(Tempe, AZ) Sun Devil Football quarterback Sam Leavitt, linebacker Martell Hughes, and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson were honored for their performances on Saturday.
In Arizona State’s 35-31 win over UCF, the trio of Sun Devils each made significant contributions. Leavitt and Tyson teamed up to lead to offense, highlighted by their connection on the game-winning touchdown pass with under five minutes remaining. Hughes changed the game with a punt block in the second quarter, which led to a 46-yard return for a touchdown by Montana Warren. Thanks to their efforts, Leavitt, Hughes, and Tyson earned several prominent national distinctions.
Jordyn Tyson was an honorable mention selection for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week, which recognizes the top performing offensive player with ties to the state of Texas. It is the sixth time a Sun Devil has received a national player of the week award. Sam Leavitt (newcomer) and Martell Hughes (special teams) took home two of the possible four Big 12 Player of the Week awards. In the Kenny Dillingham era, a Sun Devil has now won a conference player of the week award 12 times. ASU leads the Big 12 with eight conference player of the week selections this season. For the third time in 2024, Arizona State was responsible for two of the four weekly award recipients in the league.
Big 12 Newcomer Player of the Week – Sam Leavitt
Sun Devil quarterback Sam Leavitt is playing beyond his redshirt freshman status, emerging as one of the top young quarterbacks in the nation.
Elite Company
For the second time this season, Leavitt was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, making him one of only three players in the conference to win the award twice (QB Brennan Sorsby, Cincinnati; RB Bryson Washington, Baylor)
Ice in his Veins
In Arizona State’s 35-31 win over UCF, Leavitt was calm under pressure, doing his best work late in the game. He led yet another fourth quarterback comeback drive, as ASU took the lead for good with a 13-yard pass to Tyson in the corner of the end zone. It is the second time that duo has connected on a game-winning touchdown, doing so to beat Kansas earlier in the year.
Keeping it Clean
For the second straight game, he recorded three touchdown passes without an interception. His TD-to-INT ratio this season now sits at 14:4. It was the first time an ASU quarterback posted consecutive games with three touchdown passes and no picks since Jayden Daniels did so in three straight games against UCLA, Oregon State and Oregon in 2019. It is also the first time a quarterback has had three or more games in a season with three or more touchdown passes in a season since Daniels in that 2019 season (four total). He is one of just 10 FBS quarterbacks with 3+ touchdowns with no interceptions for the week and the only freshman to do so.
X Factor
Arizona State is now 7-1 in games that Leavitt has played this season. In those eight games, ASU is averaging 33.8 points in the games he has played in compared to a 14-point output in the one game he missed.
Report Card
PFF tabbed Leavitt as the sixth-highest graded overall player on offense in the Big 12 for the Week and the second-highest graded quarterback (84.1). He was also the highest graded freshman (true or redshirt) offensive player in the league for the week. Leavitt was the 10th-highest graded quarterback in the country for the week as a passer (84.1). Not only that, he was also the highest graded freshman offensive player (true or redshirt) in the Big 12 and the third-highest graded in the FBS for the week – and the highest-graded Power Four freshman.
Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week – Martell Hughes
Perhaps no single player factored into Arizona State’s 35-31 win over UCF more than freshman linebacker Martell Hughes. He was an unsung hero, excelling in his role as a special teams player and reserve linebacker. Hughes is ASU’s first winner of Conference Special Teams Player of the Week since the move to the Big 12.
The Big Block
Martell Hughes blocked a punt in the second quarter that led to a Montana Warren recovery for a touchdown, completely changing the dynamic of the first half in ASU’s favor. That was the first punt block for a touchdown by a Sun Devi since Eno Benjamin accomplished the feat against UCLA on Nov. 17, 2017.
Special Teams, Special Player
Hughes had a monstrous game on special teams, recording the punt block (which was returned 46 yards for a touchdown by Montana Warren) and then picking up an arguably even bigger play late in the first half when he made a tackle at the one-yard line on a botched kickoff return with under a minute remaining in the half. The next play was picked off for a touchdown for a 14-point swing in the span of three plays taking ASU from a 17-7 deficit to a 21-17 lead going into halftime that proved to be the difference in the contest.
Doing it on Defense
Hughes would go on to keep the game from ending dramatically, making the final tackle of the contest before UCF could get out of bounds or pitch the ball around to seal the 35-31 win. Despite limited reps on defense as a reserve linebacker, PFF tabbed him as the highest-graded Arizona State defender.
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week (Honorable Mention)
Jordyn Tyson
Jordyn Tyson had another big day, hauling in seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He continues to emerge as one of the premiere receivers in the Big 12.
Texas to Tempe
The nation is taking notice, as he lands on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week Honorable Mention list. The honor recognizes the top offensive player in Division I football that meets one or more of the following criteria: Played football and graduated from a Texas High School and/or playing at a four year D1 Texas college. Tyson is from Allen High School in Allen, Texas.
Raising his Game
Tyson now has five touchdowns in the last four games and 448 yards (89.6 yards per game) on 32 catches in that span. In the first four games, he had 14 catches for 209 yards with one touchdown.
Coming up Clutch
Four of his touchdown receptions this season have come in the final five minutes of a half (two in the first half and two in the second half). Three of his seven touchdown catches have come in the fourth quarter of games.
Premiere Production
It was Tyson’s second game this season with two receiving touchdowns. He also accounted for six receiving first downs, tied for the second-most in the FBS.
Report Card
PFF tabbed him as the 15th-highest graded WR in the FBS for the week (74.9). When Tyson was targeted in the game, it resulted in a 152.1 NFL QBR rating, 10th-best in the FBS.
National Players of the Week in 2024 (5)
Week 11
Jordyn Tyson – Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week (Honorable Mention)
Week 10
Cam Skattebo – Doak Walker Running Back of the Week
Week 7
Cam Skattebo – Doak Walker Running Back of the Week
Caleb McCullough – Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player
Week 2
Cam Skattebo – Doak Walker Running Back of the Week
Cam Skattebo – Associated Press Offensive Player of the Week
Conference Players of the Week under Coach Dillingham (12)
After having four total conference player of the week selections in the 12-team Pac-12 last year, Arizona State already has eight in the 16-team Big 12 so far this season.
Big 12 Era
2024 (8)
Martell Hughes (ST), Nov. 11
Sam Leavitt (Newcomer), Nov. 11
Cam Skattebo (O), Nov. 4
Caleb McCullough (D), Oct. 14
Cam Skattebo (O), Oct. 14
Sam Leavitt (Newcomer), Oct. 7
Cam Skattebo (Co-O), Oct. 7
Cam Skattebo (O), Sept. 9
Pac-12 Era
2023 (4)
Dashaun Mallory (DL), Nov. 13
Leif Fautanu (OL), Oct. 30
B.J. Green (DL), Oct. 30
Dario Longhetto, Oct. 30
The ASU Victory…
Gave ASU seven wins in its first nine games for the first time since starting the 2014 season with an 8-1 record.
Kept ASU undefeated at home this year, improving to 5-0. It is the first time the Sun Devils started 5-0 at home since 2013 (7-0).
Kept the Sun Devils within a game of second in the Big 12 rankings.
Moved the Sun Devils to 4-2 in conference play for the first time since 2017
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Connor Smith
