Arizona

Predicting Where Former Arizona State Star Lands

Published

1 month ago

January 10, 2026

Predicting Where Former Arizona State Star Lands

TEMPE — The Sam Leavitt saga has been one that has split the Arizona State fanbase.

While some have been steadfast in bringing up the contributions that the two-year star poured into the program, others have been emphatic in pointing out the optics of the exit appearing less-than-ideal in a point of critique.

Regardless, the Sun Devils have moved on – with Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley and Michigan transfer Mikey Keense being the two exterior options that were brought in to signify a new era.

Now, Leavitt continues to seek a new college home for what might be his last season of collegiate football – Arizona State on SI makes sense of it all below.

Confirmed Visits – LSU, Tennessee, Miami

Leavitt’s first visit came with Boley’s former school in Kentucky, but the Wildcats have seemingly moved on by signing Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey.

LSU has made sense as a destination in recent weeks, with the presence of Lane Kiffin and the ironic twist of Jayden Daniels going from Arizona State to winning a Heisman Trophy with the Tigers as points of focus. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Leavitt heavily consider the SEC power.

Tennessee reportedly attempted to pry Leavitt away from the Sun Devils last spring and failed. This time, they loom as a relative “sleeper” – the redshirt sophomore even spent two days in Knoxville. This is a situation that is “wait-and-see”, as the Volunteers are still waiting to see what comes of QB Joey Aguilar’s pitch to receive more eligibility.

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrates win with wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the TCU Horned Frogs at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

Miami is another spot that has made sense, as senior Carson Beck will be playing his final game of his collegiate career on January 19. No state income tax, the allure of joining Cam Ward and Beck as potential major risers on NFL draft boards, and playing for a storied program are all major drawing points.

Expected Visit – Oregon

Oregon is the complicated potential landing spot.

There is still a bit of uncertainty surrounding what Oregon’s Dante Moore decided to do pertaining to entering the 2026 draft, so the Ducks must stand pat until a firm decision is made.

It’s simple to see why an Oregon native would be drawn to play for what has become a storied franchise that now has a phenomenal track record of developing quarterbacks.

Verdict: Leavitt Lands With Oregon

There’s absolutely nothing firm about this prediction, but Oregon makes the most sense – with the caveat that Moore decides to go pro.

Read more on why the Arizona State men’s basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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Arizona

Arizona bench overpowers No. 23 BYU to snap 2-game skid

Published

10 hours ago

February 19, 2026

Press Room

Arizona bench overpowers No. 23 BYU to snap 2-game skid

PROVO — Down a pair of starters in Arizona’s Koa Peat and BYU’s Richie Saunders, it was the Wildcats’ bench who came up big Wednesday night.

The Cougars? Not so much.

Anthony Dell’Orso scored a season-high 22 points, and Ivan Kharchenkov added 18 points and seven rebounds as No. 4 Arizona snapped a two-game losing skid with a 75-68 win over BYU at the McKay Center in Tucson, Arizona.

Jaden Bradley added 12 points and 10 assists for the Wildcats (24-2, 11-2 Big 12), who got 11 points from Brayden Burries and outscored the Cougars’ bench 26-6.

AJ Dybantsa poured in a game-high 35 points, seven rebounds and two assists to lead BYU (19-7, 7-6 Big 12); and Robert Wright III scored 13 with four rebounds and three assists.

Kennard Davis Jr. had 10 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Keba Keita pulled down nine boards for the Cougars.

Dybantsa set the BYU freshman scoring record, moving ahead of Danny Ainge’s 632 points while averaging 21.2 points in 1977-78.

But when it came to finding answers from an increasingly shortened rotation, BYU coach Kevin Young was at a loss.

In short, absent Richie Saunders after the senior suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the first minute of last Saturday’s overtime win over Colorado, the Cougars need to answer the bell.

Dell’Orso rang it for them.

Dell’Orso scored 15 points off the bench including a pair of 3-pointers in the first half to help the Wildcats lead by as much as 39-33 just before the break.

Dybantsa totaled 16 points, three rebounds and two assists, and Wright scored 11 to help the Cougars pull within four.

But Dell’Orso capped his 5-of-9 shooting first half with his third 3-pointer at the buzzer to help the Wildcats to a 42-35 halftime lead.

“Richie brings a lot of scoring, a lot of aggressiveness,” Dybantsa said after the game. “So I just tried to mimic what he gave us and try to do what he does.”

BYU made just 3-of-10 from the field to open the second half, and Arizona shot up to 57% to take a 13-point lead on Kharchenkov’s jumper eight minutes in.

Dybantsa had 19 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to seven, 73-66, with two minutes remaining. Davis capped a 7-0 run in just over 90 seconds to pull the Cougars within 73-68 in the final minute.

But Dell’Orso punctuated Arizona’s win with an open dunk off a turnover to give the home team a win in the series for the first time in five tries.

“We’ve just got competitive guys. I think we have a lot of belief in ourselves, no matter what situation we find ourselves in,” Young said. “And that was the case tonight against a really good basketball team.

“You have to give them a lot of credit, because they had a lot of guys who stepped up.”

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Arizona

ASCS Notes: Central Arizona Raceway Debut

Published

22 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Press Room

ASCS Notes: Central Arizona Raceway Debut

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — This weekend, the American Sprint Car Series kicks off a double dose of desert sprint car action with its debut at Central Arizona Raceway. The inaugural Sonoran Clash hits the high-banked, three-eighths-mile oval for the first of back-to-back weekends of racing this Saturday and Sunday night, Feb. 21–22, before returning the following weekend, […]

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Arizona

BYU Basketball: Availability Report At No. 4 Arizona

Published

1 day ago

February 18, 2026

Press Room

BYU Basketball: Availability Report At No. 4 Arizona

BYU basketball goes on the road for a rematch opportunity against one of the top teams in the country.

The Cougars are gearing up to face the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday night at the McKale Center in Tucson.

It will be the first game this season where No. 23 BYU will be without star guard Richie Saunders.

Saunders suffered a season-ending ACL injury in BYU’s overtime win over Colorado this past Saturday.

It’s a significant loss, as Saunders was the 10th-leading scorer in the Big 12 Conference this season, averaging 18 points per game.

BYU still has stars AJ Dybantsa and Rob Wright III to carry the workload, but they will need the supporting cast to step up.

Their first crack at life without Saunders will be against Arizona, which, like BYU, will be without one of its top players on Wednesday night.

Freshman Koa Peat is out with a muscle strain in his lower leg area. He sustained the injury in last Saturday’s loss to Texas Tech.

Koa Peat has a muscle strain in his lower leg area. He will be re-evaluated next week and will return to the court when cleared by the medical staff.
Dwayne Aristode (illness) will also not be available Wednesday against BYU.
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) February 18, 2026

Arizona will also be without Dwayne Aristode, who is battling an illness. That significantly shrinks Arizona’s bench, reducing it to a six-man rotation.

Arizona has dropped its past two games. The Wildcats have not lost three consecutive games in the Tommy Lloyd era (since 2021).

BYU enters the game with a 19-6 overall record, and 7-5 mark in Big 12 play.

BYU basketball availability report against No. 4 Arizona

OUT

#4 Brody Kozlowski
#10 KJ Perry (redshirting)
#12 Nate Pickens
#15 Richie Saunders
#25 Dawson Baker
#33 Xavion Staton

Arizona Wildcats report

OUT

#2 Dwayne Aristode
#10 Koa Peat

No. 23 BYU at No. 4 Arizona

Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Tip-off: 7 p.m. (MST)

TV: ESPN

Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.

Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.

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