Cam Skattebo has a chance to seriously raise his draft stock at 2025 NFL Combine

The 2025 NFL Combine begins today, marking the official start of draft season. Several hundred college players will soon have their NFL dreams realized, but it all starts this week in Indianapolis with some of the very best gathering for a series of workouts, tests, drills, and interviews.

Arizona State may only have sent one player to the combine this year, but they sent their very best in superstar running back Cam Skattebo. The former FCS Sacramento State rusher transferred to Tempe not long after Kenny Dillingham was named the head coach, and he became a key figure in restoring the program to greatness this past year.

Skattebo’s first season with the Sun Devils offered hints of how special he was. He racked up 786 rushing yards and 286 receiving yards with 10 total touchdowns. He also became one of Arizona State’s most reliable passers, completing roughly a third of his 15 attempts on the year for 130 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Thanks to much improved quarterback play in 2024 with the transfer of Sam Leavitt, Skattebo got to focus just on being a running back. And after some honest feedback from Dillingham in the offseason, Skattebo showed up for training camp in the best shape of his life, having dropped 14 pounds to get faster and quicker.

“People are fired up about him, obviously how hard he plays and the plays that he’s making, specifically in the fourth quarters,” Dillingham said during a press conference. “People are saying a lot of good things, and it’s a testament to him. I told people … before the season started how much work he’s put in to put his body in a position to go do what he’s doing.

So people who think he’s flipping the switch right now and going out and playing well, you didn’t see the work that he put in and the time and the commitment that he made to not only change his body, change his physical ability, but also change his mindset.”

The difference was easy to see. Skattebo racked up 2,255 scrimmage yards with 25 touchdowns on the year, finishing second in rushing yards and third in receiving yards among running backs. He also broke Eno Benjamin’s record for most single season rushing yards in school history. For all his efforts, Skattebo finished fifth in Heisman voting.

Now, though, Skattebo has to prove himself worthy of being one of the top running backs selected in this year’s draft. Boise State star Ashton Jeanty, the only running back with more rushing yards than Skattebo this season, is considered the consensus top back in the class.

After Jeanty, though? That illustrious RB2 title is very much up for grabs at the moment, and Skattebo has a shot at earning it. He faces stiff competition, but a big day the combine could go a long way towards getting the human bowling ball in the conversation.

Currently, opinions are very split on Skattebo. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah doesn’t have Skattebo among his Top 50 prospects or even in the top five at his position, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked Skattebo as the eighth best running back. However, Pro Football Focus currently has Skattebo as the third best back.

Some analysts believe Skattebo’s draft stock will be hampered by his severe workload in college, having taken 1,130 carries over four years. Others aren’t sure if he has the necessary athleticism to be a premier running back at the next level.

The best way to shut up the latter critiques? A strong showing in Indianapolis. Skattebo almost certainly won’t have the best 40-yard dash time, but he can turn some heads with a time right around 4.46 seconds. Last year, that was the 40 time for both Kimani Vidal and Marshawn Lloyd, two backs with a similar body type to Skattebo.

Solid performances in other tests, like the vertical jump, broad jump, and bench press, would reflect the all-around nature of Skattebo’s game. That’s his calling card, a multi-faceted weapon who finished second in both broken tackles and yards after contact while also leading all running backs in yards after the catch.

The Sun Devils know all too well how much of a game changer Skattebo can be. If he can test well this week in Indianapolis, the NFL will start to realize just how special he is too. But it all starts now for the man who is already a program legend.