Sun Devil running back depth ready to return against Kansas

(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)

TEMPE — Entering the 2024 season, a lot of the positivity surrounding Arizona State football centered around the team’s newfound depth at important positions.

Senior running back Cameron Skattebo was the team’s workhorse player in 2023, and head coach Kenny Dillingham and his staff did not want to see a repeat of that happening this season. So the second-year head coach bolstered his running back depth with the additions of redshirt sophomore Raleek Brown and redshirt junior Alton McCaskill, joining the already present senior DeCarlos Brooks and sophomore Kyson Brown.

Despite the team winning three of its first four games, Dillingham and company have failed to mix in the team’s lauded running back depth. Skattebo has taken a large part of the load once again, attempting 30 more rushes through four games this season (86) than last year (56).

“I think we just got to get guys reps, get guys in there,” Dillingham said during his Monday press conference. “Not just for this year, but in general, we got to get some of those younger guys’ reps to play football. You can practice, but you also got to get some games, got to get some game reps.”

The problem for Dillingham has been trying to find time to take Skattebo off the field as he has been by far the Sun Devils most productive offensive player. The Sacramento native has rushed for 433 yards and five touchdowns on the ground while adding 13 receptions for 190 yards, good for the second most receiving yards on the team.

The situation hasn’t been helped by injuries to Brooks and Raleek at the beginning of the season, limiting the depth that was supposed to be so strong. Now, after returning home after two road games and resting over the bye week, the onus will be on getting more players more reps, resulting in different looks for the opponent.

“It’s just a different dynamic to what they can do with the football,” running backs coach Shaun Aguano said. “A little different speed, a little more than just the pounding and hammering that you see [Skattebo] do all the time, but they bring some different dynamic to it, and I’m excited for all of them.”

A key that Dillingham has identified as a potential weakness for ASU is their yards per carry. So far in 2024 the Sun Devils are rushing for 4.4 yards per carry which is tied for seventh in the Big 12. Good, not great. The number one reason why that number is so low is the Sun Devils lack of explosive plays. ASU has excelled at pounding the rock for 3-5 yards, breaking down the defense, but those explosives have eluded them.

“Eventually, you have to be explosive,” Dillingham said. “Other than turnovers, the number one stat that equates to winning in college football is explosive plays, for and against. We got to find a way to be more explosive on offense.”

Two players that will be key in rushing for those explosives are the aforementioned Raleek Brown and DeCarlos Brooks. Both backs offer a completely different look from Skattebo who is known for his bruising running style that has been so successful for ASU this season. Brown and Brooks offer a chance to get Skattebo off the field and find a different way to achieve those explosive runs.

Brown appeared in one game this season, attempting just two rushes for one yard against Mississippi State in week 2, but Dillingham said after that game that Brown had not fully recovered from a hamstring injury. According to 247Sports, Brown suffered the injury in preseason camp, and he called it the ‘worst injury [he’s] ever had.’

Now, finally fully healthy, Brown can provide the explosiveness that he flashed as a dual threat during his time at USC.

“[Kansas] is gonna have to be heady on the perimeter because as soon as he gets out there, it’s a mismatch for a lot of guys,” Aguano said. “It’s just a different dynamic when I can use two backs. Of course, just being a selfish guy, I want my two guys on the field all the time. It brings a different dynamic because his speed is a little different.”