Miller expected to step in to key role

It's open season on receiver jobs this fall for the wide receivers at Oklahoma. One of the players a lot of fans expect to solidify a key role in the receiving corps is junior Dejuan Miller. Miller recently talked about the development of the wide receiver position and players who fans should look for this fall.

Q: Can you discuss some of the competition at wide receiver?

Dejuan Miller: Well everyone knows that Ryan (Broyles) is our playmaker in the corps. I feel like we have a ton of playmakers this year that, if given the shot, can make some special things happen. I think we could even throw out one of these young guys and if he's doing well then he's going to be in there for a while.

Q: You came on midway last season and really solidified yourself as a starter in this corps. What's one thing you worked on in the summer to maybe push your game to another level?

Miller: I mainly worked on my speed, I'm really trying to get my speed better. I'm trying to get off the line and get that separation faster than I did a season ago. I also tried to work on my aggressiveness, I want to be more physical than I was last year. I think I have the body that can allow me to do that and maybe burn some people down the field too this season.

Q: Do you feel like you're the No. 2 receiver in the corps? Do you look at yourself along side Ryan (Broyles) as the two leaders over the receivers?

Miller: Yeah, I feel that way, but me and Ryan always talk and it's not about being leaders, it's about the bigger picture. This season coming up is huge and we think that some special things are on the horizon.

After last year, I feel - I wouldn't say pressure, but we, the receivers, know what is expected of us and me and Ryan know that if we're going to make it all the way then we have to have a presence. We can't just rely on Ryan this year. That's not fair to him and that's not fair to Landry (Jones). Those two really pulled us away from going down a worse road, last year, than we already were on. It's my responsibility, as well as the rest of the receivers to pay them back for bailing us out.

Q: I know you guys don't care about preseason rankings, but does it surprise you that some around the country have you guys pegged as the No. 1 team, despite last year and the key players you lost?

Miller: Yeah, it's a little surprising. But at the same time, I'm around these players all the time and I know what kind of talent we have. For people to say that we're No. 1 is a little surprising because of who we lost, but at the same time we're Oklahoma. We have talent flowing in every year. We have backups waiting to get on the field that other teams across the country would die to have. So am I surprised, a little, but I think if you asked all of us today do we think we're winning the national title, the answer would be yes.

Q: Is there a new teammate who raised your eyebrows on Day 1?

Miller: I have to say Kenny Stills. He looked really good yesterday and kind of showed us that what he did in the spring game wasn't a fluke. I told him yesterday that I'm excited to see what he has in store for this season after what he did back in April.