Arizona State Football: Previewing the Sun Devils' Top Wide Receivers for 2012

With quarterback Brock Osweiler heading to the 2012 NFL draft, the Arizona State Sun Devils are going to have to hope that their core group of wide receivers will be able to make some magic happen with whoever is going to be the new man under center.

The team will be without stud receiver Gerell Robinson, as he has graduated and will be going to the draft. With that, the team is going to need to find some real talent amongst their other options new head coach Todd Graham has at use.

These five guys are likely going to be the Sun Devils' top targets once the 2012 season gets under way.

A.J. Pickens

Although he only appeared in eight games this past season, senior wide receiver A.J. Pickens should be ready to take on a more prominent role in the Arizona State Sun Devils passing game.

He is just 5'10", so he doesn't add much height to what is already considerably a small receiving corps.

Pickens has been seeing time here and there in the past two seasons, so he will be looking to finally make a name for himself during his senior season.

He has the ability to make big plays, so hopefully he will be able to come in and be that player that the Sun Devils will most definitely need this coming season.

Kevin Ozier

Junior Kevin Ozier saw sparse time this past season, but he made the most of the opportunities that the Sun Devils game him.

In 2011, he had 169 yards on 11 receptions, one of which he took for a score.

He averaged 15.4 yards per reception, so his big-play ability is definitely there. The Sun Devils will need Ozier to make the most of his junior season.

At 6'0" tall, he is one of the Sun Devils' taller receivers who has experience going into this coming season. 

Ozier is one of those guys that are unpredictable right now, but we will likely know much more as the season approaches.

Kyle Middlebrooks

Going into his junior season, wide receiver Kyle Middlebrooks should be making a much bigger push to get involved in the Sun Devils offense.

This past season, he played a little bit of wide receiver and running back, but he is first and foremost a wide receiver.

With the Sun Devils this past season, he had just 19 receptions for 135 yards, while also having 42 carries for 150 yards. He didn't have any touchdowns, but Middlebrooks has the speed to make things happen.

His one main issue is that he stands at just 5'8", which isn't very tall compared to many defenders that can be found in the Pac-12.

While Middlebrooks likely won't be a huge threat this next season, he will play an important role in being an X-factor for screen passes and trick plays.

Jamal Miles

While he is relatively small, senior wide receiver Jamal Miles will likely make the most of his last year with the Sun Devils.

This past season, he had 60 receptions for just 361 yards, but he made them count as he had six scores as well.

It will be important for Miles to pick up where he left off last season, as he was an impact player in both the return and passing games. With many more opportunities coming his way this next season, he should be able to find more ways to score while also throwing off opposing defenses.

While we likely won't be seeing many touchdown passes like the one he tossed last season, Miles can likely do some things that will throw the opposition for a loop.

Rashad Ross

Wide receiver Rashad Ross could be the next big target for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

This past season for the Sun Devils, Ross had 18 receptions for 254 yards and a touchdown. He is extremely fast, and could become a huge deep threat for the team in the 2012 season.

Ross was an excellent talent at the JUCO level, where he was named an All-American for Butte College by the California Community College Athletic Association.

The Sun Devils will be hoping that Ross will be able to replace the loss of Gerell Robinson, which will be some pretty big shoes to fill.

He has shown us from time to time that he can do just that, so hopefully in 2012 he will be that player.