Sports360AZ
By Justin Toscano
N’Keal Harry is a budding star who never acts like one.
As Arizona State football began practice Tuesday, the sophomore receiver approached first-year receivers coach Rob Likens.
“What do I need to improve on?” Harry asked Likens.
That’s encouraging. Not only for Likens, but for the team. Harry, a receiver pundits predict will play on Sundays, isn’t a prima donna.
His last two games could be considered the best of his young ASU career. He’s a fan-favorite for those in Tempe, but he’s also garnered national attention. He earned Freshman All-American honors from a number of outlets for his play last season, and just this week was put on the watch list for the 2017 Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver.
Still, he doesn’t act like a typical former 5-star recruit who fielded offers from many places. He’s not above anyone or anything.
“There’s no point on focusing what I did well on the week before,” Harry said Tuesday. “A great player is going to go into the film room and see what he messed up on and what he needs to work on. I feel if I can continue to do that and continue to ask (Likens) what I need to improve on each day, I’ll end up being the player I believe I can be — hopefully at some point in the near future.”
Harry caught 13 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech two games ago. Against then-No. 24 Oregon on Saturday, he had seven receptions, 170 yards and a touchdown.
In the week leading up to the game against Oregon, Likens spoke to reporters. Asked about what makes Harry so special, he mentioned the receiver’s 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame and how teams can’t press him. Asked about Oregon’s secondary, Likens noted the Ducks like to press receivers. That may scare other teams, but the Sun Devils wanted Oregon to press Harry.
They got their wish.
ASU faced a 3rd-and-27 situation in that game. Wilkins received the snap, bought himself some time and heaved it to Harry. Harry came down with it for a 52-yard gain that eventually led to a Brandon Ruiz field goal to give the Sun Devils a 34-28 lead.
Harry’s jaw-dropping catches with cornerbacks draped all over him will always amaze fans, but to junior quarterback Manny Wilkins, they’re becoming the norm — if that’s even possible. After the game, Wilkins said there are really no 50/50 balls with Harry. Instead, he called them “100 percent balls.”
Asked about the man coverage following ASU’s win over Oregon, Harry offered this:
“If you try to man coverage me, that’s going of disrespectful. So whenever they do that, I just have the mindset that I’m going to come down with the ball every time.”
Don’t mistake that for cockiness, though. Harry is anything but that. Well, except for when he told reporters Wilkins had never beaten him in NBA 2K, a basketball video game. On the field, he’s all business. As he said the quote, he maintained the soft, laid-back tone he usually speaks with — one you wouldn’t expect from someone his size.
“If I would’ve read that as an opponent, I would’ve probably put that up as some locker-room material, but he doesn’t think that way,” Likens said. “He’s just very, very confident, extremely humble.”
Coaches obviously know when a player is talented. But there are some qualities that separate the good from great. And it wasn’t just Harry’s game film —though it’s also impressive — that won ASU coach Todd Graham over.
“When I watched him practice and how hard he practice, I knew he had a chance to really, really be good,” Graham said. “He’s only scratching the surface on what he can do right now.”
Before the season, Likens told his receivers this: You’ll win championships when your best players are your best players.
His point: The most talented players need to have the best attitude, work ethic and motor. If that can be achieved, Likens said, “the sky is the limit.” If it can’t, “you’re in trouble.”
ASU’s receiving corps is filled with weapons. Sophomore Kyle Williams had a breakout game at Texas Tech and junior Jalen Harvey has become a security blanket on third down. Even John Humphrey — who has sat out the last two games due to a knee injury — made an impact in the first two contests of the season.
It’s a good sign that Harry, who perhaps has the highest ceiling of anyone on the team, doesn’t act like it. He’ll instead just keep asking Likens that same question at practice each morning.
“That just tells me he doesn’t believe he’s arrived, which is good to see,” Likens said.
