Skattebo, who placed fifth in Heisman voting in 2024 after an incredible season with over 2,300 yards from scrimmage, served as an irreplaceable component of the Big 12 Conference Champions.

At the Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said “not one person” could replace Skattebo, and that it was going to take the combined efforts of his running back room to return that production.

In addition to the existing junior Kyson Brown and redshirt junior Raleek Brown, Dillingham obtained even more talent to aid the post-Skattebo era, bringing in Army transfer junior Kanye Udoh.

Udoh exploded onto the scene at West Point with a 1,117-yard season, scoring 10 touchdowns. 

Udoh entered the transfer portal just hours after the Army-Navy game on Dec. 14, a decision that "disappointed" Army head coach Jeff Monken not solely for the player that he is, but also the man, a trait that Dillingham has joined Monken in acknowledging. 

Udoh committed to Arizona State the day after his official visit, foregoing a visit with Bill Belichick at the University of North Carolina, turning down other offers from SMU and Missouri. Immediately, Udoh went to social media, saying that Arizona State would get “110%” from him in Tempe.

With Udoh, the Sun Devils get a well-rounded back who can break tackles and penetrate the third level of defenses by running through and shifting around defenders. However, Udoh has yet to have the opportunity to catch passes out of the backfield due to Army’s run-heavy offense. Given Arizona State offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo’s spread / pro-style scheme, that will change.

“[Udoh] has transitioned to the pro-style spread from the triple option, so there is a learning phase there,” Dillingham said. “But he grew and grew and grew throughout spring.”

In addition to the physical talents from Udoh, he also brought with him the discipline of West Point, something that truly separates him from many of his teammates. 

On the flip side, Raleek Brown is a back with high pass-catching abilities. Even before being converted to a wide receiver in his sophomore year at Southern California, Raleek Brown caught three touchdowns and had over 400 yards from scrimmage on 58 combined rushes and receptions.

Injuries kept the former five-star off the field for much of the 2024-25 season, causing Raleek Brown to take a medical redshirt. He appeared in just two games, rushing for 42 yards.

His elite speed was one of his main profiles coming out of high school, but more physicality may be expected out of him this year, as Dillingham confirmed Raleek Brown had put on 20 pounds over the offseason.

“To be honest, I didn’t know he could weigh this much,” Dillingham said. “When you think of Raleek Brown, you think of a scat guy, you think of somebody out of the backfield, people tried to convert him to a wideout. You don’t think of him as a between-the-tackle, 200-pound back.”

Dillingham said Kyson Brown is another backfield option who has taken a big step in his development, according to Dillingham.

“We get Sip [Kyson Brown] back, he’s bigger, stronger, and faster than he was last year. He looks very good in spring ball, I was very pleased,” Dillingham said. 

Kyson Brown was the backup running back for much of the 2024 season, filling in for the injured Skattebo against Central Florida and playing in much of the second half in blowout victories against Oklahoma State and Arizona. 

One hundred of Kyson Brown’s 351 rushing yards came against Arizona, with both of his rushing touchdowns coming in Stillwater against Oklahoma State. He accumulated another 189 yards through the air, including a 68-yard touchdown on a screen pass against Wyoming. 

Kyson Brown most closely resembles Skattebo’s "run through the defender style" and is most familiar playing in the maroon and gold. He is the only running back of the three-headed option who initially committed to Arizona State out of high school. 

It is still too early for a starting running back to be named. Still, regardless of who it is, all three of Udoh, Kyson Brown, and Raleek Brown will all provide weekly impacts out of the backfield and, especially in Raleek Brown’s case, through the dynamic spread offense that is expected in 2025.