Brock Osweiler, the great QB hope in the 2012 NFL Draft

Without Southern California's Matt Barkley or Oklahoma's Landry Jones, the 2012 NFL Draft looked like it would be light on quarterbacks. Enter towering Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler.

Sources tell the Scout.com Arizona State site Devils Digest that Osweiler will hold a news conference Friday to announce that he's entering the 2012 NFL Draft. If there were a quarterback who looked like a video game create-a-player, it's Osweiler. Standing 6-foot-8, he's the tallest quarterback in the nation and has an incredibly strong arm. Unlike bigger quarterbacks like Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens or Ryan Mallett of the New England Patriots, Osweiler isn't simply a statue in the pocket, either. The former high school basketball player has nimble feet and can elude pressure.

The tools for stardom are there for Osweiler. His reasoning for going pro likely runs deeper than simply a lack of talent at the position in the draft, though.

There has been speculation that Osweiler was considering a transfer to UCLA because he'll graduate this year. That's where former ASU coach Noel Mazzone is the new offensive coordinator. Under Mazzone, Osweiler transformed as a quarterback. Prior to his junior season, Osweiler shortened and quickened his throwing motion.

The initial results for Osweiler were positive. He finished his junior season completing 63.2 percent of his passes for 4,036 yards and 26 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions. His standout game came in September against Missouri when he completed 75 percent of his passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns.

As a prospect, Osweiler is still raw. He's started in just over a year's worth of games and will at times revert to his old, bad habits. He also had a tendency to put the ball in bad spots, especially when his team needed to come back in a game. He also played in an offense at ASU that was predicated on the short passing game.

In a draft starved of talent past Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, Osweiler is the great quarterback hope. In April, it may be impossible for a team to overlook Osweiler's extremely high potential.. He's as naturally talented as any quarterback in this year's class — that include Griffin. A team with an established veteran quarterback could take a chance on Osweiler as early as the second round.

Read our additional prospect notes on Osweiler from October here.