And could rightfully be the heir to James Conner’s throne in Arizona
The college football world and Arizona St. fans have been treated to one of the most epic seasons ever manifested by an underdog, thunder dawg running back in Cam Skattebo.
After being awarded the MVP of the Peach Bowl yesterday, despite ASU’s tremendous 4th quarter comeback and heartbreaking 39-31 defeat in double overtime, Cam Skattebo offered these words of thanks to his coach, his QB and teammates:
Cam Skattebo said the journey for him, Sam Leavitt, and Kenny Dillingham has only just begun:
“Coach Dillingham’s got the longest future in coach history. This kid next to me, he’s gonna play on Sundays. I’m gonna play on Sundays … This is just the beginning.”@DevilsDigest pic.twitter.com/4b6LfLyKxi
— Justin LaCertosa (@LaCertosaSports) January 1, 2025
“I’m gonna play on Sundays.”
Yep.
Then, Coach Kenny Dillingham went as far as to put in his wish for where he wants to see Cam Skattebo play on Sundays:
“Now if the @AZCardinals can just draft Cam so we can keep him home, that’d be awesome.” @ASUFootball‘s @KennyDillingham hopes to see Skattebo in a Cardinals uniform next year to remain close to ASU ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/4obCOIv1Wh
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 1, 2025
Over the past couple of years, Kenny Dillingham and Jonathan Gannon have grown a kindred relationship. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Coach Dillingham at some point during the off-season last year sat with Cam Skattebo to watch clips of Cardinals’ RB James Conner to relish in the uber-physical, fight-like-hell-for-every-blade-of-grass aspects of Conner’s game.
Last summer, Coach Dillingham gave Cam Skattebo a blueprint of the improvements Cam needed to make on the field and as a leader if, as Coach said, “you want to play on Sundays.”
You think Cam Skattebo was all ears?
And then some?
While the Cardinals have a deep and talented RB room —- Cam Skattebo is the ideal running back to be the heir to James Connors’ throne in Arizona. James Conner and Cam Skattebo are cut from the same cloth. They are classic underdogs. They are prodigious tackle breakers who possess the kind of relentless spirit that galvanizes an entire football team. They win with power and burst and a never-go-down mentality. Those are rare RB traits that quite frankly, no one can coach.
What Conner and Skattebo possess is an indefatigable, irrepressible sense of WANT TO.
For supreme examples of WANT TO, watch every awesome play on this highlight video:
Cam Skattebo will likely be taken somewhere in the 3rd round.
If the Cardinals can take care of their greatest needs in free agency and with their picks in the 1st and 2nd round of the 2025 NFL Draft, despite the fact that they used a 3rd round pick on Trey Benson last year, they should use another on Skattebo. When a player is an ideal system and culture fit the way Cam Skattebo is —- go ahead and take him.
As Josh Madden loved to say, “Don’t worry about the horse being blind, just load the wagon.”
After all, the All-Madden team was made for underdog, smashmouth RBs like James Conner and Cam Skattebo.