Have you ever watched a player cook so hard that you think, “Man, how do we ever replace that?” That was Cam Skattebo at Arizona State last season. The man had fans on tilt, defenses praying, stat keepers begging for mercy, and Texas fans on their knees. But here’s the twist—Sam Leavitt, the QB1 of Tempe, isn’t exactly losing sleep over it. Bold? Maybe. Crazy? Not when you hear how he breaks it down.

Let’s get this straight: losing Skattebo isn’t like losing your car keys—it’s like losing the whole damn garage. The guy’s 2024 numbers were something you don’t just replace. We’re talking 1,711 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns, and oh yeah, 605 receiving yards on 45 catches. He was doing McCaffrey-type stuff out there, the first guy since CMC in 2015 to hit 1,700 rush and 500 receiving in the same season. And he didn’t just dominate, he entertained—throwing a touchdown pass in the Peach Bowl on top of running and catching for nearly 250 yards. Straight Retro-Bowl caliber.

And that Peach Bowl? Pain. Double-OT, Texas snatched ASU’s ticket to the semis, and even though Skattebo left with MVP honors, that sting still lingers in Tempe. But with Skatt off to terrorize the NFL, the question’s obvious: who fills those monster shoes?

Sam Leavitt isn’t sweating it. “Yeah, it’s a super fun group. I’ve got a few guys that can do a little bit of everything, you know, per guy you know, really, really fast at the backfield. So it’s got some long speed too. And you know, it’s really good, really smart, really good protection, got really good ball skills, you know. And then Kanye [Udoh] comes in. He’s a bruiser, getting better in the backfield, you know, seeing gas and everything like that, that we just got a whole bunch of people who can do different things that I’m excited to see.”

Sam Leavitt was talking about his new RB trio—Kyson Brown, Kanye Udoh, and Raleek Brown. He went full scouting report too: Kyson’s got the speed and vision, Kanye’s a bruiser fresh off a 1,117-yard season at Army, and Raleek? He’s the space guy, slippery like Alvin Kamara. In Leavitt’s words, they’ve got a little bit of everything, and that variety’s got him hyped.

This isn’t just QB optimism either. ESPN’s Bill Connelly dropped the nugget that 79% of ASU’s starters are back. That’s continuity on full display. Add in an O-line returning four starters, and you don’t need one player touching the ball 30 times a night. Instead, you can hit defenses from three angles like a combo meal. Think less “one-man wrecking crew,” more Avengers assemble.

And just to make sure nobody thought he was being cold, Leavitt added a little jab-wrapped-in-love about his old RB1. “It’s no different for me. Skatt would always be back there talking to me, so you know, a little bit less pestering in my ear in a good way. That’s my guy. But you know, I’m just really proud of the group so far and… excited to see what they can do.” Translation? He misses the RB1—but he’s cool with a quieter huddle.

So, here’s the deal. ASU isn’t trying to replace Cam Skattebo, because that’s like trying to remake Michael Jordan with three rookies—it’s not happening. Instead, they’re building a committee attack that could actually be harder to game plan for. Different backs, different strengths, same chaos for defenses. Sprinkle in Year 2 of Leavitt’s leadership, and this Sun Devils offense might not miss a beat.

Kenny Dillingham warns Sun Devils against menacing celebrations to avoid penalties

Now here’s where the story flips. When you’ve got an offense that’s about to torch defenses again, you know the celebrations are gonna get wild. But Kenny Dillingham? He’s putting up the caution tape for survival mode under the new NCAA rules.

On August 13, the National Football Foundation said ‘enough’ to weaponized celebrations. Before, only faking like you fired a gun got you flagged. Now? Just mimicking a weapon—tucking your shirt to look strapped, fake swinging a bat, even acting like you’ve got heat on you—is automatic unsportsmanlike conduct. Basically, the no-fun police just got a bigger badge.

So Dillingham kept it blunt after practice: “Find the balance. From now on it’s going to be penalties … you can’t do anything that simulates a weapon. Don’t do it.” He wasn’t just talking to the hotheads either. He warned everyone—don’t retaliate to cheap shots, don’t get sucked into nonsense, and don’t be the guy that flips momentum with a dumb flag. His metaphor? Treat celebrations like a full moon. Sounds poetic, but what he meant was: one slip and the whole vibe of the game changes.

And here’s the kicker: he’s not trying to kill the juice. Dillingham loves energy, loves passion, wants guys celebrating together. But under these rules, the line between hype and headache is razor-thin. So, he’s telling his boys to show unity, not menace. With kickoff barely two weeks away, he’s drilling them on discipline. Because in 2025, the Sun Devils are planning to run it back at the Big 12.