Jake Plummer sees the transfer portal’s impact on Arizona State firsthand. The Sun Devils lost quarterback Sam Leavitt to LSU in January, just months after he helped deliver the program’s first College Football Playoff berth.
Plummer led Arizona State to an undefeated regular season and Rose Bowl appearance in 1996. He remains the gold standard among Sun Devils quarterbacks.
“It’s the new age of college sports,” Plummer told The Sporting News in an exclusive interview. “It’s a bummer to see Sam leave. I liked him a lot. I wish him well. I think he will do really well at LSU. Hopefully, for his sake.”
Leavitt paired with star running back Cam Skattebo and coach Kenny Dillingham during his breakout 2024 campaign. The trio transformed Arizona State into a playoff contender.
“(Arizona State coach) Kenny (Dillingham) is well aware of how this is working. Alright, next man up. Who is it going to be?”
Cutter Boley Steps In
Arizona State expects to hand the starting quarterback job to Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley. The move represents another portal transaction in college football’s current landscape.
Boley threw for 2,160 yards with 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. He averaged 7.2 yards per pass attempt during his time with the Wildcats.
“I’ve watched a little bit of film on Cutter Boley,” Plummer said. “He’s a tall kid. He looked pretty athletic. Here’s the deal: Sam was really good at the improv. The scrambling around, making guys miss, doing all that.”
Plummer noted areas where Leavitt needed improvement for the next level.
“What he has to start to work on if he wants to go next level, it’s going through progressions, standing in the pocket, making those hard throws with a lot of different arm angles. I think he can. It’s just going to take some time to get there.”
The former Sun Devils quarterback sees different strengths in Boley’s game.
“This kid looks athletic. Maybe a little bit more pocket presence to him. Obviously they need some weapons around. They’re losing one of the best receivers in the history of ASU in Jordyn Tyson. There are some guys coming in. I’ve seen some young receivers that show potential. But that’s yet to be seen.”
Leadership Questions
Plummer does football analysis on The Cold Tub alongside former Broncos teammate Nate Jackson. He emphasized that Boley’s leadership skills matter just as much as his on-field production.
“If he’s going to be the guy, who is it that comes in and takes control?” Plummer said. “Taking the guys out on the field when there are no coaches, so we can just get together and understand how you run your routes, how my ball is coming in.”
Those unofficial practice sessions can make the difference between good and great teams.
“The multiple over-repetitive reps you take that are not sanctioned by the NCAA and the coaches. That’s where you take those steps. If he’s doing that, I’m excited. If he’s just hoping they mesh together, that’s a challenge.”
Dillingham has transformed Arizona State in his first three seasons. The program was dealing with NCAA sanctions at the end of the Herm Edwards tenure when he arrived.
Portal Challenges
Plummer said it’s a major annual challenge for Dillingham to manage his roster amid constant transfer portal movement.
“I really applaud those college coaches,” Plummer said. “They are free agents every year at the most important position. They’re coming in and you’re filling in gaps all the time.”
Arizona State didn’t lose many players to the portal this cycle. But replacing key contributors like Leavitt presents obvious challenges.
“Replacing a guy like Sam is tough. Skattebo you can’t replace, and Sam, I don’t think you can replace a player like him. He had something about him that was really special. So it’s a bummer to see him leave, but this is the way it is.”
Plummer understands the temptation players face in the current system.
“I don’t try to understand it, because I’m not in it. I’m sure if I was in it, I may have made those decisions, too. If you recall, we went 3-8 my sophomore year, and I wondered what the hell I was doing there.”
That season featured frustrating contradictions for the Sun Devils.
“What am I doing here? We had seven guys get drafted and we went 3-8? I would have gone somewhere else where the guys wanted to win, where I could win right away, especially if I didn’t have to sit out a year.”
Long-Term Perspective
Plummer is happy he stuck it out with Arizona State. He wonders how current players will feel about their college experience after their careers end.
“These kids now, they play with four different college teams,” Plummer said. “There will be a day when you don’t have football, and where are you going to go back to? Will you go to four different alumni reunions?”
The relationships players build during their college careers often extend far beyond football.
“You left there for some reason. You didn’t like this guy or that guy. That’s just the nature of it. But I’m glad (I stayed at ASU). Three years of hard, hard work. It was the culmination of guys really wanting it.”
Those bonds created something lasting for Plummer’s generation.
“We stuck together and we bonded hard. That’s why we’ll never be forgotten.”
