TEMPE, Ariz. – Todd Graham didn’t mince words when asked which position had the
most to prove on the Arizona State offense.
"You can come out here in a hurry and see (it’s) wide receivers,” Graham said in the first week of spring ball. “The glaring thing is the improvement we've got to make at receiver.”
When you compare the receiving numbers from 2011 to 2012, there isn’t a vast difference. In 2011, ASU had 4,117 receiving yards compared with 3,369 last season, but the average yards per catch were almost identical (12.4 to 12.3), the Sun Devils threw for more TDs (33) last season than in 2011 (27), and ASU rushed for almost 1,200 more yards last season in a more balanced offense that more than offset its drop in receiving yards.
But take a look at last season’s receiving leaders and you’ll notice a disturbing trend. Three out of the top four yardage leaders -- Chris Coyle, Marion Grice and D.J. Foster – aren’t wideouts. Worse yet, the top two wide receivers, Rashad Ross and Jamal Miles, have moved on, leaving former walk-on Kevin Ozier as the returning leader with 21 catches for 321 yards and five TDs last season.
No wonder Graham has thrown down the gauntlet.
“He’s giving us a challenge to see if we can conquer it,” speedy sophomore Richard Smith said. “One of the main things they want us to do is be more physical. We didn’t bring that as a receiving corps last season, including myself.”
Receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander wants to see his receivers do a better job of fighting through press coverage at the line of scrimmage as well as breaking tackles and battling for balls. But physical play means more than that.
“Without the wide receivers being physical and blocking downfield, we’re only going to have 3- and 5–yard runs instead of 25-, 50-yard touchdowns,” Ozier said.
ASU’s best playmakers are still Grice and Foster, so the more space the Sun Devils’ blockers can give them, the more chances ASU will have at big plays. But ASU still wants its receivers to fulfill their primary job description.
“We have to be better at assignment detail but we have to be more productive, too, and that means making plays,” Alexander said. “We’ve been inconsistent.”
It was no secret that Miles and Ross were not polished route runners last season.
Ross was viewed as a track star on a football field. Miles was a terrific athlete who never seemed to fully master the nuances of the position.
Ozier, Smith and senior Alonzo Agwuenu are the only significant returners and all three will have opportunities to make an impression before some talented recruits arrive this fall. Ozier views himself more as a possession guy with good hands who can move the chains. Agwuenu has yet to parlay his size (6-4) into effective playmaking. At a generously listed 5-foot-9, Smith must use his speed to make an impact as a field stretcher.
“Sometimes it’s hard for young receivers to understand that they’re not running as fast as they can but he’s got to grasp that. He’s a small target so the only way he’s going to become a bigger target is with more separation,” Alexander said. “The guys who are here are under critical evaluation right now. They’ve got to take advantage of this time and every opportunity because they’re getting twice as much coaching and twice as many opportunities.
“They can’t go into the summer saying ‘well, I’m going to work on being more physical.’ That’s going to be evaluated right now. Their growth has to show right now.”
If it doesn’t, ASU has a trio of players eager to claim an early spot in the rotation, including Pierce College transfer Jaelen Strong, of whom Graham said:
"He's the most dynamic receiver I've seen in a long time on film. Our fans will love this guy."
Strong was rated by ESPN as the No. 15 overall junior college prospect in the country and the nation's No. 5 junior college wide receiver recruit. Joe Morris and Ronald Lewis, a possibility in the return game, could also be factors depending on their progression in training camp.
“You know what those guys are on film and the film doesn’t lie,” Alexander said.
“We’re excited to mix those guys in and mesh them with the guys we have. How much of an opportunity they get and how much of a role they have depends on how well they do in camp and how much the guys that are already here allow them.”
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