Why Arizona State's best player is on special teams: 'That kickoff play is going to get him drafted'
Cam Skattebo is one of the best running backs in the country.
Through five games, the 5-foot-11 Arizona State senior is No. 6 in the nation in rushing with 111 carries for 619 yards and 6 touchdowns. He's also a threat coming out of the backfield with 15 catches for 209 yards.
But what makes Skattebo even more special is his willingness to do whatever it takes to help the Sun Devils win. And that includes playing special teams.
On Sunday Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham shared a clip on social media of Skattebo sprinting down the field on kickoff coverage and making a tackle during the Sun Devils' 35-31 win over Kansas. His caption read "All the yards are great!!! But this is all about THE TEAM!! Love this."
All the yards are great!!! But this is all about THE TEAM!! Love this @camskattebo5 #LIFERS pic.twitter.com/Y15fOphsTs
— Coach Dillingham (@KennyDillingham) October 6, 2024
When an Arizona Republic reporter asked Dillingham during Monday's press conference how important Skattebo's presence is on kickoff coverage, the coach's answer was poetic.
"Absolutely critical," said Dillingham. "We joked around because he wasn't on kickoff the first kickoff vs. Texas Tech. We're 4-0 when he runs down the field on kickoff. And that seems comical and laughable, but it's also a mindset that our best dudes are in it. Set your jaw. Our best dudes are playing this game in every facet."
"So I think kudos to him for being that for us ... and I know there's probably a lot of people that think we're crazy for putting him on kickoff. ... Well I'll tell you what, that kickoff play is going to get him drafted. Not just his ability to play football at running back, but when a scout and when a team sees a running back add versatility in more ways than just being a running back ... and they see his toughness, they see his competitive drive. All of that stuff adds up to help you get drafted."
"And it's funny that most things you do that help the team actually help you personally as well. But you get so distracted by what the world wants you to be personally that you lose focus that people are drafting players to join a team, they're not drafting players to play singles tennis. So if you're the best teammate, if you add value to a football team, the odds of you going higher in the draft, the odds of you being picked up, go up. And I think that play is going to be a lot bigger to Cam's career at Arizona State, but even beyond, than people realize."
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.