ASU Football: Devils’ receiving corps gaining preseason momentum

Last week, Athlon Sports released a poll ranking the top receiving groups in college football. ASU football came in at No. 16.

If one thought were to appear in the mind of Pac-12 coaches prior to facing Arizona State on the gridiron, it’d be two words: N’Keal Harry.

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches tall and 213 pounds, Harry boasts the physical characteristics that permit you to tell your quarterback: “just throw the ball up there, and he’ll go get it.”

In 2017, he went up and caught a lot of footballs. Harry reeled in 82 receptions for 1,142 receiving yards in his sophomore year to go along with eight touchdowns, good enough to earn All-Pac-12 First Team Offense honors for the first time in his ASU career.

Entering his junior season, and his first year of eligibility for the NFL Draft, it’s easy to understand why Harry’s expectations have become sky-high. He’s been named to preseason watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Fred Biletnikoff Award and the Paul Hornung Award, and his name has even come up in the first round of mocks for the 2019 NFL Draft.

Harry’s potential also caught the eye of first-year ASU coach Herm Edwards, who was quick to give high remarks for Harry at Pac-12 Media Day.

"He has a special quality and one you need in anything in life that you do. He competes. He competes. You have to compete at whatever you do in life, whether you’re a media person, a television personality, you have to compete every day. When he walks on the field, whether it’s in practice, whether it’s in the weight room, whatever it may be, he competes."

With Harry, the whole ASU receiving corps has now gained some national attention.

In a poll created by Athlon Sports, the Sun Devils were ranked as the 16th best receiving group in all of college football. ASU was the top ranked Pac-12 school on the list, beating out USC at No. 18, Stanford at No. 22, California at No. 28, Oregon at No. 35 and Washington State at No. 36.

Per the article, here’s how the site organized the rankings.

"A couple of factors were considered. Depth, overall talent, production, level of competition and projected output in 2018 all factored into the rankings for the receiving corps. While some teams may have experienced a down year last season, having a different quarterback or a change of scheme can make a huge difference. These rankings reflect projection for 2018, not solely what teams have accomplished in 2017. Note: This ranking also takes into account tight ends.More from Devils in DetailSun Devils Primer: Game 2 vs Oklahoma StateSun Devil Insight: Quarterback RoomArizona State Spotlight: Kenny DillinghamArizona State 2023 Season Opener: Off To A Good StartArizona State vs USC Prediction and Promo (Expect Offensive Fireworks)"

It’s no secret that Harry will be Manny Wilkins‘ No. 1 target this fall, but there are some exciting returnees ready to make an impact.

Junior Kyle Williams also had a breakout season in 2017, upping his numbers of six receptions for 66 yards from his freshman year to 66 receptions for 763 yards and seven touchdowns in his sophomore season.

ASU will lose some steam with Jalen Harvey moving to the defensive side of the ball, but the contributions should be covered by the increased roles of Terrell Chatman, Ryan Newsome, and Frank Darby.

Those three players combined for just 17 receptions last season, but like Harry and Williams, their progression is expected to take off with more snaps and opportunities.

As for the tight ends, the core will be led by senior Ceejhay French-Love, who finished last year with just three receptions for 49 yards. One of French-Love’s catches, however, was the game-clinching fourth down conversion to defeat No. 5 Washington last season.

With Wilkins under center, the ASU offense should retain similar consistency. The senior quarterback completed 63.4 percent of his passes in 2017, being interception-free until the team’s fifth game against Stanford.

If running backs Eno Benjamin, Trelon Smith and Isaiah Floyd can provide ample stability for Wilkins out of the backfield, the team has the chance to match or increase its 32 points per game total from last season.

The debut of the new line of Sun Devil receivers is now just 18 days away, where we’ll see if Herm Edwards and Rob Likens can exercise this offense’s potential.