On Oct. 31, following a loss to Houston at home, ASU star quarterback and redshirt sophomore Sam Leavitt was ruled out for the remainder of the season to undergo surgery. With Leavitt out and ASU's record sitting at 5-3, all hope seemed dashed for the Sun Devils to return to the Big 12 Championship.
Enter redshirt senior Jeff Sims, in his sixth year of college football, to lead the Sun Devils down the stretch. In his two games since replacing Leavitt as the starter, he is 2-0, winning AP National Player of the Week for his record-breaking 228-rushing-yard performance against Iowa State. He then followed that by winning Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his three passing touchdown performance against West Virginia.
Sims has brightened a once dim-looking situation for ASU, keeping them still in the mix for a playoff spot with two weeks remaining.
"I haven't been this excited about someone ... who's put that much work in their entire career to go out in this stage and have an opportunity when he's been called on," offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. "To execute and do some of the stuff he's done in the past couple of weeks has been fantastic."
The 23-year-old started his career at Georgia Tech in 2020, where he spent three seasons before transferring to Nebraska for a season and then transferring to ASU for the 2024 season.
Sims decided to stay a Sun Devil in 2025 despite knowing he would sit behind Leavitt for another season, and when his name was called, he made the most of his opportunity.
"What's right in the universe is for him to go out and be successful, because he's such a good kid," head coach Kenny Dillingham said.
The Florida native has showcased his skill set on both the ground and through the air in the past two games, establishing himself as a versatile quarterback.
"I think Jeff Sims is a guy who can play on Sundays. I absolutely believe that," Dillingham said.
NFL aspirations are something that have never left Sim's mind, despite the odds looking bleak as he navigated the trials and tribulations of his collegiate journey.
"That's always been my dream since I was a little kid," Sims said of potentially playing in the NFL. "Even though I've been through a lot in my college career, I never lost hope for it."
Dillingham and Arroyo have always believed in Sims as a player because of their belief and trust in him as a person.
This is a sentiment that his teammates share.
"It's easy to trust Jeff because we see Jeff come to work every day," junior defensive back Keith Abney II said. "Jeff wasn't playing at first, and he didn't have an attitude; he wasn't moping around, so seeing him come to work every day and finally get the opportunity, it's great to see."
Work is not limited to just the hours of practice for Sims and his offensive unit. He consistently gets post-practice work with his receivers, building relationships with his teammates while refining their craft.
"Anything that we missed in the game or practice, we try to get it after practice to get it together," Sims said.
Sims' journey hasn't been linear, but he's always been moving forward. Through three programs, multiple systems and serving time as a backup, his resilience has never wavered.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Sun Devils are no longer just playing out their schedule, waiting for an offseason that will be filled with questions. They are playing to keep postseason hopes alive, and Sims is playing to resurrect a dream that never died.
"One key thing my dad told me (was), 'You don't go through things, you grow through it,' and I feel like I've grown through any trial that I went through, and it made me who I am," Sims said.
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Henry Smardo and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at eapache3@asu.edu.
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