Who will replace Cam Skattebo in Arizona State backfield? Here are 3 candidates

Out of all the positions on Arizona State football’s roster heading into 2025, running back is one of the most scrutinized in Tempe after the departure of Cam Skattebo to the NFL following his folk-hero season and fifth-place finish in the Heisman voting.

Who will step up to replace Skattebo is the question looming large over the Sun Devils. There are a few candidates: a player that most fans already know, a new transfer and a tantalizing speedster.

With the start of fall camp just around the corner, The Arizona Republic is previewing the running back landscape.

Candidate 1: Kyson Brown, Jr.

Brown is the leading candidate to get the starting job with Skattebo gone. He’s been with ASU for his entire college career. Brown was part of the recruiting class just before coach Kenny Dillingham was hired, coming out of Lancaster, Texas, as a three-star prospect. In high school, Brown was a multi-sport athlete, running a wind-legal 10.75 seconds in the 100 meters.

He saw limited action in 2023 as a freshman, rushing for 106 yards on 23 attempts. He also caught nine passes for 49 yards. Last year, Brown filled in as the main backup to Skattebo. Considering Skattebo was a workhorse and tallied 338 touches, Brown didn’t get to play much.

But when Skattebo was forced to miss the UCF game with a shoulder injury, it was Brown who was called upon. 

Brown put up 73 yards on 18 carries, also catching three passes for 21 yards. That came the week after Brown filled in midgame when Skattebo originally went down with his injury against Oklahoma State, where Brown scored two touchdowns and ran for 63 yards on 15 carries.

Brown’s best game came in the Territorial Cup season finale against the University of Arizona, running for 100 yards on just eight carries and catching one pass for 31 yards. In all, Brown recorded 351 yards and two touchdowns on 71 carries in 2024.

Even if ASU decides to go running back by committee or a hybrid starting role, Brown has the best chance to be the lead back for the Sun Devils.

Candidate 2: Kanye Udoh, Jr.

He’s the new kid on the block. A transfer from Army, Udoh brings a hard-nosed attitude that brought him from West Point over to the Arizona State running back room. Udoh is someone who will certainly challenge Brown as the starter. If ASU opts to share the starting role, Udoh likely will be the one to fill it alongside Brown.

Coming out of St. Augustine in New Jersey, Udoh was rated a top 200 running back in high school by 247Sports. He was rated a three-star transfer portal product and the No. 30 transfer portal running back in the FBS by 247Sports and No. 20 by On3, both top recruiting services. 

Udoh, who split time in Army’s option-heavy offense, racked up 1,117 yards with 10 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry as Army went 12-2 on the way to the American Athletic Conference championship. 

While he may be the newcomer, there is one significant advantage that Udoh has over the rest – and that’s experience. With 278 total rushing attempts, Udoh has more in-game repetitions than anybody else on the roster.

One of the biggest question marks surrounding Udoh is his ability to catch out of the backfield. Army doesn’t pass much (he only caught two passes in two seasons), so coaches will likely want to see him put that on display. 

Candidate 3: Raleek Brown, Jr.

While Kyson Brown and Udoh are the betting favorites right now, there is another player to keep an eye on: Raleek Brown.

He has been hampered by injuries since arriving on campus in 2024 from the University of Southern California, but those around the team highly regard him.

He was a five-star prospect by Rivals out of high school and a four-star prospect by all other recruiting outlets. Rivals also named him as the No. 25 overall recruit in the nation and the top all-purpose back in the country and third overall California prospect in the class of 2022. Brown was the No. 69 overall recruit in the country by 247Sports and No. 64 by ESPN and a top-five running back prospect in the country by both.

He was a four-star transfer portal prospect by 247Sports and the No. 31 player in the transfer portal and No. 2 running back by the outlet. Brown was also a four-star transfer prospect by Rivals and the No. 29 overall prospect.

So, why is Brown rated so highly? His speed.

He stopped running track as a freshman in high school, but he had already recorded a wind-legal 10.82 in the 100. It was also reported that Brown was timed at 4.47 in the 40-yard dash as a freshman.

Brown contributed in all 14 games as a true freshman at USC in 2022, rushing for 227 yards on 42 carries with three touchdowns and catching 16 passes for 175 yards with 3 TDs. He returned kickoffs as well for USC and had 24 returns for a total of 517 yards, with a long of 40 yards.

USC briefly switched him to wide receiver in 2023 when he was a sophomore, where he caught three passes for one touchdown.

Brown has just had a tough time getting on the field recently, only appearing in four games over the past two years. Last season, Brown had to use a medical redshirt after the hamstring injury that had been plaguing him since the start of fall camp forced him to the sidelines.

With Brown's speed, coupled with his familiarity with the wide receiver position, he has the chance to be an impact playmaker in the run and pass game, if he can stay healthy.

Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at [email protected] or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Who replaces Cam Skattebo in ASU backfield? Top 3 candidates