Cam Skattebo wasn’t an NFL Draft prospect in 2023. That’s changed, says ASU’s Dillingham

Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo brought quite a resume to Arizona State when he transferred from Sacramento State. He averaged 9.1 yards per carry in 2021, then 7.0 in 2022 before making the leap to the power conference level.

He didn’t disappoint by any means in 2023 for a struggling ASU team that could call him a bright spot. But head coach Kenny Dillingham has changed the expectations for Skattebo in 2024.

Dillingham said Skattebo enters the Sun Devils’ season, with an opener against Wyoming set for Saturday night, as a legitimate 2025 NFL Draft prospect.

Skattebo has given his coach reason to set the bar that high.

“His mindset: he’s a different person mentally in terms of how focused he is and how driven he is this year,” Dillingham told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “That’s a guy, he had a great year last year but he didn’t even — I mean, he’s a different player. This Cam has the potential to play on Sundays. Last year’s Cam did not. That’s how drastic of a change he made, his decision he wanted to achieve being a Sunday player.”

"This Cam has the potential to play on Sundays. Last year's Cam did not," Kenny Dillingham said of Cam Skattebo on @Bickley_Marotta.

"That's how drastic of a change he made — his decision he wanted to achieve being a Sunday player." pic.twitter.com/rgew9WHdsw

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) August 30, 2024

The Arizona State running back has trimmed down his body fat since last season, and tracking data available to the team has shown he’s a faster player, Dillingham has said.

Just keeping it to his running backs room, Skattebo should have more support with a depth chart that includes returnees DeCarlos Brooks and Kyson Brown. Transfer additions Alton McCaskill (Colorado) and the currently injured Raleek Brown (USC) are expected to receive playing time as well.

“We just got a bunch of different punches we can throw at people,” Dillingham said Friday. “I think the best part about it is it can keep guys fresh. Nobody wants to face a fresh Cam in the fourth quarter with six minutes left in a one-score game.”

Cam Skattebo could be more focused on running back duties for Arizona State in 2024

The hope is Skattebo will be able to do more by doing less.

Last year, he rushed 164 times for 783 yards (4.8 yards per carry) behind a strung-together offensive line and without the Sun Devils posing a threat of stretching the field with a deep passing game.

On top of that, Skattebo was asked to punt eight times and play some packages as a quarterback. He threw 15 passes last season, including for a touchdown and interception each.

You would think any quarterback work for Skattebo in 2024 will fall under the category of “trick play” opposed to “reluctantly necessary part of the offense.”

Because of injuries and skillsets, Dillingham went wacky with swinging gates and non-quarterback quarterbacks in his first year leading ASU.

“I definitely don’t want to get out there and run the swinging gate … that’s not why I took this job,” Dillingham told Bickley & Marotta. “Like I said before, that wasn’t on my bingo card last year.

“I always think you should show a defense empty, you should show a defense unbalanced, you show should a defense a trip … like, you should show (opponents) things that they have to be dialed into their rules,” the head coach added of his offense’s identity. “You’re going to see an offense that’s dedicated to running the football with vertical play-action of throwing the ball deep. You have to stretch the field vertically if you want to be a good football game ’cause that sets up the run. Quick-game is great … but at the end of the day, we’re going to throw it deep and we’re going to run it.”

The Sun Devils begin the 2024 season Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MST against the Wyoming Cowboys. Tune to ESPN 620 AM, 98.7 HD-2 or the Arizona Sports app to listen or watch on FS1.

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