TEMPE – Arizona State’s football program faces a new era as star running back Cameron Skattebo departs for the NFL, leaving a void in the backfield. It’s a tall task to replace a player who garnered 170 total Heisman votes last season, good for a fifth-place finish, along with accumulating 2,316 all-purpose yards and 1,711 rushing yards during the Sun Devils’ magical run through the Big 12.
It’s unlikely the Sun Devils will find one individual to replace Skattebo, but to quote Moneyball, they can “recreate him in the aggregate.”
“The same conversation was about how I was going to replace Eno Benjamin. How was I going to replace Rachaad White?” said Shaun Aguano, Arizona State’s running back coach.
“How was I going to replace Xazavian Valladay? Now, how do I replace Cam? Somebody always steps up to take their place.”
Skattebo’s play, which led the Big 12 in both rushing and all-purpose yards while setting school records, was a major contributor to the Sun Devils’ successful run to a Big 12 championship in their first season in the conference.
Picked to finish last in preseason media polls, the Sun Devils secured a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, before losing to the Texas Longhorns in heartbreaking fashion in overtime.
Skattebo’s departure won’t be easy to overcome. ASU needs someone else to step up next season, but no light is too bright as the Sun Devils look to defy expectations once again.
ASU running back Kanye Udoh, a transfer from Army, is one of several potential candidates to contribute towards replacing Cam Skattebo’s production. (Photo by Jace Grenke/Cronkite News)
Just two weeks into spring practice, the competition is high. Six scholarship running backs are on the roster, all competing for snaps.
“There’s not one guy here that showed up here, and I said you’re the starting running back,” ASU coach Kenny Dillingham said. “There’s a guy that said there’s an open starting running back job but we’ve got a bunch of other good running backs to compete with so there’s not one person that’s on this field that’s new that was promised they were going to start, told they were going to start.
“They were just told there’s an opportunity – it’s on you to win it.”
The running back room consists of Army transfer Kanye Udoh, returners Kyson Brown, Raleek Brown, Jason Brown Jr. and Alton McCaskill, along with incoming freshman Demarius “Man Man” Robinson.
Udoh, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound back, headlines the group. Rushing for 1,117 yards last year on 179 carries, his mindset on the field is a simple one.
“I’m not going to let the first person take me down,” Udoh said.
The junior transfer was a prized target, highlighting Dillingham’s portal prowess and his infectious style that has turned Tempe into a desirable destination. In addition to sunshine and team success, seeing Skattebo excel under ASU’s run-heavy offense made the Sun Devils an attractive choice.
“It definitely did, just because I could see exactly what the plan is for the running backs,” Udoh said. “So knowing exactly what the plan is, I was able to be like, ‘Okay, can I see myself executing in this plan?’ And the answer was yes.”
Returning Arizona State running back Kyson Brown was second in rushing attempts among ASU running backs in 2024, trailing only Cam Skattebo. (Photo by Jace Grenke/Cronkite News)
Returning junior running back Kyson Brown and returning redshirt junior Raleek Brown, who played in only two games last season due to injury, are also in the mix to replace Skattebo as the Sun Devils’ lead rusher.
Kyson, Skattebo’s backup last season, tallied 351 rushing yards on 73 carries while being a threat in the passing game, garnering 189 receiving yards on 13 receptions.
“I’ve played the most with Sipp (Kyson Brown) so far,” quarterback Sam Leavitt said. “So we’ve had the most experience, and that’s who you’re going to feel the most comfortable with as of now. It doesn’t say that it’s not going to change.”
Raleek has played sparingly in his last two seasons of college football, redshirting at USC in 2023 and taking a medical redshirt at ASU last year. However, he showed flashes as a true freshman at USC where he posted 402 all-purpose yards on 58 touches and six touchdowns for USC in 2022.
“Just flashy,” Raleek said when asked to describe his game. “Quick. I could catch the ball out of the backfield. I can line up at receiver. I can run between the tackles, and I can do everything, really. So just got to be on the field and stay healthy.”
One of the running back room’s strongest aspects is its depth. The competition doesn’t crater when moving down the depth chart.
Not to be forgotten is former true freshman phenom and now redshirt senior McCaskill, who has struggled since his breakout freshman year at Houston, when he rushed for over 950 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Arizona State running back Raleek Brown looks to stay healthy this fall after medically redshirting and playing only two games in 2024. (Photo by Anthony Chiu/Cronkite News)
Additionally, the room has Jason Brown Jr., the redshirt freshman. The Washington native is a former four-star recruit and was ASU’s highest-ranked commit in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports.
The last scholarship running back in the room is Robinson, a three-star recruit in the 2025 class who will likely redshirt this season.
With all the talent in the running back room, the battle to replace Skattebo will be fierce, possibly leaving uncertainties about the Sun Devils’ leading back until the start of the season.
As of now, all eyes seem to be on Kyson and Udoh. However, Raleek, Jason and McCaskill are all expected to have opportunities to prove their worth.
ASU kicks off the season on Aug. 30 against Northern Arizona University, providing a first look at who may be the starter for next season.
Skattebo leaves big shoes to fill, but Udoh believes the pressure is just what the group needs.
“It gives me a lot of motivation, having all that pressure on you because everybody’s like, ‘Okay, what are they going to do now since Skat left? What are they going to do now?’” Udoh said. “So knowing that all eyes are on me and all eyes are on this running back room brings a lot of pressure to me, and I love it. It makes me rise to the occasion.”
