Does ASU Have the Best RB Room in College Football?

Get out of the way, and let them do their thing.

Last season, Cam Skattebo of the Arizona State Sun Devils set a precedent for how the program uses its running backs.

Skattebo was a bulky, hard-nosed back who was nearly impossible to tackle. He ran for over 1,700 rushing yards, 605 receiving yards, and 24 total touchdowns — one of the most impressive seasons we've seen in a long time from a college football player.

Still, it wasn’t enough to warrant him a spot as one of the four Heisman finalists, though he did finish fifth in voting.

As he transitions his career to the NFL, Arizona State will need to figure out how to replace the Immovable Force.

One way to do it is by bringing in Kanye Udoh from Army, and having him share responsibilities with Kyson Brown, Skattebo’s backup from last season, and former five-star recruit Raleek Brown.

Udoh played in a run-heavy offense at Army, where he got plenty of work. He could’ve had even more had his quarterback, Bryson Daily, not rushed for over 1,650 yards and ironically finished sixth in Heisman voting.

Even though Daily took most of the reps, Udoh still amassed over 1,100 yards, averaged 6.2 yards per carry, and recorded 10 rushing touchdowns.

Part of the process for Udoh is getting used to the ASU playbook and OC Marcus Arroyo’s system, but he credits the running back room for pushing him to improve.

“It’s a lot of fun, having such a talented running back room, and such good guys who can really play. Iron sharpens iron at the end of the day, and we’re all going to be competing.”

What’s fascinating about Udoh’s game is the combination of finesse and brawn he brings to the field. He has an insanely quick burst when he steps off on his left foot, but he’s also proven extremely hard to tackle.

The one question mark is pass protection and receiving. Since Army rarely passed, Udoh didn’t get many chances to showcase that part of his game.

Enter Kyson Brown, not only familiar with those kinds of schemes, but a legitimate dual-threat on the ground and through the air.

In the season finale against Arizona, Brown ran for 100 yards on only eight carries. In Week 1, he blew the doors off Wyoming, catching a pass and taking it 68 yards to the house.

Kyson certainly has the upper hand in terms of knowing the system and what the coaches want, but can he take that next step from backup to starter? That’s the ultimate question.

"I think I got better at a lot of things that I wanted to get better at in the spring,” he told the Speak of the Devil podcast. “I think I grew a lot, just from last season to the spring. I think I've been able to transfer some of the offseason work to my game, and I think I elevated a lot in pass pro.”

Then there’s Raleek Brown, a former five-star recruit whose college career has been anything but smooth.

He’s the kind of back who plays like a jitterbug; always moving, with terrific speed and excellent hands. 

He started at USC, where he had a solid freshman year, but head coach Lincoln Riley tried to move him to wide receiver as a sophomore, a move that backfired. 

Then after transferring to ASU, a severe hamstring injury two games in, ended his season.

Given the backfield depth, there’s going to be a ton of competition. Udoh may be the frontrunner, but with this trio, it truly is a pick-your-poison situation, and all of them can burn you.

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