Two years ago, Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt had to make big decisions regarding their futures with Michigan State football. Would they stay and play for a new coach that they didn’t quite have a relationship with, or would they look for a new home and a fresh start elsewhere?
Both opted to find new homes.
Houser ended up at East Carolina where he began as the team’s backup in 2024 before rising to the starting role, and really playing well to end the season. He opened 2025 with some buzz and many expected him to be a breakout performer nationally.
Leavitt wound up at Arizona State where he led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff in 2024, made one cover of EA Sports College Football 26, and even generated some preseason Heisman buzz. Unfortunately, his 2025 season was cut short due to an injury, and he opted to hit the transfer portal in a way that hasn’t sat well with Arizona State fans.
On Monday afternoon, Houser, too, announced that he’d be entering his name into the transfer portal.
NEW: East Carolina QB Katin Houser plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 15, 2025
Houser threw for 3,300 yards, 19 touchdowns and 6 interceptions this season. https://t.co/lUlmPK9UDU pic.twitter.com/fmHLn5qY9T
This news comes about a week after it was rumored that Leavitt would no longer be at Arizona State despite holding the role of QB1 and leading the program to the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Kenny Dillingham on the Sam Leavitt situation:
— Sun Devil Daily (@SunDevilDaily) December 8, 2025
“Sam and I have a really, really good relationship … I don’t need to remember him because I’m going to have a life-long relationship with him.”
Dillingham said he and Leavitt had a conversation but that will remain between them.
Both quarterbacks darted right after Jonathan Smith was hired, leaving Michigan State’s quarterback room completely empty after Noah Kim also left. Like Kim, both Leavitt and Houser are about to be on their second school since leaving Michigan State.
Katin Houser, Sam Leavitt have found post-MSU success
Houser left Michigan State and it immediately looked like the wrong decision as he was tabbed as the backup to Jake Garcia at East Carolina. Going from potential QB1 at Michigan State to a backup in the Group of Five was looking like a horrible career move, but he eventually took over the job and never looked back. He had 5,306 yards and 37 touchdowns for East Carolina in two years.
As for Leavitt, he made the playoff, as I previously mentioned, and he was also a legitimate Heisman candidate to start the 2025 season. Despite his season-ending injury, he managed to pass for 4,513 yards and 34 touchdowns over his two seasons at Arizona State.
If Michigan State was looking for a quarterback, it would’ve been cool to see one of them come back to finish out their college careers, but fortunately the Spartans have Alessio Milivojevic.