"Why didn't Ashton Jeanty run the 40?" - CFB world dismiss Cam Skattebo's 40-yard performance

Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo was one of the best players in the country, and had it not been for Boise State Broncos star Ashton Jeanty, he would have been the top running back in the country. Ahead of the draft, Skattebo finished No. 5 in the Heisman Trophy rankings while Jeanty finished No. 2 behind Travis Hunter.

Despite attending the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, Skattebo did not run the 40-yard dash because he was recovering from a hamstring injury. At the showcase event, Skattebo posted an impressive 39.5-inch vertical jump and 10.3-foot broad jump.

While speaking to reporters at the combine, the ASU running back defended his pace and revealed why he occasionally looked slow.

"People don't think I'm as fast as I am," Cam Skattebo said. "I am fast. I [just like to] punish the defender because they don't want to do it for four quarters."

He also missed the Big 12 Pro Day last week, but on Thursday, he ran the 40-yard dash during a private workout at the ASU campus to prove his pace to scouts. On Thursday, The Athletic's draft analyst Dane Brugler revealed on X that Cam Skattebo had managed a 4.65-second time.

College football fans on X had mixed reactions to Skattebo's 40-yard dash time, with some comparing him to Jeanty, who didn't run the 40-yard dash at the combine and Boise State Broncos' Pro Day.

Some fans were not impressed by Skattebo's pace.

"SLOW," one fan tweeted.

"I read 4.56? 4.65? That’s slowwwww," another fan tweeted.

"Slow as hell, BUST," one fan tweeted.

Analyst predicts Cam Skattebo's NFL pace adaptation

Cam Skattebo devastated defenses for the Arizona State Sun Devils, tallying 1,711 rushing yards, leading to 21 touchdowns, adding 605 receiving yards on 45 receptions, and 42 passing yards for a total of 2,316 total yards resulting in 25 touchdowns and forcing 102 missed tackles.

During an appearance on Fox Sports on Wednesday, analyst Bucky Brooks predicted how the ASU running back who was the Peach Bowl Offensive MVP against the Texas Longhorns would put his pace to use in the NFL.

"I would expect him to run in the 4.6s," Brooks said. "I don't think he's going to be a blazer. I think he's more quick than fast. I think the appreciation for him is all the things that he does. But he's not going to turn the corner and go the distance."

After his 40-yard dash on Thursday and his performance at the Combine, Cam Skattebo was projected to be a second-day pick in the upcoming NFL Draft in CBS Sports' latest mock draft.