ASU Football: Three Local Recruits Commit
By Sam Ficarro
After being heavily criticized for not keeping in-state high school recruits home, ASU Football received three commitments from Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tight end/outside linebacker Kyle Soelle, tight end JaredPoplawski and offensive lineman Corey Stephens committed to ASU’s 2017 recruiting class.
This is the first time in school history that three recruits from an Arizona high school all committed to ASU on the same day.
ASU’s 2017 class now features five commitments, with the three Saguaro commits joining quarterback Ryan Kelley and defensive prospect Loren Mondy.
Soelle recorded 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks defensively and 37 receptions for 334 yards and one touchdown offensively last season with his previous school, Notre Dame Prep.
Poplawski was a key contributor for Saguaro as he had 32 receptions for 438 yard and six touchdowns.
Stephens is an offensive lineman and he is expected to play center for the Sun Devils.
According to Scout.com, Soelle is listed as a 2-star prospect with Poplawski and Stephens listed as 3-star prospects.
While these prospects might not be the biggest names, this is a huge win for head coach Todd Graham and his staff.
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Famously, Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin called out Graham in the lead-up to their game in Houston at the start of last season after the Aggies got the best Arizona recruit in the classes of 2014 and 2015.
With these three commitments, ASU has tied any recruiting class under Graham for most in-state commits.
As told to Rivals’s Ralph Amsden, Poplawski and Stephens are talking to other in-state prospects about staying home and going to Arizona State.
Graham has talked in the past about the importance of keeping Arizona high school recruits in-state, and this could have a big domino effect of other recruits wanting to stay local.
With the new apparel contract with adidas and the renovations of Sun Devil Stadium, the Sun Devils are becoming a more attractive destination for high school recruits, especially from those who reside in Arizona.