TEMPE, Ariz. -- Nick Ralston was a three-star recruit. Strictly by the ranking measureables, he's the least-heralded member of Arizona State's 2015 class.
But the early-enrollee freshman represents the beauty of the over-emphasized evaluation of high school recruits. It's beautiful because the Argyle (Texas) High School graduate projects as a valuable member of the Sun Devils -- perhaps even as soon as next season, despite Ralston sitting fifth on the running back depth chart.
If there's one guy you could call Todd Graham's type of player, Ralston might be it. The most obvious connection between the two is their faith, which since Graham arrived has been an important part of the program.
"They say it's a Sun Devil brotherhood and it really is," Ralston said. "We pray together after every practice, and I think a team that prays together stays together. Coach Graham really emphasizes you need to have faith."
There's a geographical connection, too. Ralston grew up in Double Oak, Texas, northwest of downtown Dallas and not far from Mesquite, Texas, where Graham was born. Ralston moved further up the road to Argyle during middle school, and on a stacked team didn't push his way up the recruiting rankings until his senior year.
Then there's the football-related reason Ralston fits.
"Nick's a winner," said ASU assistant Bo Graham, who's spent spring ball coaching Ralston and the running backs. "(Argyle) had some talent the year before him. In his last year, a lot of those guys left and he was one of the key guys coming back and really carried the team to another state championship game. I think it was fourth down, they handed him the ball in the last game and he fell a little short. That's the only time he's experienced a loss."
Ralston took 54 carries his final high school game, and one account detailed his failure to convert on a 4th-and-5 in double overtime. The game ended with Ralston laying face down as Navasota High School fans rushed the field. Argyle's 31-game winning was over, and Ralston's senior year ended with 2,699 yards, a 6.9 per-carry average and 168.7 yards per game.
ASU first recruited Ralston as a linebacker, where he played some in high school and he committed in February 2014, before he increased his offensive production by 50 percent from his junior to senior seasons. He didn't waiver from his commitment to the Sun Devils.
This spring, ASU coaches realized the team's linebacker depth made it so Ralston likely could produce sooner as a running back.
"I just want them to put me in a position where I maximize my potential and I think they did that," he said. "I think I'm more natural at running back."
Skeptical folks might point out ASU has options at running back -- Ralston probably can't move higher than fourth on the depth chart behind Demario Richard, Kalen Ballage, De'Chavon Hayes and incoming freshman Jaason Lewis. But his skillset is unique. He's more agile than people might expect at 6 feet and 220 pounds, and can catch the ball out of the backfield. It makes sense for him to put on weight to carve out a role at fullback, where Graham believes he could start. Ralston already packs a punch.
"Right now, anytime we go heavy personnel set, he's there at fullback," Bo Graham said. "Reduced sets, he's there at tailback. Even though he's large, he can move well. He's a guy that's thirsty for knowledge, he's a guy that does things right the first time you ask him to do it, and he's got a physical way about going about his business."
Fitting the stereotype of a "Todd Graham type of guy" is worthy of adding a star or two to Ralston's 3-star evaluation. It's spring, a hard time to gauge if Ralston can contribute this season, but if his high school production says anything, it wouldn't be surprising if he did.
"I see him being in the equation," Todd Graham said.
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