Ashton Jeanty has been so good this year that some people didn’t even know who Cam Skattebo was before New Year’s Day. No. 12 Arizona State’s best player starred in his team’s heartbreaking 38-31 double overtime loss to No. 3 Texas in the Peach Bowl. Skattebo did it all for the Sun Devils on New Year’s Day, surely garnering thousands of new fans—not the least of which was Stephen A. Smith.
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Smith, who is sometimes known more for his flamboyance than his actual sports analysis, admitted that he didn’t know much about Skattebo before the Peach Bowl. However, he—and the rest of the college football world—left that game with their mouths agape after the performance Skattebo put forth.
“This brother was something special. It was a dominant performance. He walked into the game proclaiming the same the best back in college football. And I gotta admit to you, I was like, “Who is this guy?” And then I watched him yesterday, and I said, ‘Man child, man amongst boys’.”
.@stephenasmith on Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo vs. Texas:
"This brother was something special." 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pNdttaKeD6
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 2, 2025
Not only did Skattebo take 30 carries for 143 yards and two TDs on the ground, but he also led all players with eight receptions, with which he produced another 99 yards through the air.
Early on, the Sun Devils were down 24-8. At that point, Stephen A. and many others were begging them to use their QB, Sam Leavitt, to throw the ball. Instead, they used Skattebo to throw the ball, and he responded with a 42-yard TD toss.
“I tweeted on several occasions, ‘Are you going to throw the football at all?’ I mean, could you throw some suspense into the equation Arizona State, you’re down 24-8. I’m thinking you’ve got no way to come back because the offense is so predictable. I’m saying, you gotta throw the damn football… And then you watch this dude, all of a sudden, he threw the damn football, and he threw for a touchdown, ultimately crawling them back.”
Texas eventually won the game in double OT. However, most believe it should have never gotten that far, as a blatant targeting penalty on the Longhorns was missed late in the contest. If it had been called, it would have set the Sun Devils up for a game-winning field goal. Instead, many, including Smith, were left disappointed. They had to stop watching Cam Skattebo play football just a few hours after discovering who he was.
“But he was absolutely sensational, over 240 yards from scrimmage… I walked away thinking about him and feeling sad that he ultimately ended up going home defeated.”
Cam Skattebo started his college career at Sacramento State, playing for the FCS program from 2020 to 2022. He transferred to Arizona State in 2023, rushing for 783 yards and nine scores on 164 carries.
Everything changed this year, however, as Skattebo served as the catalyst for their turnaround from 3-9 to 11-3. He exploded for 1,711 yards and 21 TDs on 293 carries as a senior in 2024. He also added 45 receptions for another 605 yards and three scores.
Somehow, he’s still ranked just seventh or eighth among RBs in this class by most NFL scouts. This, despite those impressive numbers and the exclamation point he put on his campaign in front of the entire nation at the Peach Bowl. That likely has at least something to do with his size—5’11” and 215—though he still projects as a mid-round pick, perhaps in the 3rd or 4th round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
