Sam Leavitt Makes Feelings Clear on Cam Skattebo Replacement as His Injury Return Keeps ASU Hopes Alive

Cam Skattebo is not coming back. It seems as if ASU fans are still in a hangover from last year’s magical run. But in 2025, Kenny Dillingham has to make it work somehow with his best player now off to the pros. The pressure now squarely falls on Sam Leavitt. The expectations range from winning the Heisman to reaching the conference championship game, and beyond. It is in these tough times that a good backfield can come as a blessing.

That’s where Raleek Brown enters the picture. He has quickly erased the rust of sitting out the entire CFP run with a hamstring injury. Three weeks in, he’s got 292 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, looking every bit like the player ASU envisioned when they brought him in. For Sam Leavitt, who’s seen that grind up close, the admiration is clear. “Just a guy who’s been putting in the work. Great kid, great teammate, always brings the juice. High energy guy. You don’t really see him in a different mood every single day. He’s kind of the same guy. So I really appreciate that. And I know the team does… I’m just really proud of him. And you know continue to get him the ball and see what he can really do.”

Head coach Dillingham put Brown’s breakout into perspective. After a 144-yard demolition of Texas State, he called him a “diamond that people forgot about.” Dillingham doubled down on the work behind the stat line: “He made the kind of jump that I feel like (receiver Jordyn Tyson) made last year. He’s worked his butt off. I mean, he’s focused, he’s dialed (in), he’s competitive, he’s good in pass protection. Like, he’s earned the right to have a game like that.” That consistency is what makes Brown’s resurgence so critical. For an ASU offense that needed balance, his legs have provided stability and opened up the playbook for Leavitt’s arm.

The timing couldn’t have been more crucial. In W2 against Mississippi State, RB1 Kyson Brown, the other Brown in ASU’s tandem, went down early with a lower-body injury. The spotlight shifted quickly, and Raleek embraced it. What could’ve been an exposed hole in the backfield instead became a proving ground. He explained it himself: “I mean, a lot I’ve been working two years or a year and a half, been working a lot, just thank coaches and everybody that believe in me, that I can play running back and just keep going.” Those words matched the tape. Decisive cuts, downhill runs, and a poise that kept ASU in rhythm.

It’s easy to forget just how delicate the balance is when your QB is carrying both Heisman hype and the program’s expectations. But the emergence of Raleek Brown has changed the equation. His explosiveness has forced defenses to respect the run, which in turn gives Sam Leavitt more room to operate. Now, the story ahead is whether this balance holds. With Kyson sidelined, Raleek will see an even heavier workload in the coming weeks.

Raleek Brown’s breakthrough moment

In the game against Texas State, Brown put up impressive numbers with 12 carried for 144 yards. But none of Raleek’s 12 carries carried more weight than the one that broke the game open: a 75-yard sprint, untouched to the end zone. It pushed ASU to a 34-9 lead with just 12 seconds left in the third quarter. According to Reel Analytics, that run was the second-fastest in the country in Week 3, which only adds to the story.

That single dash gave him 27 more yards than he had all of last season. The USC transfer said ASU pitched him on switching back to RB from WR, which was a prerequisite for him in the transfer portal.

“I was going back to running back no matter what. So if nobody (wanted) me at running back, I wasn’t going,” he said. Now, he’s proving he can hold down the position in a loaded room. With Baylor coming up as the next opponent, the running game is gonna take center stage as the Bears swear by the run to win games. Can Raleek’s playmaking allow Leavitt to make the throws needed for the win?