John Harbaugh Is Building the Giants Around Cam Skattebo’s Fire - And That Might Be Exactly What They Need
The New York Giants’ 2025 season didn’t officially end when rookie running back Cam Skattebo went down with a dislocated ankle in Week 8 - but let’s be honest, that was the moment the air left the room. The Giants were already hanging on by a thread, but Skattebo was the spark keeping the season interesting. Once he was sidelined, the team’s pulse faded fast.
Before the injury, the fourth-round pick out of Arizona State had become something of a weekly phenomenon - not just for his production, but for the energy he brought to the field. Skattebo ran like every carry was personal.
He was tough, relentless, and just unpredictable enough to keep fans glued to the screen. He had that rare mix of grit and charisma that made him impossible not to root for - a throwback player in a modern game.
And it turns out Giants head coach John Harbaugh might be just as hooked on the Skattebo experience as the fans were.
According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the Giants recently interviewed Arizona State offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo - Skattebo’s college OC - for their vacant quarterbacks coach position. That’s not a coincidence. That’s a coach trying to tap back into something special.
Let’s rewind to 2024, when Arroyo and Skattebo lit up the college football world. Skattebo racked up 1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground, then added another 605 yards and three scores through the air.
That’s over 2,300 yards from scrimmage and 24 total touchdowns - the kind of stat line that doesn’t just get you noticed, it gets you into the Heisman conversation. He finished fifth, but the tape told the real story: this was a player who could take over games in multiple ways, and Arroyo knew exactly how to use him.
Now Harbaugh is looking to bring that same offensive mind into the Giants’ building. And while Arroyo doesn’t have a direct link to Harbaugh’s coaching tree, he’s not exactly a stranger to the network.
He worked with new Giants running backs coach Willie Taggart during their time at Oregon - a connection that likely helped get his foot in the door. He also spent time on Todd Monken’s staff at Southern Miss in 2013.
Monken, of course, was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator in Baltimore from 2023 to 2025, and was widely expected to follow Harbaugh to New York before the Browns offered him their head coaching job.
So while Arroyo isn’t technically “one of Harbaugh’s guys,” he’s adjacent enough to fit the mold - and his track record developing quarterbacks doesn’t hurt either. He played a key role in shaping Justin Herbert during his college days at Oregon, and that kind of résumé is exactly what the Giants need as they try to mold Jaxson Dart into a legitimate NFL starter.
Speaking of Dart, he’s now working under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who brings his own impressive credentials to the table. Nagy’s time with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City isn’t just a bullet point on his résumé - it’s a sign that he understands how to develop and maximize quarterback talent. For a team that’s been searching for stability under center for what feels like forever, that’s a big deal.
Put it all together - Nagy calling plays, Arroyo potentially working with the quarterbacks, Taggart coaching the backs, and Skattebo’s influence quietly shaping the offensive identity - and suddenly this Giants offense has some personality again. For years, it’s felt like New York was running on fumes offensively. Now, there’s a sense of direction, and it’s being built around a player who hasn’t even played a full season yet.
Cam Skattebo may have gone down early, but his impact is still being felt. And if Harbaugh is building a staff that understands how to unlock what made Skattebo special in college, the Giants might be onto something.
They’re not just installing a new system - they’re building a new culture. One that’s gritty, energetic, and a little unpredictable.
Sound familiar? That’s Skattebo to a tee. And maybe, just maybe, it’s exactly what the Giants have been missing.