Who is Cam Skattebo? Arizona State RB leads Sun Devils vs Texas in CFP quarterfinal

If you ask Cam Skattebo, no running back in the country is better than him.

Skattebo did not mince his words following a near-record-breaking performance in the Big 12 championship game in No. 10 Arizona State's 45-19 victory over No. 19 Iowa State to clinch a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

REQUIRED READING: College Football Playoff first round showed system is broken. Fixing it isn't that difficult

Skattebo rushed 16 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns, adding two catches for 38 yards and a third score receiving. In the first half alone, he had 10 rushes for 140 yards, with 90 yards after contact. Had the game not gotten out of hand in the second half, Skattebo would have had a chance to break Darren Sproles' 2003 Big 12 championship game rushing record of 235 yards.

Regardless, Skattebo will lead the No. 4 seed Sun Devils against No. 5 seed Texas in the CFP quarterfinals in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta at 1 p.m. on New Year's Day, with a chance to advance to the semifinal. While Skattebo already considers himself the best running back in the country, another strong performance against the Longhorns' defense could prove his case.

Here's everything to know about Skattebo ahead of Wednesday's CFP quarterfinal matchup vs. Texas:

Who is Cam Skattebo?

Skattebo likely has an argument as the second-best running back during the 2024 college football season, behind only Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. Skattebo's second season with the Sun Devils garnered him a first-team All-Big 12 selection.

He rushed 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns, adding 37 receptions for 506 yards and three touchdowns as one of the offensive weapons for coach Kenny Dillingham and his offense. His season led to a fifth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting.

In Skattebo's first season with the Sun Devils, he rushed 164 times for 783 yards with nine touchdowns in 2023, as ASU finished 3-9. He has been a significant reason for the Sun Devils' eight-win turnaround this season.

Skattebo's 19 rushing touchdowns this season tie him with Woody Green (1972) for the most in a single season in program history. His 22 total touchdowns tie him with Wilford White (1950) for most in a season.

He also enters the CFP game needing 75 more yards to pass Eno Benjamin's single-season program record set in 2018. He is the only player in the country with 1,000-plus rushing yards and 400-plus receiving yards.

Cam Skeebo recruiting

Here's a look at Skattebo's 247Sports rating as a high school recruit:

• Star rating: 0 stars

• National ranking: Not ranked

• Positional ranking: Not ranked

• State ranking: Not ranked

According to 247Sports' Composite rankings, Skattebo was an unranked prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back out of Rio Linda (California) High School was also unranked by On3 recruiting services.

Holding only offers from William & Mary and Sacramento State, Skattebo decided to play for the FCS Hornets.

Why did Cam Skattebo transfer to Arizona State?

Transfer recruiting ranking

• Positional ranking: No. 31 running back

• Star rating: Three stars

• National ranking: No. 351 overall

After being named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 at Sacramento State, Skattebo entered the transfer portal, having proven himself more than when he came out of high school. In 2022, he rushed for 1,372 yards and seven touchdowns, and he also caught 31 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown.

Skattebo, a three-star recruit and the portal's No. 31 running back announced he would transfer on Dec. 10, one day after his Hornets lost 66-63 to Cam Ward's Incarnate Word in the FCS Playoffs. One week later, he picked Dillingham and Arizona State as his destination.

"It’s official!!! I found home!!! #ForksUp can’t wait to get to work!!!! It just feels right," Skattebo said on X to announce his decision.

Skattebo's Sac State coach Troy Taylor is now the coach at Stanford.

Cam Skattebo stats

Here are Skattebo's year-by-year college stats:

• 2021 (Sacramento State): 57 carries for 520 yards and six touchdowns; 12 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown

• 2022 (Sacramento State): 195 carries for 1,372 yards and seven touchdowns; 31 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns

• 2023 (Arizona State): 164 carries for 783 yards and nine touchdowns; 24 receptions for 286 yards and a touchdown

• 2024 (Arizona State): 263 carries for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns; 37 receptions for 506 yards and three touchdowns

• Career: 679 carries for 4,243 yards and 41 touchdowns; 104 receptions for 1,287 yards and eight touchdowns

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Cam Skattebo? What to know of Arizona State RB ahead of CFP