Arizona State was picked to complete final within the 16-team Massive 12. The Solar Devils are actually assembly Texas within the Peach Bowl within the School Soccer Playoff quarterfinals. The participant who sparked that unimaginable run additionally epitomizes it.
Cameron Skattebo — 1,568 dashing yards, 19 dashing touchdowns, 506 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns — went from highschool graduate with no FBS provides to fifth-place finisher within the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting. The working again has gone from cult hero to folks hero, displaying an uncanny knack for breaking tackles and for blowing people’s minds.
Leo Skattebo III (Cam’s father): Earlier than he turned 3, we bought him a motorcycle for Christmas.
Becky Skattebo (Cam’s mom): He (Cam) argued with my dad (Cam’s grandfather) to take the coaching wheels off. “I don’t need em! I don’t need em!” wouldn’t take no for a solution. My dad popped them off. “Welp, he’ll eat filth a few occasions after which he’ll determine it out.”
Leo Skattebo IV (older brother): They took him out on the bike. He goes down the road, and inside two minutes, he’s full pace pedaling again and goes, “Watch this!” And he stands up on the seat of the bike coming down the road.
Becky: He’s going, “I don’t have to carry the handlebars!” The neighbors simply stood outdoors hysterically laughing.
Leo III: I believe that’s after I knew he was gonna be totally different.
Becky: At about 18 months, we have been sitting on the dinner desk and a neighbor knocked on the door. She’s standing there with Cam in a diaper. He had climbed over the fence and dropped over the opposite facet to play along with her children.
The scariest factor he ever did was when he was 2. We have been watching his dad play softball. He had been standing subsequent to me and we have been watching his dad at bat. It appeared like a split-second however after I turned and appeared. He was gone. I began to panic. Everyone was yelling his title. His brother ran to the lavatory and was calling his title. Persons are wanting beneath the bleachers. Then, the umpire says, “Properly, there, he’s!”
We appeared straight up above us. He had crawled all the best way up the chain-link backstop and was wanting down on his dad that was at bat. It was like 14 or 16 toes up on these rounded backstops. One of many guys began to climb the fence and Cameron rotated however as an alternative of backing down like a traditional individual, he got here down head first, like a little bit Spiderman. He’s been doing issues which can be inexplainable from just about Day 1.
Leo III: Yeah, he did loads of bizarre issues.
Leo IV: All he ever cared about was successful. It didn’t matter if we have been enjoying a online game, or wrestling on the trampoline. He needed to beat me.
Becky: We had many holes within the sheetrock from the boys wrestling, slinging one another round the home. They by no means took it straightforward on him. They tossed him round fairly good, and he’s simply all the time been capable of deal with it.
Leo IV: I used to be six years older than him and he needed to beat me in every little thing. I didn’t take it straightforward on him.
Becky: He’d all the time competed with older children, whether or not that was wrestling within the entrance yard or on the sphere. When he says he can do one thing, it’s actual laborious to not consider that he can do it.
Jack Garceau (Rio Linda (Calif.) Excessive Faculty coach, Skattebo’s coach from 2017-19): I’ve recognized Cam since he was a little bit boy, as a result of I coached his older brother, so we’ve all the time heard about Cam arising in our youth program. We’d go watch him. He was just a bit ball of muscle. He had that little mohawk and it simply all the time match his picture.
I turned the pinnacle coach when he was a sophomore. It was the primary day of spring ball. It was a blocking drill. No pads and he simply was not going to lose. If he bought beat in any one-on-one drill, he was going once more. I got here residence and advised my spouse, “This man is approach totally different than anyone we’ve ever had.”
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In 2018, Rio Linda received its first part title in 14 years, led by Skattebo. The junior working again scored seven touchdowns and ran for 313 yards in a 63-12 win over Casa Roble.
Chris Horner (Casa Roble (CA) Excessive Faculty head coach): After that sport, I noticed him by the bus. I keep in mind dapping him up. I mentioned, “Bro, you have been so enjoyable to look at. I’ve by no means seen something like that. Good luck. I’m an enormous Rio Linda Knights fan from right here on out.”
Skattebo had a prolific highschool season however struggled to achieve traction with main FBS packages. (Photograph: Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Photos)
A number of weeks later, on Rio Linda’s opening collection of the CIF State Division 5-AA Title Recreation in opposition to San Gorgonio, Skattebo had a 67-yard landing run the place he broke 11 tackles. He completed with 396 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in a 38-35 win. He was doing all of it via his mother and father’ divorce.
Leo IV: My mother and pa had been collectively for about 20 years. That was laborious. It was laborious on Cameron. I used to be away in school. I lived in Ohio, had a son. I wasn’t there to be the large brother for him. And on the most formative second for him — he’s 16 and every little thing round him is falling aside. Someway on Friday nights, he was capable of tune out all that emotional misery, when he was falling aside on the within, and nonetheless be the most effective participant within the state. A whole lot of children can’t deal with that. That confirmed me this child has one thing totally different than different children have mentally.
It’s very straightforward to let that have an effect on you, and begin lashing out at different individuals round you. He simply didn’t do this. He continued to be a pacesetter.
Becky: After we break up up, his coach was actually instrumental in protecting him centered and letting him vent, giving him room when he wanted. I don’t suppose we’ll ever actually know if it fueled him or if it virtually derailed him.
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That very same 12 months, Skattebo led the Knights to the California 5-A state title by dashing for 3,550 yards and 42 touchdowns. He averaged virtually 12 yards per carry however he was nonetheless a zero-star recruit who had no scholarship provides.
Garceau: Greater faculties did come. We had UCLA, USC. Utah, Air Force however they only handed on him. It made us all type of doubt ourselves.
Cam Skattebo: I went to UCLA proper after my junior 12 months. They advised me that I wasn’t ok for this stage. I can’t keep in mind who I used to be sitting with on the time. It was (Bruins working backs coach Deshaun) Foster’s assistant. Bjian (Robinson) was on the facility and that was their focus. They spelled my title improper on my title tag. It was simply an unofficial go to there. I used to be simply sitting within the again, hanging out. Me and my father. It was a humbling expertise.
Troy Taylor (Stanford head coach, former Sacramento State head coach 2019-22): We have been evaluating gamers. I couldn’t actually discover anyone who mentioned we should always go on the child. I placed on the tape. You can see the anger when he ran and the willpower. I used to be 5 or 6 clips in and I mentioned, “We’re taking this man!”
I keep in mind particularly that run (the place he broke 11 tackles within the state title sport). I simply couldn’t consider that nobody else would go on the child. I’m not all the time proper however I made a decision on the spot. We have been his solely supply. Everyone missed on that one.
Cam Skattebo: I wasn’t too frightened as a result of I knew sooner or later in my life I used to be gonna take that subsequent step even when I needed to go the juco route. I knew I used to be gonna make it. However I positively sat round loads of days hoping for a textual content from any person, which by no means occurred. I lastly bought Sacramento State, and I used to be the happiest child on this planet.
Taylor: Then he got here to our camp and he was type of a prick when he competed. It was one-on-ones in opposition to the linebackers. He would win the rep after which stand up and reduce in line and take one other rep. He simply had that perspective that you just don’t wish to compete in opposition to this child. I simply fell in love with him.
Malcolm Agnew (Sacramento State working again coach, 2021-22): In 2021, he was unbelievable in spring ball due to how bodily he was, and due to how aggressive he’s. It was follow No. 6. This child touched the ball most likely round 10 occasions that follow, and he scored each time. And we had a reasonably good protection.
My favourite play was once we ran this center display with him. It was a poor throw, however the dude caught it along with his left hand like down in direction of the place his knees are — and he performed baseball so he’s actually good at monitoring the ball — and had the flexibility to make a man miss as he was turning and catching it. Then, he made one other man miss and scored. I mentioned to our head coach, “That is likely one of the finest performs I’ve ever seen.”
Taylor: His first sport, it appeared like he was enjoying with youthful individuals who didn’t belong on the sphere with him.
Jason Eck (New Mexico head coach; then-Idaho head coach): He killed us (Idaho) in 2022. He jogs my memory of Jim Brown highlights.
Agnew: I’ve seen this child hit standing backflips. I’ve seen this child broad-jump virtually 11 toes. He did a 10-7. I’ve seen him throw a baseball 95 miles an hour to the purpose the place the Sac State baseball coach requested him if he needed to play within the offseason. We didn’t let him.
Skattebo is the center and soul of Arizona State’s turnaround. (Photograph: William Purnell / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos)
In Skattebo’s first season at Sacramento State, he ran for 520 yards, averaging over 9 yards per carry, scoring six touchdowns. In his second 12 months, he had virtually 1,900 all-purpose yards and was named Massive Sky Convention Offensive Participant of the 12 months, serving to the Hornets go 11-0 within the common season. However after Taylor left to grow to be Stanford’s head coach, Skattebo opted to enter the switch portal.
Taylor: (Then-Arizona State offensive coordinator) Beau Baldwin known as me: “We’re making an attempt to determine whether or not to go on Skatt. What do you suppose?” I mentioned, “Beau, he’s an unimaginable participant. You guys could be loopy to not take him.” Beau pulled the set off.
The Solar Devils have been within the midst of a large rebuild. They completed 3-9 in 2022 and subsequently employed 32-year-old Kenny Dillingham, an ASU graduate, to steer this system. They have been an undermanned group in 2023, however Skattebo emerged because the spine of the overhaul. He did virtually every little thing for the Solar Devils. He was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, given to the nation’s most versatile participant. He’d run for 788 yards, but in addition performed some quarterback, finishing six passes on 15 makes an attempt for 150 yards and a landing. He averaged over 42 yards per punt. He lined up at receiver for an additional 100-plus snaps.
This 12 months, the Solar Devils have been seeded fourth and bought a bye within the first iteration of the 12-team School Soccer Playoff. They may play 5-seed Texas within the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 for a spot in the Playoff semifinals.
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Marcus Arroyo (ASU offensive coordinator): I believe (former USC analyst Kliff) Kingsbury was the primary man who advised me about him (Cam). Kliff’s like, “Dude, they bought a again down there that’s bananas. This little sawed-off White man.”
Joe Connolly (ASU energy coach): Final season, we noticed loads of flashes of unbelievable stability, unbelievable physique consciousness. He was our beginning quarterback at one level, our beginning punter, our beginning working again, usually enjoying extensive receiver. One of many largest issues we did this offseason was tightening the diet, the consistency. He was north of 230 kilos and now he’s round 218. He’s elevated his pace and his quickness. All these issues actually confirmed this 12 months. He by no means has to return off the sphere. He’s completely relentless.
Cam: I believe my high pace was the excessive 19s (miles per hour on the GPS) final 12 months. Proper earlier than coaching camp this 12 months, I virtually hit 21.
Arroyo: The man can actually run. He’s hitting 20 MPH on his GPS within the sport. It’s loopy the place he doesn’t seem like he’s shifting that quick someday. If you see guys go up in opposition to actual guys, and also you’re like, “OK, let’s see what this appears to be like like?” And each time, he takes the torch. God-dang, these guys simply can’t even sort out this man. Towards Utah, these guys are actually massive and quick and proficient, and he ran over these guys. He was completely insane in opposition to Iowa State.
Morgan Scalley (Utah defensive coordinator): For as a lot punishment as he dishes out, and as a lot as he takes, he’s so sturdy. His shirt get ripped and all of the crap he takes, and he simply retains coming again. He’s like Rocky.
Taylor: I all the time mentioned he was like a Viking. A few a whole lot years in the past, he’d have been on the entrance of the boat with horns on his helmet, prepared to leap onto the opposite boat to take it over.
Horner: Our coaches (at Casa Roble) had a textual content chain whereas we have been watching what he was doing to Iowa State (within the Massive 12 title sport). It was one other stage. After we lose to a man like this doing what he’s doing to a school group, it ought to make us really feel so much higher about that drubbing that he placed on us in his junior 12 months of highschool. Yeah, we misplaced to Cameron Skattebo, however so did everyone else!
Taylor: He’s been doubted at each single stage, they usually’ll doubt him once more for the NFL, however watch, he’ll find yourself being an NFL participant — and an excellent one.
Leo III: Whoever drafts him or wherever he finally ends up, if he simply performs within the preseason, he’ll earn his spot on the group. But when they get him on the sphere and provides him the chance, he’s going to make any person very sensible.
Garceau: Now, all of us really feel validated. We knew precisely what we have been and no one else understood. We’d hear every little thing from he’s too small, he’s too brief, he’s not quick sufficient. There was the stigma of the White working again; the truth that we weren’t an enormous college. There was simply all the time that one little factor. I’m simply glad he bought the chance to point out everyone what he can do. However in the event you change that, and he perhaps he will get a giant journey out of highschool, perhaps we’re not right here right this moment.
(Photograph: Sam Hodde / Getty Photos)
