post below:
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Associated Press
32 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Titans embrace Callahan's competition hoping to boost performance, accountability and wins
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Drop a ball, lose points. A red zone touchdown catch isn't worth six but still nets points. Jump offside earns a deduction. Lose a wide receiver in coverage also hurts. The Tennessee Titans don't kick off coach Brian Callahan's second season until Sept. 7 at Denver. With the Titans going 3-14 and losing the final six games, Callahan made some changes all designed to help Tennessee win more in 2025. The biggest new offseason feature is an internal competition. Callahan broke up the Titans into eight teams with a captain and assistant with rankings updated daily. Teams earn — or lose — points for what they do particularly on the field. For pro athletes, that's all they needed to hear. Outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones, an offseason free agent signee going into his seventh NFL season, said Wednesday that the Titans are '100%' bought into Callahan's offseason competition. Jones said everything they do is a competition, keeping energy high. 'We need that competition,' Jones said. 'We have a young football team. We need to keep that edge and that competitive (approach) throughout the whole entire offseason leading into the season.' Tennessee lost six games in Callahan's debut season by eight points or fewer. Combined with a roster stocked with 48 new players, this competition is designed to have the Titans hold each other accountable for mistakes including turnovers, penalties and mental errors that prove so costly in an NFL season. Callahan knows this won't show results that matter until September and October at the earliest. This is all part of his focus on doing everything possible for the Titans to be better. 'A lot of it was kind of through this offseason program that we developed and how do we best win football games? And how do I best put our team in position to do that? How do I coach that better? And how do I do a better job from a leadership perspective for our players and our staff?' Callahan said. Jones is on a team captained by running back Tony Pollard who likes how Callahan also mixed up assignments in the locker room. No longer are position groups sitting together. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley is next to rookie quarterback Cam Ward. 'You got to talk to different guys, get to know people throughout the locker room,' said Pollard, who now has cornerback L'Jarius Sneed and defensive lineman Keondre Coburn to the right. 'So it's just, it's a great thing just connecting with the whole team.' That talking isn't done just inside the locker room. Part of the schedule includes time for each group to get to know each other better by discussing four H's: history, heroes, hopes and heartbreaks. 'That's just a great thing just learning backstories, what guys have been through and what they've had to overcome to be where they are now,' Pollard said. Callahan hasn't shared what the rewards will be for the winners. It doesn't matter. Linebacker Cody Barton, who signed a three-year deal in March, joked that he heard winners got a car and asked for that to be confirmed. A pat on the back also works. Right guard Kevin Zeitler is another newcomer going into his 14th NFL season. He said every NFL team has its own approach to the offseason program with some business-like, others 'super competitive and fiery' with others making it fun. 'Having an extra competition throughout the day to be more on your details. ... it makes it more fun,' Zeitler said. Treylon Burks working Callahan said Treylon Burks, the Titans' 18th pick overall in 2022 as part of the A.J. Brown trade, is doing more in his rehab from a partially torn ACL that limited him to five games and four catches last season. Burks is doing more than Callahan expected at the beginning of the offseason program. Burks is doing more individual drills and routes. Callahan said the hope is Burks will be cleared by the start of training camp. ___ AP NFL:


USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
The SEC reveals TV windows for Auburn football
The SEC reveals TV windows for Auburn football Mark your calendars! The SEC has officially revealed the TV windows for every Auburn game The football season is almost here, and it is time to begin planning for roadtrips to the Plains and beyond to watch the Auburn Tigers this fall. Weeks after major networks revealed the start times for Auburn's first three games of the season, the SEC has now released the television windows for the remaining nine games on Auburn's schedule to better prepare fans for the season. Auburn's start times are broken down into four categories: early (11 a.m. – noon CT), afternoon (2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT), night (5 – 7 p.m. CT), and flex (2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT or 5-7 p.m. CT). Several notable windows are its game with Georgia at home (night), Arkansas on the road (early), and the Iron Bowl against Alabama (flex). Auburn's SEC opener at Oklahoma gets the flex treatment on Sept. 20, with the following week at Texas A&M beginning in the afternoon window at Kyle Field. The Tigers' home opener at Georgia will be under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium, with two of their next three games against Missouri and Kentucky being labeled as "flex." The game in-between the Missouri Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats at Arkansas will be an early kick. The next two games, against Vanderbilt in Nashville, and Mercer at home, will kick in the afternoon. Auburn vs. Vanderbilt will begin in the afternoon time frame while the game against Mercer will begin at 1 p.m. CT and will air on SEC Network. Finally, the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium is flexed. However, as the trend has shown recently, fans can expect the game to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT. The time and date for Auburn's first three games were revealed last month. Auburn will begin the season in Waco, Texas on Friday, Aug. 29 against the Baylor Bears at 7 p.m. CT on FOX. The next two games, against Ball State and South Alabama, respectively, will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and 11:45 a.m. CT. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__


USA Today
43 minutes ago
- USA Today
HC Sean McVay confirms Steelers' Aaron Rodgers could have signed with Rams
HC Sean McVay confirms Steelers' Aaron Rodgers could have signed with Rams Early offseason Aaron Rodgers to the Rams rumors have begun to resurface — and HC Sean McVay set the record straight. On Wednesday, Good Morning Football's Kyle Brandt asked McVay to clarify what really happened between the Rams and Rodgers this offseason — and this was his response: "I think our first priority, which was consistently communicated, was let's work something out with Matthew [Stafford]. We were very fortunate that it worked out that way. If that wasn't able to occur, then [signing Rodgers] was definitely a conversation and a possibility for us," McVay admitted. "I have a ton of respect for his body of work. I've gotten to know Aaron and really enjoy the conversations — the approach and the way he thinks about the game and in life. So, that was a possibility, but our first priority was always to get Matthew back." Pittsburgh was considered a major favorite to land Stafford when trade speculation surrounding the Rams QB ran rampant — before he ultimately signed a massive extension to remain in Los Angeles. It's crazy to imagine that there exists a possibility where Rodgers potentially signed with the Rams — and the Steelers may have been able to land Stafford. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.