During his final season at Arizona State, Cam Skattebo emerged as one of college football's biggest household names. He amassed over 2,300 scrimmage yards and totaled 24 touchdowns en route to finishing fifth in Heisman voting. That led to him being selected by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he's quickly become a fan favorite.
In Week 3 against the Chiefs, the 23-year-old shined, recording his first career 100-yard scrimmage game with a career-high 6.0 yards per carry. With Tyrone Tracy Jr sidelined for 2-4 weeks with a dislocated shoulder, it's on the rookie to shoulder out of the backfield for Big Blue. And in an interview with Vegas Insider's Ben Mendelowitz, former ASU legend and Baltimore Ravens superstar Terrell Suggs had high praise for the rookie's work ethic.
"The ability to be a running back in today's game and dominate the game. It's rare, like we discussed earlier, it's a passing driven league," Suggs said. "It's a quarterback driven league, that's college and pros. And to have a back come in and lead your team, it's rare and I think that's awesome."
Cam Skattebo is making a positive impression on an NFL legend
Suggs had a 17-year NFL career, which saw him be named to seven Pro Bowls, win two Super Bowls, and become the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year. And just like Skattebo, Tempe was a key aspect of his journey.
The praise from a player of Suggs’ caliber carries weight, and he didn’t hesitate to note that Skattebo “has the talent,” a sentiment Giants fans are already seeing firsthand. Until Tracy returns to the lineup, Skattebo's only competition for touches is Devin Singletary, and the veteran has been productive in the past but has disappointed since signing with a three-year deal with the G-Men last offseason.
However, he also brought up the mental aspect, and it's no secret that the California native loves contact. He showed glimpses of what he's capable of on Sunday Night Football, and even a 22-9 loss didn't deter Suggs from delivering more praise, even going so far as to admit he thinks Skattebo has what it takes to be one of the league's best backs.
We both had a blue collar, ‘we’re gonna show up to work every day’ kind of attitude with our game.," Suggs said. "We let our game do our talking for us."
For a player who played with Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Haloti Ngata in Baltimore, that approach is what led to him forging a Hall-of-Fame resume. And Skattebo, even with the New York lights shining, has the mindset to be a true difference-maker for an offense in need of one out of the backfield.
With Big Blue looking for consistency in a struggling offense, Skattebo’s ability to generate yards after contact and make waves as a receiver holds weight, especially now that Jaxson Dart is taking over as QB1 in Week 4.
There's a reason he reminds Giants fans of true punishers like Brandon Jacobs, and if he keeps up this pace, Joe Schoen will have found another piece capable of turning this offense around.