Sun Devil Quarterback Notes

YEARS WHERE THREE QUARTERBACKS STARTED (1996-PRESENT) TRUE FRESHMEN QUARTERBACKS TO START AT ASU

--Jaden Rashada became just the second true freshman quarterback to start a season opener and fought off a nearly three-hour lightning delay after halftime to lead ASU to a 24-21 win in Kenny Dillingham's first game as head coach on Aug. 31, 2023. Rashada was 18-of-31 for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

--Joey Yellen’s got his first-career start against USC (11/9/19), and delivered in a big way. He threw for four touchdown passes, the most for a Sun Devil in their first-career start in program history. His 292 passing yards were the fourth-most for a Sun Devil in their first-career start in program history (Rudy Carpenter, 401; Sam Keller, 370; Steven Threet, 339; Dillon Sterling-Cole, 302).  

--Jayden Daniels became the first Sun Devil true freshman quarterback to start the season opener and led ASU to a 30-7 win over Kent State on Aug. 29, 2019. Daniels was 15-of-24 for 284 yards and two touchdowns as ASU jumped out to a 27-0 lead.

--Dillon Sterling-Cole earned a true freshman start at Oregon on Oct. 29, 2016. ASU (5-4; 2-4) fell 54-34 as he threw for 302 yards on 21-of-37 passing and rushing for a score at Autzen Stadium.

--On Nov. 14, 2009 at No. 14 Oregon (8-2; 6-2), Brock Osweiler -- listed at 6-8 -- became the first true freshman to start at QB since Jake Plummer in 1993 in a 44-21 loss. ASU (4-6; 2-5) had sophomore Samson Szakacsy replace Osweiler in the first half after he was hit hard. He was 5-of-10 for 14 yards. ASU's rush defense, best in the Pac-10 entering the game and sixth in the nation at 87.44 yards per game, allowed 268 yards. Osweiler had replaced Danny Sullivan in the previous week's game at USC in the second half.

--Jake Plummer's first start as a true freshman was on Oct. 16, 1993, a 45-36 loss to Oregon in Sun Devil Stadium as he completed 18-of-37 for 237 yards and two touchdowns. He led ASU to a 4-2 record in his final six games as ASU won four of its final five games. He was the first Sun Devil true freshman to start at quarter back since John Walker in 1984.

--John Walker earned a start in the second game of his 1984 true freshman season and delivered a 48-0 win over San Jose State on Sept. 15. The Tempe, Ariz., product (Marcos de Niza High School) tossed for 141 yards on 8-of-15 passing. Staring quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst was injured a season-opening loss to Oklahoma State, so Walker stepped in and beat San Jose State, fell 6-3 to eventual Rose Bowl champion USC, beat Stanford 28-10 and then lost to Cal 19-14 before the sophomore Van Raaphorst returned on Oct. 20 vs. USC.

--Dennis Sproul earned his first start on Oct. 5, 1974, in his true freshman season, the fourth game of the year, as ASU won at Wyoming 16-10. He had a one-yard plunge to start the scoring and a 61-yard scoring pass to Morris Owens. Sproul would throw for 10 touchdowns and was 96-of-199 on the year for 1,438 yards. The game program is shown below from that tilt.

OTHER ASU QB FIRST CAREER STARTS SINCE 1992 (NOTE: UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
--Sam Leavitt -- after playing at Michigan State in 2023 -- made his debut for the Sun Devils and shined in the home opener. He led the Sun Devils to a  48-7 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys throwing 14-of-22 for 258 yards and two touchdowns. On top of that, he rushed for 47 yards on eight carries. 

--Sophomore Manny Wilkins led ASU to a 44-13 win over NAU in his first start, the 2016 season opener on Sept. 3. Wilkins accounted for 269 total yards. The redshirt sophomore scored the first Sun Devil touchdown of the season and of his career on a 13-yard carry in the first quarter. He would go on to finish the game with 89 rushing yards and finished 20-of-27 for 180 yards and one interception. 

--Sophomore Taylor Kelly started the season opener against Northern Arizona on Aug. 30, 2012 and posted 247 yards on 15-of-19 passing with a touchdown to Richard Smith in the 63-6 win that was Todd Graham's first game as head coach. Kelly had thrown (and completed) four passes prior to the start, in the 2011 opener vs. UC-Davis.

--Junior Steven Threet threw for 339 yards on 14-of-21 passing on Sept. 5, 2010, in the season-opening win over Portland State. It marked the most passing yards by any Sun Devil in his debut. His two touchdowns both went to true freshman Deantre Lewis, one on a 28-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter and another a 62-yard pass in the third quarter.

--Sophomore Samson Szakacsy, the Devils' third quarterback of the season, was 15 of 22 with one interception and two touchdowns while getting sacked four times in his first career start on Nov. 21, 2009 at UCLA in a 23-13 loss.

--Danny Sullivan went 13-of-25 for 165 yards and no interceptions in a solid debut as the Sun Devils' official starting quarterback when ASU opened the 2009 season with a 50-3 win over Idaho State on Sept. 5.

--Redshirt freshman Rudy Carpenter made his first career start as ASU defeated Washington, 44-20, in front of 57,678 fans at Frank Kush Field at Sun Devil Stadium on Oct. 29, 2005. Rudy was 27-of-34 for 401 yards and threw three touchdowns to Matt Miller.

--Sam Keller's first start came on Dec. 31, 2004, in the Sun Bowl as he led ASU to a 27-23 win with 370 yards on 25-of-45 passing and three touchdowns. He had appeared in five games prior.

--Redshirt freshman Chad Christensen completed 6-of-16 for 77 yards in a 48-10 loss in the season opener at Nebraka in 2002.

--Andrew Walter  2001/Arizona, L, 34-21 10/22, 132 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

--Jeff Krohn 2000/San Diego St., W, 10-7 18/42, 160 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

--Griffin Goodman 1999/Wake Forest, L, 23-3 10/16, 142 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

--Chad Elliott** 1998/Stanford, W, 44-38 OT 8/17, 92 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

--Steve Campbell led ASU to a Sun Bowl win on Dec. 31, 1997 as ASU topped Iowa, 17-7. Campbell was 5-of-11 for 109 yards and one touchdown.

--Ryan Kealy as a redshirt freshman was 11-of-19 with a touchdown and threw for 107 yards in the 1997 41-10 win over New Mexico State.

--On Sept. 19, 1992, redshirt freshman Grady Benton led the Sun Devils to the first win in the Bruce Snyder era with a 19-0 defeat of Howard Schnellenberged-led Louisville, as ASU sacked Jeff Brohm 10 times for 100 yards. Benton was 14-of-22 for 142 yards.