The Arizona State Sun Devils are entering the 2026 season with designs of winning another Big 12 title.
Head coach Kenny Dillingham is also facing pressure to replace Sam Leavitt in a sufficient manner.
A decision appears to be looming in finding Leavitt’s successor – just two weeks ahead of the September 5 season opener. Chris Karpman of Sun Devil Source captured Dillingham’s words on Friday seemingly confirming that the decision on a starter is imminent.
This is a decision that has potential to completely reshape the Big 12 landscape – read more on the tail-end of the battle below.
Dillingham on Brink of Key Decision
GettyCutter Boley is in line to be Arizona State’s starting QB.
While the battle isn’t yet over, all signs point to Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley being the pick.
Boley, 21 next week, is making a transition from SEC play into the Big 12. This should prove to be a favorable career move for the gunslinger, as he struggles with ball security.
Boley’s competition is sixth-year player Mikey Keene. Keene is making a return to Arizona after playing for three other schools to start his career. Keene is an exceptional game manager and is vocally comfortable in a familiar environment.
Boley’s tendency to turn the ball over was a recurring issue during spring camp, but is being corrected during fall. The third-year talent is becoming more comfortable in Dillingham’s offense by the day, using his legs to extend plays and typically avoiding costly turnovers in the process.
This battle is an iron-sharpens-iron scenario, as Keene is showing Boley the ropes of veteran QB play. Boley is pushing the experienced player to take more chances in return. The competition is continuing to benefit the locker room this offseason as well. The quarterback room is frequently vocal about how they genuinely enjoy competing with and being around one another, which is an absolute positive for Dillingham and Arizona State.
Arizona State Placing Much Trust in Starting QB
GettyKeene still has a chance to become ASU’s starting QB.
Boley is the anticipated starting quarterback for Arizona State. The responsibilities will still be similar for him in comparison to Keene.
While the two are different types of quarterback, each is expected to limit turnovers at all costs. Dillingham is exceedingly vocal about protecting the football, and has never shied away from this.
Boley owns a career interception rate of 4.5% in just 354 career passing attempts (Sports Reference). Boley will attempt more than 354 passes in a perfect world over a 12-game regular season in Dillingham’s high-flying offense. An interception rate above 3% is likely to cost the Sun Devils dearly in terms of competing for a Big 12 title.
Beyond turnover aversion, Boley is also going to carry the burden of distributing the ball evenly to a talented skill position group. This isn’t necessarily a negative, but he has yet to play with this much talent in his career. The 6’5″ passer must reconcile ball security, airing the ball out, and extending plays with his sneaky athleticism in an effort to be Arizona State’s ceiling raiser in 2026.
Arizona State Starting Quarterback Decision is Imminent