College Football 2012: Predicting the 10 Most Explosive WRs

In today's pass-happy college football world, wide receivers have more impact on a game than ever.

A playmaking wide receiver has the ability to break the game wide open or provide the much-needed spark for a struggling offense. 2011 saw plenty of explosive receivers head to the NFL draft or graduate, but 2012 will have its fair share of playmakers who will take their place in the spotlight.

A quarterback's best friend, these wide receivers all have the speed and explosiveness to score from anywhere on the field and demand the constant attention of the defense anytime they are on the field.

Here's a prediction for the 10 most explosive receivers in college football in 2012.

Statistics used in this article via ESPN.com.

Jalen Saunders, Fresno State

Unless you happen to be a Fresno State Bulldog fan or an avid follower of WAC football, you probably haven't heard of Jalen Saunders. However, after Saunders' stellar sophomore season he deserves to be mentioned as one of the country's most explosive receivers.

The 5'9", 180-pound Saunders put up impressive numbers in 2011, posting 50 catches for 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns. The most impressive of Saunders' stats was his 21.3 yards per catch—second only to Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill.

Saunders will look to have repeat success in his junior season as the Bulldogs return starting quarterback Derek Carr. Saunders may not steal too many headlines playing at Fresno State, but remains one of the country's most explosive receivers.

Javone Lawson, Louisiana-Lafayette

Javone Lawson is another receiver who may not achieve household name status, but his numbers speak for themselves.

In Lawson's junior campaign he amassed 1,092 yards receiving on 63 catches for an excellent 17.3 yards-per-catch average. Lawson's ability to stretch the field played a huge role in Louisiana-Lafayette's success last year and will be heavily utilized as a senior.

Lawson brings a considerable amount of momentum to 2012 after finishing the 2011 season with a career-best performance in the New Orleans Bowl. Lawson torched the San Diego State defense for 193 yards and two touchdowns on nine receptions.

Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri

Dorial Green-Beckham hasn't even played a snap of college football yet, but if he is able to live up the hype he will easily be one of the most explosive receivers in college football. Rated third overall according to ESPN's 2012 recruiting rankings, Green-Beckham is one of the most promising wide receiver prospects in recent memory.

With an NFL body (6'6", 220 pounds) and blazing speed, Green-Beckham was among the most highly sought-after recruits of 2012 and will provide Missouri with the receiving threat it will need as it transitions to SEC play.

Green-Beckham has drawn comparison's to former Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green and will look to make a similar impact in his freshman season. Green-Beckham should make the transition and emerge as one the nation's most explosive receivers.

Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

Replacing one of the most productive receivers in program history is never an easy task, but that is exactly what Kenny Stills will attempt to do with the graduation of Ryan Broyles.

Stills will be entering his third year as a starter but has largely been the Robin to Broyles' Batman. In 2012 we will see if Stills has what it takes to be a No. 1 receiver.

In the final four games of the season when Broyles went down with a torn ACL, Stills only put up mediocre numbers in the leading role, but his experience should have him motivated to live up to his potential as a playmaker for the Sooners in 2012.

Stills will have Landry Jones to throw the ball to him. Many expected Jones to bolt for the NFL draft, but after struggling mightily in the final four games when Broyles went down Jones' stock plummeted and he returns to Oklahoma with something to prove.

Both Jones and Stills will be out to prove something this season and they should prove they can produce without Broyles.

Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas

The Arkansas Razorbacks may have had the most deep receiving corps in all of college football in 2011. Between Greg Childs, Jarius Wright and Joe Adams it would be easy to forget about Cobi Hamilton. Unfortunately, defenses won't be able to overlook him as Hamilton should step up nicely as the No. 1 option in the Razorback passing game.

At 6'3" and 209 pounds, Hamilton has the speed and hands to be a true deep threat. Despite reduced looks in 2011, Hamilton was productive when targeted with 34 catches for 542 yards and four touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2010 Hamilton averaged 19.7 yards per catch.

As an added bonus Hamilton will also have one of the best quarterbacks in the country, Tyler Wilson, to throw him the ball. Hamilton has been a consistent performer the last two seasons as a secondary weapon, as Wilson's go-to-guy in 2012 Hamilton should be an elite playmaker.

Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

West Virginia emerged in 2011 as one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. Culminating in the 70-point explosion in an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson, Dana Holgorsen's inaugural season as head coach was successful in installing his passing-heavy attack.

Spearheading the attack was the trio of quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. Fortunately for the Mountaineers (and conversely unfortunately for opponents), all three of these players return for yet another season of high-octane offense.

Austin led the team in receptions in 2011, but it's Bailey's vertical threat and big-play ability that opens up the field from sideline to sideline for Austin to do his thing.

Bailey averaged 17.8 yards per catch on 72 catches for 1,279 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns in 2011. With another year in the system, Bailey should be able to do put up even better numbers in 2012 as defenses will have a lot to worry about when trying to slow down the Mountaineer offense.

Josh Boyce, TCU

With the Horned Frogs moving to the Big 12 in 2012, they will need all the explosiveness they can get out of Josh Boyce.

Boyce, a junior, was the biggest threat on a deep receiving corps for TCU in 2011 as he averaged 16.4 yards per catch on 61 receptions for 998 yards and nine touchdowns. While TCU will continue to look to spread the ball around, Boyce should see more than enough targets to elevate those numbers in 2012.

Boyce is the type of receiver with the ability to completely take over a game as he showed against Boise State in 2011 when he brought in five catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns, playing a huge role in the season-defining upset.

Robert Woods, USC

After Robert Woods' jaw-dropping 2011 campaign, no ranking of receivers in 2012 is complete without including Woods—regardless of criteria.

The undisputed No. 1 receiver in college football, Woods will have a hard time topping his 111 catches for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns from last season but has the potential to do just that in 2012. Woods is the complete package as a receiver and can do anything you look for in the position.

With quarterback Matt Barkley's surprising decision to return to school, Woods is primed to have a season that will set him up as a top-five pick alongside Barkley in the 2013 NFL draft.

Sammy Watkins, Clemson

The first freshman to be named to the All-American first team since Adrian Peterson in 2004, Sammy Watkins made an impact as an explosive player in a big way in 2011. The electric and versatile Watkins was a huge reason behind Clemson's BCS bowl appearance and a cog in its fast-paced offense.

Watkins' blinding speed and elusiveness make him one of the nation's best players in the open field, an excellent return man as well as legitimate No. 1 receiver.

Watkins led Clemson in every receiving category and even chipped in 231 rushing yards.

Watkins should only improve as he gains more experience and junior starting quarterback Tajh Boyd continues to develop. Boyd-to-Watkins will be one of the best quarterback-to-wide receiver tandems in the country in 2012.

Marquess Wilson, Washington State

No one is more excited about the new arrival of head coach Mike Leach in Pullman, Wash., than Marquess Wilson. Already one of the elite receivers in college football, Leach's Air Raid system should allow Wilson to put up video game-like numbers in 2012.

As a sophomore, Wilson burned defenses en route to his second consecutive 1,000-yard season and 12 touchdowns. Wilson's combination of size (6'4", 183 pounds) and speed make him a rare prospect and a likely early NFL draft pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Senior quarterback Jeff Tuel should be able to transition to Leach's offense more fluidly as the Cougars will heavily depend upon Wilson's ability to track down nearly any pass thrown in his direction and Wilson should have another monster season on his resume.