ASU Football: N’Keal Harry Becoming ASU’s Go-To Target

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

After two years of decline, Arizona State’s offense looks like it might be back. It’s no surprise its turnaround is coinciding with the rise of sophomore standout N’Keal Harry.

During coach Todd Graham’s tenure, the Sun Devils attack has been at its best when it has a legitimate go-to target in the passing game. In 2013 and 2014, All-Conference receiver Jalen Strong was the focal point of offenses that ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring.

In both of those 10-win seasons, Strong had at least 75 catches and 1100 yards. Whenever the offense was in a tight spot, his No. 21 was called.

Fast-forward to this season and it is Harry’s No. 1 is the offense’s new number one target.

“In a lot of ways, a lot of similarities between him (Harry) and Jalen Strong,” Graham said during his Monday press conference. “I think he is only scratching the surface on how good he can be. As he continues to get better fundamentality and really works hard, he’s gotten better in film study and preparing himself. He is such an intense competitor.”

Harry started his collegiate career with a promising 58-catch, 659-yard freshman season last fall. Those were good numbers for a teenager in Power 5 football, but for ASU’s offense to return to its near-elite level of the Strong years, it needed a lot more from its young number one target.

In his last two games, he has obliged.

Against Oregon and Texas Tech combined, Harry hauled in 20 grabs for 318 yards and 2 touchdowns. This season, he leads the team in catches (38), yards (436) and receiving scores (3).

But his contributions go deeper than just numbers on a stat sheet. For the first time since coming to Tempe, Harry looks like the kind of playmaker ASU has been missing since Strong’s departure for the pros.

The school hasn’t been without talented receivers since 2014. The likes of Devin Lucien, Tim White, and Fred Gammage all played important roles on the Sun Devils teams of the last two years.

But the school was in need of a transcendent talent like Strong. They might not be anymore.

Take ASU’s second scoring drive against the Ducks last Saturday for example.

With the game tied at 7-7 midway through the first quarter, Graham came to his first cross-roads decision of the night. He put his faith in Harry.

 

4th and 3, ball at Oregon’s 42.

Too far for a field goal, but too close to waste a scoring chance, Graham went for it. On the snap, Oregon made the mistake of leaving Harry in man coverage. UO cornerback Deommodore Lenoir tried to jam him at line, and kept decent coverage on the 6-foot-4 target

Though battling coverage, quarterback Manny Wilkins knew his receiver would win an aerial battle for the ball.

When asked about his decision to throw 50/50 balls to Harry last week, Wilkins cut off the reporter, instead classifying those throws as: “100 percent.” His belief paid off on Saturday night. Wilkins fired it Harry’s way, placing the throw in a spot where the big pass catcher could out jump Lenoir. Harry got both hands to the ball and got his feet in bounds.

16 yard gain. First down.

“What’s going through my head is, if you are trying to man cover me with no safety over the top, that is disrespectful,” Harry said after Saturday’s win. “Whenever they do that, I just have the mindset that I’m going to come down with the ball every time.”

He did. ASU converted. The drive continued.

The Sun Devils kept the ball moving on the possession, getting all the way inside the Oregon 5-yard line. On the doorstep of the end zone, ASU had a chance to take a touchdown lead on the 24^th ranked Ducks. They looked Harry’s way once again.

 

1^st and goal, ball at Oregon’s 3.

Instead of lining up near the sideline and along the line of scrimmage (in the “X” receiver role), Harry started in the slot, a few yards behind the line (in the “H” receiver role).

He was then brought in motion to the other side of the offensive line. Being the focal point of the defense, two Oregon defensive backs shifted to the far side of the field with Harry. Different from his normal routine of challenging a secondary with his physical abilities, Harry’s movement forced the Ducks into a mental dilemma

“We have to be able to do stuff like that to be a successful team,” Harry said. “When we do stuff like that, it opens up a lot of stuff in the game. It’s a big help.”

Oregon overloaded on one half of the field, the same half Wilkins ran a decoy play-action handoff to running back Demario Richard. The Ducks defense bit while Harry ran back to the weak side of the field.

He had acres of space to work in as Wilkins ran a bootleg back to his right.

Once Oregon’s lone linebacker left on the near side decided to pursue Wilkins instead of trying to cover Harry, all it took was a simple pitch and catch between the two ASU playmakers to put their team back in front.

3-yard pass. Touchdown.

When Harry showed up on campus last year, he already had the physical gifts to be a success. But it is his mental growth that has impressed his coaches the most. There was no better example of that than the different tasks he was handed against Oregon.

“He is way above average in football intelligence,” receivers coach Rob Likens said. “He is not a high rep guy. He’s a low rep guy were you can just teach him one time, and he can get it down to where he can go out there and execute it.”

When Strong was a Sun Devil, he showcased the same skills. It is a style of play Harry has purposely tried to emulate since he saw Strong play in person years ago.

“Watching him (Strong), I’ve tried to mold my game like his,” Harry said. “It’s a great honor to be able to receive that (comparison).”

His work has paid off. Harry is now filling the role Strong did and his offense is beginning to look like a dominant unit because of it.

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