2025 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: ASU Operating Again Cam Skattebo

When the Cincinnati Bengals made the choice to maneuver on from Joe Mixon final 12 months, it raised some eyebrows round NFL circles. Mixon had been a extremely productive again for the staff for seven years.

He left the Bengals as one of many high backs in staff historical past, because the staff determined to depend on cheaper and youthful choices in Zack Moss and the versatile second-year man, Chase Brown. Moss ended the season on injured reserve (I.R.), however Brown was one of many extra thrilling backs within the league final 12 months, netting 1,350 yards from scrimmage and 11 complete touchdowns.

The deal labored out properly for Mixon and the Texans as properly, with the veteran placing up eight 100-yard dashing video games en path to his second Professional Bowl. Nonetheless, Moss’s harm and Mixon’s departure go away a pretty big want for an additional productive again to pair with Brown in 2025.

Cincinnati will doubtless look to the draft for mentioned expertise as soon as once more, and few gamers within the class had been as productive as Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo. This spark plug of a frontrunner for the Solar Devils did a little bit of every little thing in a Cinderella run for the staff.

The movie is simple for Skattebo, however groups will undoubtedly be protecting an especially shut eye on how he checks this spring to match the metrics with the stats. A staff with a artistic offensive thoughts ought to be capable to mine some greatness out of Skattebo, even whether it is in a rotational backfield.

Cam Skattebo

Top: 5’11” (Actually?!)

Weight: 216

Age: 23 (Simply turned 23 on February 5)

Faculty: Arizona State

Hometown: Rio Linda, CA

2024 Speeding Yards: 1,711

2024 Speeding Touchdowns: 21

2024 Speeding Common: 5.8

2024 Receptions: 45

2024 Receiving Yards: 605

2024 Yards Per Reception: 13.4

2024 Receiving Touchdowns: 3

Passing Touchdowns (YES!): 1

Background

Skattebo started his collegiate profession at Sacramento State in 2020 and had lots of success there for 3 seasons. In 2022, with the Hornets, he had 1,372 yards on the bottom, one other 371 by the air, and 10 complete touchdowns.

He transferred to ASU in 2023, working for 783 yards, 9 touchdowns, and including one other 283 receiving yards in rotational responsibility. He grew to become the staff’s lead again final 12 months and was ASU’s emotional chief in lots of respects.

Skattebo had eight 100-yard dashing performances in 13 video games final 12 months, and his remaining two video games had been marvelous within the Massive 12 Championship and School Soccer Playoff (Peach Bowl), respectively. Within the former contest towards Iowa State, Skattebo had 208 yards from scrimmage (170 dashing, 38 receiving) and three touchdowns (two dashing, one receiving).

In an all-around insane sport towards the Texas Longhorns on New Yr’s Day, Skattebo had 284 yards from scrimmage (143 dashing, 99 receiving, and 43 passing) to associate with 4 complete touchdowns (two dashing, one receiving, and one passing). Although the Solar Devils misplaced the Peach Bowl, Skattebo received the sport’s MVP award, marking the primary time in over two-and-a-half many years {that a} participant from the shedding squad was provided that honor.

Skattebo completed his remaining collegiate season with First-Group All-American and First-Group All-Massive 12 honors whereas additionally ending fifth within the 2024 Heisman Trophy race. He was additionally the Massive Sky Participant of the Yr in 2022 whereas at Sacramento State.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The earmarks of Skattebo’s repertoire as a working again are toughness, steadiness, and yards after contact. Once you watch Skattebo’s movie (see our OBI breakdown in both video above), these three traits work collectively seamlessly regularly, largely leading to chunk performs.

When he will get a head of steam and meets defenders within the open subject, it’s uncommon that the primary man brings him down—whether or not it’s working by tacklers or utilizing his highly effective body to interrupt by diving arm tackles together with his legs. Most of the time, he creates extra yards than anticipated, not solely by straight-up breaking tackles but additionally by tumbling in direction of the turf, solely to regain his steadiness and web extra yards.

His versatility can also be an unheralded a part of his sport. Other than being a extremely productive runner, he’s greater than succesful as a receiver. Swing passes aren’t the one receptions in his movie, but additionally deeper wheel routes and a few issues throughout the center for notable positive aspects. As if that weren’t sufficient, Skattebo has handed for touchdowns and even punted the ball eight instances in 2023 for a 42.3-yard common.

Once you return and watch that Peach Bowl, Skattebo was corralled early within the contest. However, as was typically the case at ASU, Skattebo made massive performs and completely energized his staff in a near-win (some assume they had been robbed by poor late calls towards them) together with his management and exuberant persona.

However, because it typically goes round this time of 12 months, questions on how he checks must be answered. At first blush, his lengthy/breakaway velocity isn’t nice, however he acquired away with it on the school stage due to his energy and tackle-escaping skills.

The league’s wavering valuation of working backs might additionally damage his inventory in a category with different notable gamers at his place, like Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. Regardless, Skattebo appears to be a consensus top-five again on this class.

Outlook and Draft Inventory

The testing outcomes can be key for Skattebo. If he’s quicker and strikes higher than some count on, he might sneak into the tip of the second spherical to a staff just like the Chiefs. Nevertheless, most really feel that he’s a 3rd or fourth-round participant on this 12 months’s class.

Professional comparisons are troublesome for any collegiate prospect, and I personally don’t like making them, however there are components of some profitable and versatile gamers that come to thoughts. Darren Sproles, Jaylen Warren, Rex Burkhead, and Alfred Morris are some names which can be getting floated round due to his capability to play each down and catch the soccer and his stocky body.

As talked about earlier than, the Bengals appeared to have discovered a gem in Brown, whom they drafted within the fifth spherical of the 2023 Draft. However they want one other again to construct that old-school adage of “Thunder and Lightning” of their backfield. It was evident the Bengals had been attempting to create that with the addition of Moss final 12 months, however he was a part of an utter failure of an out of doors free company interval by the Bengals through which the staff could also be a purge only a 12 months later.

Mixon was an excellent participant for the Bengals, who was additionally a multidimensional risk. However, for his measurement, a serious criticism was his rare capability to make the primary tackler miss. Brown confirmed extra elusiveness on this regard final 12 months for the Bengals, whereas Skattebo ranked third in his working again draft class with 102 missed tackles compelled on defenders in 2024.

Cincinnati has lots of wants this 12 months and presently holds solely six draft picks—an unusually low quantity for the Bengals, as they like to hoard them. But when they can maintain their stars and make a few exterior strikes in free company to assist their protection, a man like Skattebo within the center rounds might make lots of sense.

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