Kenny Dillingham puts a positive spin to Cam Skattebo being only Sun Devil invited to NFL Combine
Kenny Dillingham’s Arizona State Sun Devils won 11 games in 2024, winning the Big 12 and giving Texas all they could handle in the College Football Playoff. Despite all that, only one player from the school, running back Cam Skattebo, was invited to the NFL Combine.
When asked about it in a press conference on Thursday, the Sun Devils coach deemed it unfortunate that no one else from the team was invited. Dillingham found a silver lining from the omission.
"There's a reason some teams get more people consistently in it. It's because they've won for longer. If we go and have a good year again that will never happen again," Dillingham said.
There were two players in particular that Dillingham named directly: Leif Fautanu and Shamari Simmons.
Fautanu is a 6-foot-2, 315-pound interior offensive lineman who was instrumental to Skattebo’s solid 2024 season. Simmons is a hard-hitting defensive back invited to the East-West Shrine game but did not make the list for the Combine. He finished the season with 72 tackles, four forced fumbles and an interception.
As for Skattebo, he is coming off an amazing senior season with 1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 45 receptions for 605 yards and three scores. Thanks to his solid 2024 season, the running back has been shooting up draft boards. The Rio Linda, California native could drive his stock further.
Kenny Dillingham named race starter for Pat’s Run
The traditional Pat’s Run has named its official race starter for this year’s edition, and it’s Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham. The Pat Tillman Foundation shared the news on its social media account.
“My family, our team and our staff are honored to help kick off this amazing event that brings our community together to celebrate his legacy,” Dillingham said in a press release.
The 4.2-mile race has been organized by the Pat Tillman Foundation since 2004 and will be held on April 12. It helps support close to 1,000 Tillman scholarship recipients.
The 4.2-mile distance is a homage to Pat Tillman’s number 42, which he used while playing for the Sun Devils. Tillman graduated in 1997 and played four years in the NFL before retiring to join the Army Rangers. He served tours in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 but lost his life in a friendly fire incident.
To honor his memory, the Pat Tillman Foundation grants scholarships to military service members, veterans and spouses.