Cam Skattebo has surprising ranking on Mel Kiper’s NFL draft board
Cam Skattebo is going to have to continue to prove people wrong.
Lightly recruited out of high school, Skattebo took the only scholarship he was offered and spent two seasons shredding Big Sky defenses in the FCS at Sacramento State.
Kenny Dillingham came knocking in late 2022 and Skattebo transferred to Arizona State for his final two college seasons. After flying under the radar in 2023, Skattebo exploded onto the national scene this past season, finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and earning high praise from Nick Saban, who called him his “favorite player in college football.”
Skattebo put together one of the most complete seasons by a running back in college football history, racking up 1,711 yards rushing (5.8 yards per carry), 605 yards receiving (13.4 yards per catch) and 25 total touchdowns in 13 games. He also played special teams.
Most importantly, Skattebo was at his best in the biggest moments. In Arizona State’s thrilling 39-31 double-overtime loss to Texas in the Peach Bowl, Skattebo rushed for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught 8 passes for 99 yards. He also threw a 42-yard touchdown pass. And most of that came after he vomited profusely on the sideline.
Skattebo Not Among Top 7 Running Backs
Despite his incredible season, ESPN’s NFL draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., has Skattebo ranked well behind running backs he outplayed this past season.
In Kiper’s top prospects rankings, he has Skattebo as the eighth-best running back on the board. Here are Kiper’s running back rankings:
1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State; 2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina; 3. LeQuint Allen, Syracuse; 4. Dylan Sampson, Tennessee; 5. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State; 6. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa; 7. RJ Harvey, UCF; 8. Cam Skattebo, Arizona State; 9. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State; 10. Devin Neal, Kansas
Granted, college success doesn’t always translate to the NFL, but Skattebo has a unique skill set that any NFL coach would value. Skattebo is a tackle-breaking machine with an elite jump cut and great hands. He also worked on his speed in the offseason and it showed in 2024.
“He’s put in the work. When he showed up here he was unbelievable [at] contact balance, hard to tackle. … But this year he really took another step,” Dillingham said in early December. “He really pushed himself to be the strongest version of himself, to drop body fat, to increase speed. I think when he did all that, and then he started practicing consistently and started managing his body and taking care of his body and eating right, he really took his game to a level that I felt like he could get to.”
Skattebo has been projected to go as high as the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft has Skattebo as the fifth running back off the board, being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with pick No. 76.
Skattebo will have another chance to move up draft boards during the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis Feb. 27 to March 2.
