Jeff Sims gets shot at redemption in start vs. Cincinnati
To win college football games in this day and age, you have to win in the transfer portal first.
Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham has done just that.
Whether it’s finding a gem like Division I-AA Sacramento State transfer turned superstar FBS running back Cam Skattebo, or giving an opportunity to Colorado transfer wide receiver Jordan Tyson to show he can be a No. 1 target, Dillingham knows what he’s looking for.
This offseason, he utilized the portal to find his starting quarterback. By the end of spring, ASU’s head coach found not one, but two potential starters to command his offense: Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt and Nebraska transfer Jeff Sims.
Leavitt, a redshirt freshman, came in and caught the attention of the Sun Devils coaching staff early. Leavitt transferred in December, making him available to participate in spring practices. His immediate success is speculated to be one of the reasons redshirt freshman Jaden Rashada — who started three games in 2023 for ASU before suffering a knee injury — transferred to Georgia. His prowess continued through summer camp, where he beat out Sims, a senior who transferred in May, for the starting job.
Leavitt has managed Arizona State’s offense for the bulk of the season, improving every week. The redshirt freshman was coming off of his best game of the year, a four-touchdown performance in a win over Kansas, heading into the Sun Devil’s matchup against Utah. The momentum from the win over the Jayhawks carried over as Leavitt hit his favorite target Tyson for an early touchdown before the end of the first quarter. As soon as it seemed Leavitt had finally arrived, he was downed by a second quarter rib injury.
Enter Jeff Sims.
Sims stepped up immediately, punching in a two-yard run for a score on the same drive. Leavitt returned to the game before the first half closed out and guided the Sun Devils to a win, but not without accompanying bad news. ASU’s starting quarterback will miss at least one game, leading Dillingham to name Sims the starter for Saturday's Big 12 road game at Cincinnati.
Sims was able to reach the end zone in his brief appearance last week, but his two drives — the second ending in a punt after missing Tyson on a deep ball — aren't enough to tell us what Arizona State fans can truly expect from the fifth-year senior.
Fortunately, this isn’t Sims' first rodeo.
Early Georgia Tech Success Thwarted by Injury
Sims was a Class of 2020 four-star recruit out of Jacksonville, Florida's Sandalwood High School. He originally committed to Florida State before rescinding his commitment three days after current Seminole’s head coach Mike Norvell was named as the man in charge. A week later, the Florida native signed with Georgia Tech, where he would begin his college career.
He was named the starter as a freshman, playing all 10 games for the Yellow Jackets. He coincidentally won his first collegiate game in a comeback victory over Florida State. He finished his inaugural college season with typical first-year numbers, completing 141-257 passes (54.9%) for 1,881 yards, throwing for 13 touchdowns and just as many interceptions; however, his running capability immediately set him apart. He finished his freshman season with 492 yards rushing, averaging 12 yards per carry, and six touchdowns.
A solid rookie campaign put Sims in line to take control of Georgia Tech’s offense for years to come, but his next two seasons were plagued with injuries. Sims only competed in seven games in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He finished his three-year Georgia Tech career with 4,464 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns and 23 interceptions, while compiling an additional 1,152 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. After his junior year, he made the decision to transfer to Nebraska for the 2023 season.
A Lackluster Year in Lincoln
Sims won the starting job for the Cornhuskers in the beginning of the season, but never was able to put anything together as his lingering injury history continued to trouble him.
In his only two starts of the year, he wasn’t able to bring Nebraska a win, throwing four interceptions and one touchdown. To add insult to injury — no pun intended — Sims was hurt in the second game of the season against Colorado, sidelining him for the next game, limiting his time in the following and ultimately losing his job entirely. He would play his last meaningful minutes for the Cornhuskers in a 13-10 loss to Maryland later in the season, where he threw two more interceptions before entering the transfer portal again.
Between his injury history and subpar season at Nebraska, it’s hard to get overly confident that Sims will step in and be just as good as Leavitt. But on the bright side, Dillingham doesn't have to worry about him going out there and looking like a deer in headlights — he’s been here before.
What we saw from Sims as a Cornhusker should not dictate what we think we’ll see from him Saturday. He had a promising career as a Yellow Jacket until health became an obstacle.
He will have to play and prove that those years don’t define him this weekend. Sims has an ironic shot at redemption this weekend if he is able to lead the Sun Devils to an upset.
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Jordyn Bennett is a staff reporter for Arizona State On SI.