Down by 16 points in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, the writing looked to be on the wall for second-year coach Kenny Dillingham. After finishing 3-9 overall in the Pac-12 in his first season, he led his team to the CFB playoff but found his side struggling and seemingly going down without a fight against Texas. But then, his star running back Cam Skattebo stepped up. Just moments earlier, Skattebo was observed  “vomiting profusely” on the sidelines, as he battled fatigue. Questions on his status for the rest of the game remained, but Skattebo not only reentered the gridiron, but he also led a comeback to force overtime and for one moment had the Sun Devils believing.

After helping his side claw back the 16-point deficit, he put ASU ahead with a three-yard touchdown run in overtime. However, Texas responded with two straight touchdowns to take the lead 39-31 which stayed as the final score. Still, Dillingham and especially Skattebo had plenty of reasons to hold their heads high after a season where they were projected to finish last in the Big 12. Now, as the head coach looks to build on a successful season, Skattebo is eyeing the NFL draft.

Before the game against the Longhorns, he was projected to be a third-day, late-round pick. However, following his MVP performance in the Peach Bowl which saw him register 284 yards, two rushing touchdowns, and one passing touchdown, he has been predicted to go as high as the third round. It was believed that with Big 12 Pro Day starting on March 18, Skattebo would have a chance to further underline his credentials. Surprisingly, he has opted out and will be doing a private workout at ASU instead. But his ASU coach Kenny Dillingham is on hand to fill in potential scouts on what they can expect from the RB and even gave an NFL comp for him.

Dillingham was asked about Skattebo not participating in the pro day and the abilities that separate him from the stock. He answered, “He’s so competitive that everything he does is going to want to do it full speed. He’s going to want to do it with a passion; he’s going to want to be the very best, and I think that’s the thing, he said as he joined Rhett Lewis and Daniel Jeremiah on Wednesday for Big 12 Pro Days.

Cam Skattebo finished his incredible season with 1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, apart from his 605 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns as he drove ASU to its best season in over a decade. His passion was on full display when he came back on the field in the Peach Bowl despite struggling physically and put in a commanding performance.

Dillingham added, There are competitive people, and then there are people who want to be the best at everything. They want to be the center of everything. I mean, the contact, balance, the grit, all that stuff is what separates him. And I just can’t wait. Some team is going to draft him. Some team’s fan base is going to get really excited about drafting him. There’s gonna be a lot of jerseys sold and a lot of touchdowns.”

His coach’s praise comes after it seems that Skattebo hardly cares about his draft stock or where the early projections place him. Before opting out of Pro Day, he skipped most drills at the NFL combine, participating in only the vertical jump and broad jump. It was reported that it was because he had been sick and was not at full strength.

At the NFL Combine, he was measured to be around 5 foot 9 1/2 and 219 lbs. He also recorded an impressive vertical jump of 39.5 inches, which was fifth-best overall and second-best in his position.

Still, not participating in the Pro Day could affect his chances of a higher pick as some draft projections do see him as a late-round prospect because of some of his weaknesses, which may become pronounced in the NFL.

One of the major weaknesses of Skattebo is his susceptibility to induce heavy collisions. That may have come to his advantage in the CFB. The same can’t be said about the NFL. You play the best of the best every week, inviting collisions instead of evading them. This may come with its physical toll. Then, there is his lack of explosiveness in his runs and the ability to accelerate at a moment’s notice. Ball security is another issue scouts have highlighted. Lastly, his limited catch radius limits his ability as a dual threat. However, Kenny Dillingham had another take on his physicality as he named the comparison for Skattebo.

“I mean, I look at guys like Maurice Jones-Drew in the past who are just super stocky guys that have a great contact balance. They may be weren’t going to go, run 4-3, but all of a sudden, you’re gonna be like, how did he average six yards per carry? They don’t give him any surface to hit at all. I think that’s kind of his style of play. He’s always gonna fall forward. He’s gonna be that chip that you’re talking about. I’m excited to see him at the next level.”

Coach Kenny Dillingham obviously knows the type of player Skattebo is and what he can do on his day. He was one of the key reasons behind Dillingham taking ASU unexpectedly to the playoffs and it is not a surprise that he was doing his best to hype him up to the NFL teams, now that he is missing Pro Day.

While the opinion about his draft projection varies, there is no doubt that there are teams that can benefit from his presence. So, the question is where will Skattebo land?

Cam Skattebo’s possible NFL destination

When you talk about grit and toughness, Skattebo more than proved that he embodies those characteristics. This makes him an ideal pick for someone like Jim Harbaugh, who loves multi-purpose backs, with whom he can go to war. Apart from being a highly productive runner, Skattebo is more than capable as a receiver. Last month, he was projected third-round pick for the Chargers.

Still, more recent mock drafts see him land anywhere from Cleveland in the third round to the Bills and Dolphins in the fourth round. Draft Countdown also sees him with the Vikings as a fifth-round pick.

His Pro Day snub may still come with its complications, as his draft stock isn’t that great due to various teams not preferring him as their primary pick. Pro day appearance may have provided an incentive to perform and showcase to those NFL scouts why he deserves to be in the first round. Nevertheless, there might still be interest and he is certainly looking like that wild card going into the draft.