'I wish I would have discovered him': Sarkisian praises versatile Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is preparing his team to play against "a monster" Jan. 1 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Frankenstein? No. Swamp Thing? Wrong again. Bigfoot? Both have facial hair, but again, no.

It's Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, a human battering ram with surprisingly nimble feet who has helped the Sun Devils to new heights as first-year members of the Big 12 Conference. The 215-pound bruiser runs like he's mad at the ground for trying to hold him back, but he also has outstanding lateral quickness and balance to turn short gains into explosive plays.

He finished fifth in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting, racking up 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns while hauling in 37 passes for 506 yards and three scores. He's clearly an all-around back and a threat to score any time he touches the ball, averaging nearly 7 yards per touch. Sarkisian said Monday in a joint press conference with Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham that Skattebo "has a lot of fans in our building."

"We've been watching him for about the past year and a half, and now we've got to figure out a way to stop him," Sarkisian said. "When you first turn on his tape, you're thinking you're going to see (former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back) Mike Alstott. You're just going to see this bruiser that's running through the line and bouncing off people. The more you watch, the more you're like, 'Man, this guy has really great feet and contact balance. Right when you think he's going to run someone over, he makes them miss. He uses a stiff arm. He's really good in the open field.'"

Skattebo is in his second year with the Sun Devils after transferring from Sacramento State, an FCS program, following the 2022 season. He made his mark on the lower level, rushing for 1,372 yards on 195 carries with 7 touchdowns that year, helping the Hornets to the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs and quarterfinals appearance. Skattebo is one of the biggest difference makers for a team during the transfer portal era, and Sarkisian sounded a little jealous that Dillingham's staff plucked Skattebo out of the portal and developed him into a high-level FBS player.

"In all reality, I wish I would have discovered Cam when he was transferring," he said. "I was unaware, so kudos to them. They found him, and he's a heck of a player."

Dillingham said the matchup between Skattebo and Texas' elite defensive front is going to be a critical part of the game.

"Obviously we've got to get Cam going in some way, shape or form," Dillingham said. "Everybody knows that. You've got to get your best players the ball. It's not a secret. We've got to find ways to get to the second and third levels. It's going to be a great challenge for us to create angles and leverage to give our guys an advantage to get Cam started."

He rushed for a season-high 262 yards against Mississippi State earlier in the season and racked up 10.6 yards per carry against Iowa State in the Big 12 Conference championship game. He's rumbled for 494 yards in his last three games combined. After the Longhorns 38-24 win over Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff to earn a game against the Sun Devils, Longhorns edge rusher Barryn Sorrell said he's looking forward to the challenge of slowing Skattebo down.

"In my time here, I've heard that a lot — that a team is going to come in here and run the ball on us," he said. "I feel like there was a different result a lot of those times. Everybody up front will be looking forward to the challenge."