Arizona State was picked to complete final within the 16-team Huge 12. The Solar Devils at the moment are assembly Texas within the Peach Bowl within the School Soccer Playoff quarterfinals. The participant who sparked that unbelievable run additionally epitomizes it.
Cameron Skattebo — 1,568 speeding yards, 19 speeding 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 operating again has gone from cult hero to folks hero, displaying an uncanny knack for breaking tackles and for blowing folks’s minds.
Leo Skattebo III (Cam’s father): Earlier than he turned 3, we acquired 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 grime 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 exterior hysterically laughing.
Leo III: I feel that’s once I knew he was gonna be completely 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 aspect to play together 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 once I turned and regarded. He was gone. I began to panic. All people was yelling his identify. His brother ran to the toilet and was calling his identify. Individuals are trying underneath the bleachers. Then, the umpire says, “Nicely, there, he’s!”
We regarded straight up above us. He had crawled all the best way up the chain-link backstop and was trying down on his dad that was at bat. It was like 14 or 16 ft 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 standard individual, he got here down head first, like just a little Spiderman. He’s been doing issues which can be inexplainable from just about Day 1.
Leo III: Yeah, he did a whole lot of bizarre issues.
Leo IV: All he ever cared about was profitable. It didn’t matter if we have been enjoying a online game, or wrestling on the trampoline. He wished 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 simple on him. They tossed him round fairly good, and he’s simply all the time been in a position to deal with it.
Leo IV: I used to be six years older than him and he wished to beat me in every thing. I didn’t take it simple 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 arduous to not consider that he can do it.
Jack Garceau (Rio Linda (Calif.) Excessive College coach, Skattebo’s coach from 2017-19): I’ve identified Cam since he was just a little boy, as a result of I coached his older brother, so we’ve all the time heard about Cam developing 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 grew to become the top 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 acquired beat in any one-on-one drill, he was going once more. I got here house and instructed my spouse, “This man is manner completely different than anyone we’ve ever had.”
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In 2018, Rio Linda gained its first part title in 14 years, led by Skattebo. The junior operating again scored seven touchdowns and ran for 313 yards in a 63-12 win over Casa Roble.
Chris Horner (Casa Roble (CA) Excessive College head coach): After that sport, I noticed him by the bus. I bear 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 realize traction with main FBS applications. (Picture: Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Photographs)
A number of weeks later, on Rio Linda’s opening sequence 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 dad and mom’ divorce.
Leo IV: My mother and pop had been collectively for about 20 years. That was arduous. It was arduous on Cameron. I used to be away in school. I lived in Ohio, had a son. I wasn’t there to be the massive brother for him. And on the most formative second for him — he’s 16 and every thing round him is falling aside. By some means on Friday nights, he was in a position to tune out all that emotional misery, when he was falling aside on the within, and nonetheless be the very best participant within the state. Lots of children can’t deal with that. That confirmed me this child has one thing completely different than different children have mentally.
It’s very simple to let that have an effect on you, and begin lashing out at different folks round you. He simply didn’t do this. He continued to be a pacesetter.
Becky: Once we break up up, his coach was actually instrumental in retaining him targeted and letting him vent, giving him room when he wanted. I don’t assume 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 speeding 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 Power however they only handed on him. It made us all sort of doubt ourselves.
Cam Skattebo: I went to UCLA proper after my junior 12 months. They instructed me that I wasn’t adequate for this degree. I can’t bear in mind who I used to be sitting with on the time. It was (Bruins operating backs coach Deshaun) Foster’s assistant. Bjian (Robinson) was on the facility and that was their focus. They spelled my identify incorrect on my identify 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 bear 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 provide. All people missed on that one.
Cam Skattebo: I wasn’t too nervous as a result of I knew in some unspecified time in the future 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 a whole lot of days hoping for a textual content from someone, which by no means occurred. I lastly acquired Sacramento State, and I used to be the happiest child on the planet.
Taylor: Then he got here to our camp and he was sort 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 lower in line and take one other rep. He simply had that perspective that you just don’t need to compete in opposition to this child. I simply fell in love with him.
Malcolm Agnew (Sacramento State operating 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 observe No. 6. This child touched the ball in all probability round 10 occasions that observe, 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 power 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 without doubt one of the greatest performs I’ve ever seen.”
Taylor: His first sport, it regarded 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 ft. 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 wished to play within the offseason. We didn’t let him.
Skattebo is the guts and soul of Arizona State’s turnaround. (Picture: William Purnell / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)
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 Huge Sky Convention Offensive Participant of the Yr, serving to the Hornets go 11-0 within the common season. However after Taylor left to turn into Stanford’s head coach, Skattebo opted to enter the switch portal.
Taylor: (Then-Arizona State offensive coordinator) Beau Baldwin referred to as me: “We’re making an attempt to determine whether or not to go on Skatt. What do you assume?” I mentioned, “Beau, he’s an unbelievable participant. You guys can be loopy to not take him.” Beau pulled the set off.
The Solar Devils have been within the midst of an enormous 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 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 one more 100-plus snaps.
This 12 months, the Solar Devils have been seeded fourth and acquired 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 within the Playoff semifinals.
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Marcus Arroyo (ASU offensive coordinator): I feel (former USC analyst Kliff) Kingsbury was the primary man who instructed me about him (Cam). Kliff’s like, “Dude, they acquired a again down there that’s bananas. This little sawed-off White man.”
Joe Connolly (ASU energy coach): Final season, we noticed a whole lot of flashes of unbelievable stability, unbelievable physique consciousness. He was our beginning quarterback at one level, our beginning punter, our beginning operating again, usually enjoying huge receiver. One of many greatest 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 come back off the sphere. He’s completely relentless.
Cam: I feel my prime 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 appear to be he’s shifting that quick someday. Whenever 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 deal with this man. In opposition to Utah, these guys are actually huge 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 Huge 12 title sport). It was one other degree. Once we lose to a man like this doing what he’s doing to a school group, it ought to make us really feel rather a lot 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 degree, 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 someone very good.
Garceau: Now, all of us really feel validated. We knew precisely what we have been and no one else understood. We’d hear every thing from he’s too small, he’s too quick, he’s not quick sufficient. There was the stigma of the White operating 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 acquired the chance to point out everyone what he can do. However for those who change that, and he perhaps he will get a giant trip out of highschool, perhaps we’re not right here immediately.
(Picture: Sam Hodde / Getty Photographs)