Cowboys' better RB option than Ashton Jeanty is already at home in JerryWorld

It was not even close. The Arizona State Sun Devils ran all over the Iowa State Cyclones to win the Big 12. This was the Sun Devils' first season in its new league. They were picked to finish in last place. Instead, Kenny Dillingham's team is now a lock to make the College Football Playoff, and there is a chance they could be seeded even higher than just the last automatic qualifier spot as the No. 12.

This was a completely dominating performance by the Sun Devils. They played great complementary football, but it was the combination of tenacious defense and the powerful running style of senior running back Cam Skattebo that made all the difference. Skattebo is not overly heralded as a draft prospect, but what he did in the Dallas Cowboys' home stadium on Saturday afternoon was amazing.

While Dallas' inability to run the football has hurt their chances of making the playoff this year, it might actually serve them to not reach for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The Heisman Trophy contender might be a top-10 pick, but a team like Dallas could get a player just as good a day or so later in the 2025 NFL Draft in the form of Skattebo. I know what I just saw unfold over in Arlington.

We are looking at a physically imposing running back who will run so angry on every single down.

Cam Skattebo might be a steal Dallas Cowboys 2025 NFL Draft pick

If there is one thing the Cowboys have done better than most teams for the most part over the last decade-plus, it has been the ability to identify and draft the right playmakers for them coming out of college. Their hits have been huge, but poor coaching and questionable free agency decisions have undermined this. Landing Jeanty in the first round is good, but getting Skattebo in the third is great!

Overall, Skattebo just made himself a ton of money for his performance in Arizona State's biggest game of my lifetime. This is the best the Sun Devils have looked since the late 1990s when Jake Plummer and the late Pat Tillman became legends for them starring in the old Pac-10. When you have a running back who runs with a powerful and angry aggression like Skattebo, you have to value him.

Ultimately, it may come down to how well Skattebo tests at the NFL Scouting Combine. Jeanty has been a serious Heisman contender all season long, while Skattebo has only recently forced his way into the conversation. Regardless, both star running backs have helped carry their respective West Coast programs into the first 12-team College Football Playoff quite easily. Dallas needs one of them.

Right now, the drop-off from Jeanty to Skattebo is not as much as what draft boards may suggest.