Though his team didn't secure the win in the Peach Bowl, it's hard to put any of that blame on the shoulder of Cam Skattebo, the superstar running back who put in some absolute work for the Arizona State Sun Devils in a losing effort.
On the ground, Skattebo was on the money, picking up 143 yards on 30 attempts plus two rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, Skattebo led his team, too, catching eight passes for 99 yards, including a 62-yarder that really needs to be seen to be believed. And do you know what? Skattebo even got involved as a passer, completing his lone throw for 42 yards and a touchdown, giving him a perfect QBR of 100 for his efforts.
Needless to say, Skattebo deserved to win the Peach Bowl MVP award even in a losing effort, but now that his collegiate career is over, what does the future hold for the do-it-all rusher, or, more specifically, where should he play next? Well, in head coach Kenny Dillingham's opinion, the answer is rather obvious: the Cardinals need to keep Skattebo in The Grand Canyon State.
“I'm really proud of the foundation that Cam and this team has laid and just where it can take us,” Dillingham told reporters. “Now, if the Arizona Cardinals can just draft Cam so we can keep him home, that'd be awesome.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa; talk about making some headlines after a tough loss.
Now, does it make sense for the Cardinals to draft Skattebo? Keep reading to find out, but the rationale behind Dillingham's request makes all of the sense in the world: Skattebo and Dillingham both played major roles in turning the Sun Devils around over the past few years, with the latter relying significantly on the former in their transformation to a true playoff contender. If he can stay close to home, maybe Arizona State can hire Skattebo as a recruiter alongside his responsibilities as a (probably) first-round NFL running back, as what better way to show what the University can do for a recruit than have them talk to one of their all-time great success stories?





Does Cam Skattebo make sense on the Cardinals?
What is Skattebo's ceiling at the NFL level? Some have compared him to a better Taysom Hill, others a Christian McCaffrey variant, and others still believe he is a player all his own without an easy NFL comp until he performs at the NFL combine.
And yet, based on his production, his pedigree, and his ceiling, it's clear he's probably going to be drafted in the second round, potentially right around where Jonathon Brooks went to Carolina back in 2023, 46th overall.
While fans won't technically know where the Cardinals are picking for a few more days, as at 7-9, they could move up or back pretty considerably, depending on how Week 18 shakes out. Still, assuming they stand pat at pick 14, which they currently hold, according to ESPN, they would be picking 46th in the second round, which is probably in the perfect range to pick Skattebo.
But should they make the pick? That's harder to decide, as the Cardinals have James Conner on a long-term contract and just drafted Trey Benson in the fourth round. Still, at this point, neither of those players has what Skattebo brings to the table, so if Jonathan Gannon wants to take a page from his former team's playbook and invest heavily in the running game to make Kyler Murray all the more difficult to defend, then who knows, maybe Dillingham will get his wish.