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Last year, ASU unveiled the “It’s Time” campaign. Unfortunately, the football team ended the season on a five-game losing streak and did not embrace the challenge bestowed upon them by the athletic department.

Now, in coach Todd Graham’s first season in Tempe, it is time, and the commitment from Saguaro High School’s D.J. Foster’s to play for the Sun Devils is one of the first signs of a new culture.

Foster, the No. 2 ranked recruit in the state of Arizona according to Rival.com, chose the Sun Devils over Cal, USC and various other suitors.

While Foster is only one player, his commitment speaks volumes about Graham’s staff, their recruiting efforts and vision for ASU football.

In the past, the Sun Devils have had a hard time keeping local talent in the state, and many of Arizona’s elite high school football players often bolt to play college football elsewhere.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the team heading into the 2011 season. The team used that hype to propel themselves to a 6-2 start and a top 25 ranking.

However, things did not stay positive for the Sun Devils. UCLA redshirt senior quarterback Kevin Prince completed a pass on third and 29 and freshman kicker Alex Garoutte missed his third field goal of the game, starting the downfall of the 2011 season.

The team lost its final four games of the season, fired its head coach and saw two of its top players forgo their senior seasons and declare for the NFL draft.

Attendance numbers remained high, but morale did not. The ASU fan base was furious with the underwhelming state of the team and athletic director after a once promising season degraded into a disaster of a coaching search.

For a program that needs to restore confidence in its supporters, Foster’s commitment is exactly that.

Foster’s decision to stay in Arizona could be the tipping of the scale for other top recruits unsure about committing to ASU. His confidence in Graham and the program  is something other recruits will see as they make their own decisions where to play.

Foster also leads with his passionate play on the field, but he doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him, something several ASU players struggled with over the past few years.

In his introductory press conference, Graham repeatedly used the phrase “speaking victory” for the future of ASU athletics.

What was just a catchphrase is starting to evolve into actions.

It’s about time.

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