ASU football's 2016 recruiting class just got a large dose of star power.
A whole 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds of it, to be exact.
Chandler High School (Chandler, Ariz.) wide receiver N'Keal Harry announced Monday he would stay at his hometown school and commit to ASU.
He chose ASU over reported offers from his top five which included Texas A&M, Washington, Oregon and USC.
"Going through this process, I realized (I wanted to go to ASU)," Harry said. "Why wait when you know exactly where you want to go?"
Harry is considered to be the top high school prospect in the state or Arizona according to Rivals.com, who has him rated as a 5-star prospect.
Harry most recently visited the school on Oct. 27, just two days before the school took on Oregon. He was in attendance for the game.
"After that visit, I just realized that was the place for me," Harry said.
He is the first 5-star commit in ASU's recruiting class, and the first for ASU since former junior college linebacker Davon Durant in the 2015 signing class. Durant has since been dismissed from the program.
Chandler head coach Shaun Aguano said he knew the former Marcos De Niza (Tempe) transfer would become a star the second he came to the program.
"The second he came through that door, I noticed the physical attributes," Aguano said. "His play on the field, not only his playmaking abilities but his physicality. We knew he was someone special, and he just went out and made plays."
Aguano referenced former ASU wide receiver Jaelen Strong when alluding to the type of player Harry could be.
"He could be a Jaelen Strong-type of guy," Aguano said. "He hasn't even touched the surface of his expectations, but I think he's going to grow as an individual and as a football player as well."
Harry said he expects to be an impact player right away at ASU.
"(Head coach Todd Graham and offensive coordinator Mike Norvell) said they've been struggling at that wide receiver position and I would have a chance to come in and play immediately," Harry said.
Harry said staying home and close to his grandmother, who he currently lives with, was a big factor in his decision.
"She told me not to base my decision off of her, but with everything that she's done, I love her with all my heart and just felt that this was the right decision so she can come see me play," Harry said.
The Chandler product is the former teammate of current ASU freshman quarterback Bryce Perkins, with whom he helped lead the school to its first state championship since 1949.
"They want to keep their hometown kids here," Aguano said of ASU in recruiting. "I know it's tough because there's a lot of schools out there with a lot of flash and are doing very well. But as a coaching staff and I know as a community, we would like to keep our kids at home."
Harry's teammate, 4-star athlete Chase Lucas, is being heavily targeted by ASU and has yet to announce his college decision. He said Monday that he will commit on Nov. 9, with schools such as ASU, Washington, Oregon State and UCLA in the mix.
"I'm ready for my decision," Lucas said. "I've made up my mind after my Washington visit (on Sept. 11), so I was just trying to go see if there was something new for me, but I feel pretty confident in my decision."
Lucas said he will be a hard commit, and will shut down his recruiting after his announcement.
Lucas said his relationship with Harry would impact his decision.
"We've been like brothers since I was 5 or 6 years old," Lucas said. "That's been my boy. I've supported him, no matter what.
"(Playing with Perkins and Harry) means a lot to me. Just being able to play with my brothers again for another four years, that's ridiculous to me."
Former Marcos De Niza teammate and current Saguaro 4-star defensive back prospect Byron Murphy was also in attendance for Monday's announcement. He is the top-rated player in the state according to Scout.com, and said he is undecided on whether he will make an announcement at his school or wait until the Army All-American Game on Jan. 9.
"Seeing (N'Keal) up there just makes me anxious for my decision," Murphy said.
Among the schools in the lead for Murphy's services are ASU, Texas A&M and Washington.
"(N'Keal's decision) impacts me a lot because me, N'Keal and Chase always wanted to stay together," Murphy said. "Ever since we were little, we wanted to go to the same college. I just got to figure out the right place for me. If it's ASU, it's ASU."
Harry caught 44 passes for 784 yards and seven touchdowns during this regular season. Chandler begins its quest to repeat as state champions in the state playoffs on Friday.
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.
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