“That’s a guy, he had a great year last year but he didn’t even — I mean, he’s a different player,” Dillingham told reports in August. “This Cam has the potential to play on Sundays. Last year’s Cam did not.^[a]”

Backing up Dillingham’s big talk, Skattebo had one of the greatest individual seasons in Sun Devil history. During a season in which the Sun Devils captured the Big 12 title and earned a bye in the new 12-team College Football Playoffs, Skattebo set several records for ASU Football^[b]. These include records for rushing yards, yards from scrimmage, rushing touchdowns, and touchdowns from scrimmage in a single season ever for the Sun Devils. He also finished second in yards from scrimmage in all of FBS behind Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman runner-up. This is all the more impressive, considering Skattebo missed ASU’s win against UCF. These achievements eventually led to Skattebo finishing 5th in Heisman voting, the second-highest placing ever for a Sun Devil behind Jake Plummer’s 3rd place result in 1996.

In their playoff matchup against Texas in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Sun Devils lost 39-31 in double overtime. Skattebo finished with 242 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, in addition to a 42-yard touchdown pass to Malik McClain. Because of his efforts, Skattebo was rewarded with the MVP of the Peach Bowl, the first player in 26 years to win the award in a losing effort. All these records and accolades have many fans thinking: where could Skattebo go in the NFL draft?

There are many scenarios to consider for Skattebo, with all 32 teams likely in play for the running back. Pro Football Focus currently ranks Skattebo as the 3rd best running back in the draft behind Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton^[c] and the 46th-ranked prospect overall. But ESPN NFL draft specialist Mel Kiper Jr. has Skattebo as his eighth-best prospect at running back^[d], suggesting a much lower draft result than PFF. Upcoming factors to consider include Skattebo’s measurements and performances at the NFL Combine and/or Pro Day, what teams need an addition to their running back room, and how teams evaluate Skattebo’s acumen. Looking at potential NFL comparisons, one player I think he matches up well with physically is David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions.

Both players are listed around 5 feet 11 inches tall. Montgomery entered the draft at 222 pounds, while Skattebo came into the season at 215, and both play a very physical style at running back. Montgomery also measured 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine, which was 17th among running backs who participated^[e]. This is particularly important because one of Skattebo's main concerns among draft prospects is his slower 40 times comparatively to others at his position. Montgomery went to the Chicago Bears in the third round and is now in his sixth season in the NFL, which has been a very productive career for both the Bears and the Lions, nearly all of it as a starter. Could Skattebo have a career trajectory similar to Montgomery's, or is it entirely different?

Skattebo will likely go in the third or fourth rounds of the draft, potentially higher if his combine wows or surprises any of the scouts present. Regardless of where he goes, Skattebo has been fighting an uphill battle for most of his football career, receiving no D1 offers out of high school and not being highly sought after in the transfer portal before arriving at ASU. Whatever team Skattebo goes to will be receiving a hard-working, diligent, tough-nosed back that ASU fans came to love in his two seasons with the team. One thing is for sure: his time at ASU will not be forgotten soon.