Steve Sarkisian jokes he wishes he discovered Cam Skattebo before he transferred to Arizona State

Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns took care of business during the First Round of the College Football Playoff. Now, they’re headed to the Quarterfinals to face Arizona State, the reigning champions of the Big 12.

The Sun Devils have had an incredible run, fueled by star running back Cam Skattebo. It’s his second season with the program, after he spent two years with Sacramento State. Preparing for the ball carrier has Sarkisian wondering what could’ve been if Texas was the team to discover him out of the portal, instead of Arizona State.

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“In all reality, I wish I would’ve discovered Cam when he was transferring the first time around. I was unaware,” Sarkisian joked, speaking with the media. “So, kudos to them. They found him, and he’s a heck of a player.”

Regardless of his regret, Sarkisian made sure to give Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils staff a ton of credit for the way they’ve developed their star running back. All told, Skattebo rushed for 1,569 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2024, just missing out on a trip to New York City for the Heisman Ceremony.

With his contributions, Arizona State likely would not have won the Big 12 or made it to the CFP. That’s a testament to the type of player Skattebo is, and Sarkisian realizes Texas could always use more of those, regardless of how talented their roster is.

Moreover, the Sun Devils won six straight games to end the year – including a 45-19 victory over Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship to punch their ticket to the CFP. With a bye in its pocket, ASU waited patiently to find out who it would play in the Peach Bowl. It looked obvious at first, but things got interesting late in the second half between Clemson and Texas.

The Longhorns led 31-10 at the start of the third quarter, but the Tigers rallied back. It was a one-score game in the fourth quarter before Jaydon Blue ripped off a 77-yard touchdown run to put Texas back on top, 38-24.

With that in mind, it might be surprising to some to see Texas is favored to defeat Arizona State on New Year’s Day. Time will tell if they can bottle up Cam Skattebo, but it’s evident there’s immense respect between Steve Sarkisian and the Sun Devils’ star runner.