Much was said and written about the impressive Sun Devil depth at most positions heading into the season. This aspect wasn’t present last year with the plethora of injuries ASU suffered throughout the season and the overall lack of talent. Seemingly, no position group boasted that concentration of talent more heading into the 2024 season than the running backs unit.

Yet, four games in, the limited accessibility of playmakers in the backfield has exhibited memories of the 2023 season, where senior Cam Skattebo received the overwhelming majority of the carries.

Sophomore Kyson Brown has been the primary backup due to injuries to a couple of teammates but still rarely sees the field. Even though he’s played in all four games, he has tallied 11 carries for 39 yards. He made his mark in the receiving game, though, snagging five receptions for 96 yards, highlighted by a 68-yard touchdown in the season-opening win over Wyoming.

Redshirt sophomore Raleek Brown transferred from USC this year but has only suited up in one game for only a handful of plays against Texas State. The running back and return specialist is battling a hamstring injury that seems to be lingering, and Dillingham has stated he “doesn’t want to rush him back.”

Redshirt senior DeCarlos Brooks has been hampered by a knee injury, which saw him miss the last two games after registering 14 carries for 71 yards in two games. He did warm-up prior to the Texas Tech game but didn’t see the field. The bye week could potentially aid him in a return to the lineup for the home game versus Kansas on October 5th, and he practiced with the team today (Tuesday).

The other two running backs on the depth chart, freshman Jason Brown Jr. and redshirt junior Alton McCaskill saw snaps in the season opener but, despite the aforementioned injuries, have not been in the rotation since. In that Wyoming contest, McCaskill carried seven times for 17 yards, and Jason Brown rushed four times for 33 yards in the fourth quarter of the 48-7 blowout win.

Skattebo is well acquainted with shouldering a heavy workload, which positions head coach Dillingham in a predicament. Skattebo has shown time and time again that giving him the ball will consistently result in a positive play, but this approach can carry a real potential for wear and tear.

“We have to get those guys in more,” Dillingham expressed. “Bottom line, we gotta get more backs going. The hard part is that Skat is so used to having the ball handed to him every time, so he’s always fresh. He’s always next to you, saying that he's good, so it’s hard to keep him on the sideline. We gotta do a better job as a staff managing him and letting him know going into a game we have to keep you fresh for later in the game.”

Having a good number of starting-caliber running backs in their room hinted at the possibility of two-back formations, but the restricted availability has hindered the freedom to do so. The Sun Devils are averaging 195.5 yards per contest. Skattebo’s 262-yard outburst vs. Mississippi State has naturally boosted the stat tremendously because ASU registered a combined 195 total rushing yards in the last two games. Granted, redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt continues to show his scrambling ability every week, averaging 45 yards and scoring four touchdowns, but there is still a need for other offensive weapons to lessen the running load on the quarterback.

There’s no telling how fatigued Skattebo was at the tail end of the 2023 season, but sitting out a considerable number of plays a game can not only keep him fresh over time and make it easier to replenish his energy but can also add to the creativity of the ground attack presenting other running backs with diverse skills.

“We have to give mix ups to the defenses we face,” Dillingham professed. “Every back runs differently, so you do want to mix up the type of runner you put back there. That way, they’re not used to how somebody reads it or the tempo of how they read it, so I do think getting some guys back will be good. I gotta do a better job of making sure we stay to a plan of how we want to rotate, even if Skat is telling us he’s good.”

Although redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for a career-high 282 yards in the 30-22 loss to Texas Tech, an interception early in the first quarter on ASU’s first drive led to an early 14-0 deficit hole they couldn’t climb out of. Dillingham noted how he was more observant of the play in focus, rather than the ultimate result.

“He made a good read but just missed the throw,” Dillingham explained. “They were in cover-two with the corners down; he’s got his shoulders squared; it was a good read. I will sleep so well at night if we throw interceptions based on a missed throw with a dude hitting him in the chest. You make the right read as a freshman on your first drive. You throw the ball and get hit, and the ball sails a little bit; that’s going to happen. That’s football.”

Through three games, Leavitt’s 855 passing yards rank ninth in the Big 12, but his 180 rushing yards are third among quarterbacks and 12th in the conference. His ball security is one of the best in the conference, as he is one of five quarterbacks with just two interceptions in the year. His 59.1 completion percentage, however, brings down his overall efficiency, though his capability to keep the offense on the field and offer ASU the chance to score is what stands out to Dillingham.

“When I can’t sleep is when we just throw the ball to the opponent for no apparent reason,” Dillingham stated. “He’s taken care of the football at a fairly high level and given us a chance to extend drives because he doesn't throw it to the other team for lack of a better way to say that.”

Leavitt played in just four games at Michigan State in 2023 before arriving in Tempe and saw a limited number of defensive schemes in those games. Now at ASU, he’s witnessed a higher rate of assorted alignments by each opponent in four consecutive weeks. Dillingham acknowledges that this can be overwhelming for any young player, and the bye week can certainly help Leavitt step back, familiarize himself with those defensive looks, and come up with a more effective plan of attack for them.

“The first four games of the season were very unique,” Dillingham remarked. “Week one, we face a four-down team; week two, we play an odd five-three high safety; week three, we face a team that blitzes more than any team I’ve seen, and week four, we face odd weak side overhang.

“Those are the four core defenses in football that we’ve seen in the first four weeks, so there are some growing pains there. That’s not ideal because you can’t practice all of them at a good enough level. Now, with the bye week, we can pull things from these games for our guys because they’ve seen them.”

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