Arizona State football will likely lean heavily on its explosive running back in the Big 12 Championship game on Saturday against Iowa State.
If the No. 13 Sun Devils (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) are able to beat the No. 16 Cyclones (10-2, 7-2) and make the College Football Playoff, they’ll almost certainly need a big performance from ASU star Cam Skattebo.
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The first-team All-Big 12 running back in 2024 has been one of the top rushers in college football this season, boasting 1,398 rushing yards with 17 touchdowns on 247 carries. Skattebo has also been one of the most impressive receivers out of the backfield this season, with 35 receptions for 468 yards with two touchdowns.
The 5-foot-1, 215-pound running back is the only player nationally with over 1,000 yards rushing and over 400 yards receiving so far in 2024.
Skattebo has played a huge role in returning Arizona State to prominence, and he’ll undoubtedly play a role in helping it potentially reach the CFP.
Here’s everything to know about Skattebo ahead of Saturday’s Big 12 Championship:
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Skattebo is Arizona State’s senior running back, who was a first-team All-Big 12 selection this season and one of the most productive offensive players nationally in 2024.
The fourth-year running back has 1,398 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 247 carries this season, along with 35 receptions for 468 yards with two touchdowns, despite missing a game during the slate. Skattebo ranks second among all players in all-purpose yards per game, averaging 169.64 per contest. His mark only trails Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy.
Skattebo was also solid in his first season with the Sun Devils in 2023, but he took his game to a new level in 2024 as Arizona State also improved its win total by seven games. He rushed 164 times for 783 yards with nine touchdowns a season ago in coach Kenny Dillingham’s first season.
The Rio Linda, California, native transferred to Arizona State after two seasons at FCS Sacramento State, where he was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after rushing for 1,372 yards with seven touchdowns, along with 31 receptions for 371 yards with a touchdown. Skattebo, who attended the hometown school, finished the season 12-1 with a 66-63 loss in the FCS quarterfinals to Cam Ward and Incarnate Word.
Skattebo was coached by Troy Taylor, who’s now the head coach at Stanford, at Sacramento State.
The 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back appeared to have his eyes set on the Sun Devils after entering the transfer portal, as he committed to the Sun Devils five days after announcing his entry. The potential NFL draft pick appeared to make the right decision.
Skattebo was underrecruited out of high school, ranked as a 0-star recruit with his only reported offers to William & Mary and Sacramento State, where he ultimately attended. His stock raised a bit as a transfer portal prospect, ranked as a 3-star option and the No. 31 running back in the 2023 cycle, per 247Sports.
It’s safe to say Dillingham struck gold with Skattebo in the transfer portal.
Skattebo is also in elite company due to his pass-catching prowess, as he became one of only 15 running backs since 1996 to rush and receive for over 100 yards in the same game. He was also named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, becoming only the second player in Arizona State history to achieve the feat that rewards the top running back in college football.
Here are Skattebo’s year-by-year college stats:
Here’s a look at Skattebo’s 247Sports rating as a high school recruit and transfer portal prospect:
