Kenny Dillingham's ASU made a real dent for the second consecutive time in the 2026 NFL draft. The New Orleans Saints picked former ASU WR, Jordyn Tyson, at 8th overall, while OT, Max Iheanachor, went 21st overall. Four ASU players went pro in this year's NFL draft. But many, like Malik McClain, who didn't, landed undrafted free agent deals right away. Now, a veteran ASU QB, who was still awaiting a call from an NFL team, finally got an opportunity.
According to his agent, Chris Rogers, former ASU QB Jeff Sims has now accepted a rookie minicamp invite with the New York Giants . The QB reportedly has his jersey in ASU's Hall of Fame for his record-breaking performance. Sims chose the Giants over the Chargers. The 6'4″ and 220 lbs QB has 6 years' worth of veteran experience under his belt and has played with three different programs in college.
As a high school recruit, Sims was a three-star QB from Jacksonville, Florida, and enrolled at Georgia Tech in 2020. As a freshman, the QB even started the season opener, becoming the first freshman QB to do so since 1972. Despite throwing for 1,881 yards and rushing for 492 yards, injuries marred Sims' season.
The former ASU QB returned with Georgia Tech in 2021, but injuries continued to halt his momentum. He missed 5 games in the regular season, passing for 1,468 yards while rushing for another 372 yards. When Sims was again sidelined by an injury after starting seven games in 2022, interim head coach Brent Key decided to move away from his QB1. The head coach used Zach Gibson and Zach Pyron as QB1s after Sims entered the portal.
"We had meetings with Jeff and meetings with the doctors and the medical professionals," Brent Key said in 2022. "And came to the determination that it would be best for Jeff to not be in meetings or not be in practice but to be in treatment and in rehab right now moving forward." Nevertheless, when Sims left Georgia Tech, he had accumulated 4,464 yards, and Nebraska trusted him, considering his veteran experience.
It took no time for Sims to win the starting job at Nebraska when Casey Thompson transferred in 2023. However, it became clear early that Sims still had to work on his game. He gave away easy fumbles, turnovers were high, and finally, when an injury forced him out of the week 2 game against Colorado, he never made it back as the Cornhuskers' QB1.
"Jeff will be the first guy to say, well, you know, we can't have that many turnovers," Matt Rhule said about Jeff Sims after the Colorado game. "Especially down in the red zone, where we turn the ball over twice inside our own 30, which led to points…They said hey look, maybe like a high ankle (sprain).' Then he wanted to go back in, and I didn't see any point in putting him in there. Obviously, all of us have to take care of the ball better."
In 2024, Sims moved to Arizona State, hoping for redemption at last. But all he got was 7 starts in 13 appearances. The issues with the former Cornhuskers' QB were similar. He had solid mobility and arm talent, but with low efficiency and consistency, Dillingham couldn't trust him as QB1. Especially since a better option, Sam Leavitt, was already on the roster. Nevertheless, Sims still has a rich legacy with Arizona State.
In the 2024 season, when Sam Leavitt wasn't available, Sims appeared against Cincinnati , passing 155 yards and rushing for another 53 yards. Yet the team lost 24-14 because ASU's QB1 had an efficiency of only 52.2%. But that sentiment of being an 'inconsistent' and 'unreliable' QB finally changed when Sam Leavitt went down with a season-ending injury.
In no time, Sims became a dynamic dual-threat QB for the Sun Devils. He completed 105 of his 188 passes for 1,261 yards and had a whopping 536 rushing yards for the team. Against Iowa State, who was an early favorite for the Big 12 title, he rushed for 228 yards, nailing the ASU QB record. Owing to that performance, his #2 jersey still hangs proudly in ASU's Hall of Fame, showcasing the untapped potential he still has.
"Talk about battling. That was the definition of battling by that kid, man. That kid chose to stay here, be a part of this team. Crazy," Dillingham said about Sims' Iowa State game-winning (24-19) performance. "He's everything right with college football. He's such a great person to stay here for his teammates and to be able to get that opportunity and to win that game…You really have to see a little bit behind the scenes of Jeff."
At the New York Giants' rookie minicamp, Sims will likely show the same rushing threat as the team tries to evaluate him. It shouldn't be a difficult decision for the Giants, as the former ASU player will at least get an invite to the team's training camp. And if everything falls into place, there will eventually be a rookie contract, too.
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