I remember driving down the Loop 202 freeway four years ago. It was on the southern loop, going west toward Kyrene Road.
It’s a perfect place for billboards. There’s a stretch that lasts about two miles in which there aren’t any exits.
A prominent billboard featured D.J. Foster, a recruit to the ASU football team. It was advertising the program, as well as the school, while hailing him as a “Hometown Hero.”
“They kind of gave me that title, and it’s starting to pass on,” Foster said.
With that, Foster — now a senior — became the catalyst for the Hometown Hero plan.
The team now has 28 Arizona natives, 20 of which are at least a grade level below Foster (the other eight are redshirt juniors, seniors or redshirt seniors).
Foster said he has given college advice to many of them. He’s close with several and goes to high schools to talk about the process.
“I try not to put too much pressure on them, just more advice,” he said. “It’s a blessing to be able to go to school on a scholarship no matter where you can go. (I) just give them information about ASU, about this coaching staff, what they did for me and what they can do for them.”
The plan has not yet come to fruition, though; only three of the 20 Arizona natives received playing time this season.
One of those exceptions was sophomore running back Jacom Brimhall, who was not part of the Hometown Hero package. He walked on last year.
Another was Mitchell Fraboni, who chose ASU over San Diego and Air Force, but was unranked by Yahoo!’s Rivals. He played all 12 games as the long snapper this season.
In fact, the only highly-touted recruit who chose ASU and was active this season was Chans Cox, who played two games.
However, the program is beginning to form beginning its second era is with freshman quarterback Bryce Perkins.
“Especially these last couple years with more hometown kids staying, it’s going to influence more of the best talent in the state of Arizona to stay,” he said.
Perkins is fighting for the starting quarterback job in the 2016 season — it’s a wide-open race that offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey said has no clear leader — but he’s already helped keep Arizonan talent in the state. Two of his teammates from Chandler High School (Chandler, Arizona), N’Keal Harry and Chase Lucas, chose ASU.
Harry is a 5-star wide receiver and is ranked among the top high school prospect in Arizona, according to Rivals.com. He chose ASU over seven other Pac-12 schools and universities such as Texas A&M and Wisconsin.
Lucas, whom Rivals gave 4-stars, is expected to play defensive back and some reps at wide receiver. He chose ASU over eight Pac-12 schools and other universities including Texas and Notre Dame.
ASU is also in the process of recruiting four-star cornerback Byron Murphy out of Saguaro High School (Scottsdale, Arizona). He has also received offers from seven other Pac-12 schools and outside universities like Ohio State, Florida State and Texas A&M.
“If more people stayed home from Arizona, then there’s no reason for ASU not to be a powerhouse,” Perkins said.
In early December, Marshall Nathe committed to ASU. Todd Graham said the program was important.
“We want to win here and dominate our backyard and that’s something that’s been a hard, long road so far,” he said. “It’s starting to pay dividends and it’s because we have a body of work to show of what we have to offer.”
Foster’s final game will be on Saturday, closing the door on the beginning of the plan but ushering in an era of highly-touted, Arizonan prospects.
“You can go to Texas, Florida, a lot of those guys are in-state guys that are playing,” he said. “If we can start that tradition here, I think that’ll make the University a better place.”
Reach the sports editor at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow @Logan_Newsman on Twitter.
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