ESPN College Football

The NFL draft has come and gone. So how did the Big East fare?

Not great.

The Big East only had 12 players drafted -- the lowest total since 11 were selected in 2006. USF and Pitt did not have a player selected, breaking some pretty long streaks. At least one Pitt player had been selected in each of the last 12 NFL drafts headed into this year; USF had at least one player taken in five straight drafts.

In compiling the numbers, I did count West Virginia because the three players drafted -- Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode and Keith Tandy -- spent their entire careers playing in the Big East. Since Temple now lives in this blog, many of you will probably be happy to hear that the Owls also had three players drafted -- Bernard Pierce, Evan Rodriguez and Tahir Whitehead -- tying a school record.

For those interested in the new members entering the league in 2013 and how they stacked up against those leaving -- Boise State had a school-record six players drafted. SMU (four) and San Diego State (four) ended up with the same number of picks as Cincinnati, which led the Big East.

Here is the breakdown of players selected by school:

• Cincinnati (4)
• West Virginia (3)
• Syracuse (2)
• UConn (1)
• Louisville (1)
• Rutgers (1)

Here are the players that were selected:

Round 1

West Virginia DE/LB Bruce Irvin, Seattle

Syracuse DE/LB Chandler Jones, New England

Round 2

Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe, Denver

UConn DT Kendall Reyes, San Diego

Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, St. Louis

Round 3

Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati

Cincinnati DT John Hughes, Cleveland

Round 4

Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson, New York Giants

Round 5

West Virginia LB Najee Goode, Tampa Bay

Round 6

West Virginia CB Keith Tandy, Tampa Bay

Syracuse OG Andrew Tiller, New Orleans

Round 7

Louisville DE Greg Scruggs, Seattle

Here are a few of my thoughts:

• Eleven Big East players invited to the NFL combine went undrafted, which seems like a pretty large number to me. Generally, those invited to the combine have a decent shot of being drafted. Keep in mind only 20 total Big East players snagged invites to the combine. So the percentage of players drafted who attended the combine in February was less than 50 percent.
• USF running back Darrell Scott decided to leave school early to enter the draft. But he never got picked. Scott ended up signing as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. He was one of 18 underclassmen who entered the draft but was not selected. Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas and receiver Dorian Graham also are underclassmen.
• Speaking of Thomas, I was surprised he went undrafted. I thought he was one of the most valuable players on the Syracuse defense last season before he ended up getting suspended for the final few games of the season for a violation of team rules. He obviously had some baggage because of that, but not any more than other players who have gotten into trouble. At one point, Mel Kiper had him listed as one of the top five safeties available in the draft.
• Other surprise undrafted players? I thought for sure Pitt offensive lineman Lucas Nix would get picked. NFL teams are always in the market for stocking up on quality offensive linemen, particularly ones listed as 6-foot-5 and 317 pounds. I would say he and Thomas were two players that went undrafted that I had penciled in as getting drafted. Nobody expected a Louisville player to go, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Scruggs come off the board.
• I watched the third round Friday night waiting and waiting for Sanu to come off the board. You guys know I guaranteed he would be picked in the first three rounds. What surprised me, though, were some of the receivers who were drafted ahead of him. I thought Houston might take him as a complementary receiver to Andre Johnson with the fifth pick in the round. But instead the Texans went with DeVier Posey of Ohio State, who was suspended for accepting cash and tattoos from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner. Posey played in three games all of last season. NC State receiver T.J. Graham was next to come off the board to the Bills. Sanu had a higher draft grade than those two players.

The NFL draft is almost here. With the first round set to begin Thursday night on ESPN, I now present to you the final big board and mock drafts for ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones continues to shoot up the rankings. In his final mock draft , Kiper has Jones going No. 12 overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Kiper says:

The Seahawks need a pass-rusher, and I really like the fit. Pete Carroll can use a player with Jones' length and athleticism in a "Leo" role, and create an added dimension to the rush. The Seahawks will have built a pretty formidable defense if they can add a final piece or two up front. Jones makes sense here.

Jones ends up at No. 20 on Kiper's Big Board , a ranking of the top 25 prospects in the draft.

Meanwhile, McShay has Jones listed as No. 11 on his ranking of the top 32 players , moving up five spots. McShay says, "Jones' versatility and long frame make him an attractive prospect. He's risen steadily in recent weeks, from underrated prospect to the top half of the first round."

McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl did a complete mock draft, rounds one through seven. Here is where they have the Big East prospects:

• Jones, No. 12 overall, Seattle
• UConn DT Kendall Reyes, second round, New England
• Cincinnati DT, Derek Wolfe, second round, Atlanta
• Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, third round, Pittsburgh
• Temple RB Bernard Pierce, fourth round, Denver
• Syracuse S Phillip Thomas, fourth round, Green Bay
• Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, fourth round, Minnesota
• Syracuse OG Andrew Tiller, fifth round, Cincinnati
• Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson, sixth round, Arizona
• Pitt OG Lucas Nix, sixth round, Oakland
• Temple TE Evan Rodriguez, sixth round, Indianapolis
• Rutgers OG Desmond Wynn, seventh round, Buffalo
• Pitt LB Brandon Lindsey, seventh round, Green Bay

Can't wait to see where everybody ends up!

All eight Big East teams have completed their pro day workouts for NFL scouts.

Keep in mind that only a few Big East teams made times and performances available. Here are a few of the highlights:

Cincinnati: Running back Isaiah Pead clocked a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash. But it was probably tight end Adrien Robinson who turned the most heads, as he ran a 4.51 and 4.58 in the 40. Scouts Inc. analyst Kevin Weidl had praise for Robinson, whose only opportunity to impress scouts in person was at the school's pro day.

UConn: Kendall Reyes and Kashif Moore skipped doing the 40-yard dash and instead focused on position work. It's a smart move because both did outstanding at the NFL combine. More than 20 NFL teams were represented.

Louisville: The Cardinals did not have anybody invited to the NFL combine, so senior players had to rely on their pro day. It was receiver Josh Bellamy who stood out, after he ran a 4.42 in the 40. Bellamy also worked out at cornerback.

Pitt: Unheralded cornerback Buddy Jackson had a good showing, running somewhere in the 4.3 range, while defensive tackle Chas Alecxih improved on his performance at the combine. Alecxih apparently caught the stomach virus in Indianapolis, which affected his performance. Brandon Lindsey improved some of his numbers, too. Lucas Nix also showed well.

Rutgers: Receiver Mohamed Sanu helped himself, improving on his 40 time, with a 4.41. Sanu ran a 4.67 at the combine, and told local reporters after pro day last week he was drained in Indianapolis. Fullback Joe Martinek ran a 4.4 in the 40.

USF: New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was in attendance for the Bulls' pro day. Running back Darrell Scott, who decided to leave school early, was the only USF player invited to the combine, so it was an opportunity for his teammates to try to make an impression.

Syracuse: Defensive end Chandler Jones brought many more scouts to Syracuse pro day -- 37 in all. According to the Post-Standard, that was the biggest pro day turnout since 2002.

Temple: Running back Bernard Pierce was one of 17 Owls who worked out for 32 NFL scouts. Pierce reportedly improved on his already-terrific 40 time from the combine, with some clocking a time of 4.34. Evan Rodriguez did not run the 40.

Now that you have the quick recaps, here is an updated look at where Todd McShay and Mel Kiper have some of the Big East players.

McShay has his NFL mock draft 4.0 up, with Syracuse's Jones going at No. 27 overall to the New England Patriots. McShay says Jones is one of the most underrated prospects in the entire draft. UConn defensive tackle Reyes is in the first round, too, at No. 31, also to the Patriots. Future teammates, perhaps? McShay does not have anybody from the Big East in the second round.

Jones is the only player listed on McShay's top 32 . Kiper has no Big East players on his Big Board , which only ranks the top 25. Not much change in Kiper's top 5 players by position . It still features Reyes, Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas and Temple fullback Rodriguez.

So where do Big East players project in the draft?

Scouts Inc. expert Todd McShay has put together his own draft board , similar to what NFL teams use when they determine when to draft specific players. The chart lists players by position, and assigned to the round that corresponds to his draft grade. Here are where the Big East players stand on offense:

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse: first round

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn: second round

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati: third round

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple: third round

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers: third round

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse: third round

Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati: fourth round

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati: fourth round

Brandon Lindsey, LB, Pitt: fifth round

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt: fifth round

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pitt: sixth round

Justin Francis, DL, Rutgers: sixth round

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse: sixth round

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers: sixth round

Darrell Scott, RB, USF: seventh round

Evan Rodriguez, RB, Temple: seventh round

Mike Ryan, OT, UConn: seventh round

Alex Hoffman, OT, Cincinnati: seventh round

Antwuan Reed, DB, Pitt: seventh round

Tahir Whitehead, LB, Temple: seventh round

Our friends over at Scouts Inc. take a look at players who have a chance to really nail down their draft position during pro day workouts. Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones makes the list.

Jones has his pro day on Thursday in Syracuse. After a good showing at the combine in Indianapolis, Kevin Weidl writes:

Jones could use that workout to prove to teams running 3-4 defenses that he has the ability to play in space and transition to outside linebacker in a three-man front. Jones showed off his athleticism at the combine but looked tight opening his hips and changing directions in space, and he did not catch the ball well. I believe his best fit is at end in a 4-3 scheme, but proving himself in space and putting up another solid set of numbers could help Jones get into the late-first-round conversation.

Weidl also notes Isaiah Pead and Adrien Robinson as two Cincinnati players who had good workouts during their pro day last week. Pead has shown tremendous versatility, going back to his performance at the Senior Bowl, and Weidl believes the running back has secured a spot late on Day 2.

As for Robinson, Weidl notes: "The overall class for tight ends is weak, so Robinson's combination of size and numbers will send scouts back to the tape, and if everything matches up Robinson could be a good find in the later rounds."

Robinson was not invited to the combine, so his showing at pro day last week -- when he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and had impressive leaps in the vertical and broad jumps -- is of great importance.

Here is the list for the other Big East pro days:

Louisville: Wednesday

Pitt: March 16

Rutgers: March 21

USF: March 24

UConn: March 28

If you missed it, here is Part I of my interview with Cincinnati coach Butch Jones. Today, Jones goes over some of the key questions headed into spring practice, which begins March 1.

Did you allow yourself any time to enjoy the season after the bowl win or did you rush into preparations for 2012?

BJ: We started working on 2012 during bowl prep. We wanted to finish, but were also were getting ready for the future. We stayed after in Memphis so we could enjoy the win, took a day and then we were full-fledged onto 2012. That's the thing in our profession -- you can never sit back. I thought we did some great things with bowl prep. We had our seniors meet with the junior class and talk about leadership and the things they learned.

So on to the future, what happens at the quarterback spot? Munchie Legaux and Jordan Luallen got playing time this year, so they have to be the leaders, right?

BJ: They're going to have to earn that position every day. The exciting thing is with all the youth that we have and the competition that we have, there's already a renewed spirit, there’s a renewed commitment, there's excitement and energy in our football program. That's not just with the quarterback spot. I can feel that excitement already. I think the experience that Munchie gained and Jordan gained will prove to be extremely beneficial as we move forward. But it’s also exciting because of Patrick Coyne, Brendon Kay. Throw in two youngsters who graduated high school early -- to have them here already is going to pay huge dividends as well.

What do you think when people think 2012 will be a rebuilding year? I’ve written it myself.

BJ: All we can control is ourselves -- continuing to build our football program, and not paying attention. You look at last year -- I have it sitting on my desk -- you look at preseason rankings in the Big East conference and you look at the positions. Every single one of our defensive positions was ranked 7 or 8 in our conference. The thing we have to do is focus on being a better football team. It's what you sign your name to -- it's that excellence we talk about. I don't get caught up in the outside world because I know what we have, our players know what we have. We talk about not building a team but a program, and I think we have proven across the country we are a football program. So we just have to control what we can control, our daily work ethic, how we go to class, every individual taking accountability. There's a lot of excitement here in the community and in our football program. I think change is good, change keeps people on their toes. There's a lot of competition, our junior class that are now seniors they understand the responsibility that it is in our football program. There's a great spirit right now.

Where do you think is your biggest area of strength going into 2012?

BJ: Well, we won a lot of games on special teams this year. You look at starting season with an unproven kicker, Tony (Miliano) has a lot of room for improvement, but he also made big kicks for us, Pat O’Donnell returns as well. In our secondary, those individuals have gained a ton of experience, Deven Drane continued to get better as the season progressed, along with Cam Cheatham. Now we have Trenier Orr, whom we’re high on, so we’re going to have a high level of competition. We get Dominique Battle back. You look at our defensive end position with Walter Stewart and Brandon Mills, Dan Giordano so that and then I expect our receiving corps to be much better with Anthony McClung, Kenbrell Thompkins, Alex Chisum and the experience they gained. Also, I thought our tight ends really made some big plays for us. We’re going to miss Adrien Robinson, but that's a position that could be pretty strong as well.

How about at running back? You seem to have a lot of depth there when it comes to trying to replace Isaiah Pead.

BJ: I don't know if you just replace a great back like Isaiah. He meant so much to us but that's probably one of the most competitive spots that we'll have in our football program. When you look at Ralph David Abernathy and what he brings to the table, that big kickoff return (against Vanderbilt), Jameel Poteat, Akise Teague, George Winn. And if we’re able to maintain a couple in the recruitment process, I think that's going to be a very, very competitive position as we move forward and we'll see how it goes. The mark of great coaches is they're able to adapt each and every year for their strengths and weaknesses so we have to do a great job of playing to our strength. Each team have a different personality. We just have to do a great job of putting our schemes in and allowing players to be successful in what they can do.

Last week, we took a look at the up-and-coming freshmen in the Big East. Now it is time to take a look at all of the departing senior talent. There is a ton across every team in this league. Sixteen of the 29 players honored on the All-Big East first team are seniors. There are still five bowl games left to be played, but it is worth taking a look at how many seniors are departing.

I will take a closer look at some of these "super seniors" in a future post.

Cincinnati

• Seniors: 21
• Starters: 12
• Key losses: Zach Collaros, Isaiah Pead, Randy Martinez, D.J. Woods, Evan Davis, John Hughes, Wes Richardson, Alex Hoffman, JK Schaffer, Adrien Robinson, Tom DeTemple, Derek Wolfe.

UConn

• Seniors: 13
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Mike Ryan, Moe Petrus, Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore, Dave Teggart, Twyon Martin, Kendall Reyes.

Louisville

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Victor Anderson, Josh Bellamy, Josh Chichester, Ryan Kessling, Dexter Heyman, William Savoy, Greg Scruggs, Chris Philpott.

Pitt

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Lucas Nix, Greg Gaskins, Jordan Gibbs, Antwuan Reed, Max Gruder, Greg Williams, Brandon Lindsey, Chas Alecxih, Myles Caragein.

Rutgers

• Seniors: 16
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Desmond Wynn, Caleb Ruch, Art Forst, Joe Martinek, Justin Francis, Manny Abreu, David Rowe, San San Te.

USF

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 6
• Key losses: Jeremiah Warren, Chaz Hine, Quenton Washington, Jerrell Young, Patrick Hampton, Keith McCaskill.

Syracuse

• Seniors: 18
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Van Chew, Andrew Tiller, Michael Hay, Antwon Bailey, Kevyn Scott, Mikhail Marinovich, Nick Provo.

West Virginia

• Seniors: 22
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Don Barclay, Julian Miller, Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode, Keith Tandy, Eain Smith.

Time to rank the tight ends. This could end up being a position of strength in the league -- four of the eight teams have a player on the Mackey Award watch list, given annually to the best tight end in the nation.

1. Ryan Griffin, Connecticut. No question he is athletically gifted and had a good season in 2010, catching 13 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown. But new offensive coordinator George DeLeone wants him to be pushed harder, to reach his full potential. Perhaps that is why John Delahunt also was listed atop the post-spring depth chart.

2. Nick Provo, Syracuse. Provo has made himself quite valuable in the passing game, having caught 33 passes for 365 yards last season. Can he stay healthy all year?

3. Josh Chichester, Louisville. Potential is a word that is thrown around a lot in these rankings. Going to use it again here with the 6-foot-8, 240-pound Chichester. It would not surprise me if he ended the season as the top tight end in the league. No question he is going to have a huge role in the Cardinals' offense, especially with questions in the receiving corps.

4. D.C. Jefferson, Rutgers. Another player with mounds of potential, it is time for Jefferson to show why many believe he could be the best tight end in the league. Perhaps a new position coach in Brian Angelichio will help him live up to expectations.

5. Andreas Shields, USF. Shields sits atop the post-spring depth chart following the loss of Kevin Gidrey. He did play in all 13 games last season and started the bowl game. He caught five passes for 74 yards and could be a bigger threat in the pass game this season.

6. Adrien Robinson, Cincinnati. Robinson is not listed atop the Bearcats' post-spring depth chart, but I think he has the potential to win the job over Travis Kelce and Blake Annen (listed as No. 1 now). He is big, strong and athletic and needs to step up with Ben Guidugli gone.

7. Hubie Graham, Pitt. Another player with potential after transferring from Illinois, Graham will play more of an H-back/tight end position and should have more of a role in the passing game than Brock DeCicco. Todd Graham likes them both.

8. John Delahunt, UConn. There is a reason he is pushing Griffin for the starting job. Delahunt caught five passes for 76 yards, has good hands and is a good blocker. No question the Huskies have the best depth in the league.

Previous rankings:

• Offensive linemen
• Wide receivers
• Running backs

I had a chance to catch up with Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros to find out how the offseason is going, what he thinks of all the pub going to Geno Smith and how he good he thinks this offense can be this season.

AA: What have been the biggest things you have worked on this offseason?

ZC: We’re running a lot as an offense, working hard on tempo, getting lined up faster, working on execution, working with receivers, getting our timing down on routes, doing 7-on-7s. As a senior class, we've taken it upon ourselves to lead the activities. We've embraced the role of leadership, we’ve had a positive summer, and grown closer as a team. Hopefully that translates onto the field.

AA: How about you? How have you improved this summer?

ZC: Physically, it’s the best I've felt in a long time. We're in great condition -- the strength coaches always have us in great condition. In terms of football, I’m working on things that translate onto the field -- getting the ball off, not taking sacks. A big factor in summer is watching film, not just on the first two games, but stuff you did last year in ways you can improve. It hasn’t been just me. Others have gotten after it in that aspect and that's going to help.

AA: A lot of people are talking about Geno Smith as being the best quarterback in the Big East. How do you feel when you hear that?

ZC: I love being counted out. I’ve always looked at myself as an underdog. It adds that extra motivation you need more after coming off the season we had last year. It adds fuel to the fire, and reason to work harder, people doubting you.

AA: You lost Armon Binns, so who is going to step up in his place?

ZC: Losing Armon hurts. He was a comfort zone for me. We came in together, we grew up together in the program, so losing him will take away that comfortability for me. Anthony McClung, Kenbrell [Thompkins],DJ [Woods] -- I can't say enough about how they've come in and taken over the leadership role. We don’t miss a beat when it comes to 7-on-7s. They’re working hard, setting a good example for the younger kids. All three of those guys did a great job with that, along with them, OJ Woodard is working hard as well. As for the tight ends, Travis Kelce is back on the depth chart now, of course Adrien Robinson is still here, Blake Annen is here. It all starts up front, though; those guys up front have been doing a great job.

AA: What gives you the confidence to know your offensive line is going to be better?

ZC: Alex Hoffman has taken the lead with that group, as well as Randy Martinez. Those are two great guys in the program, great leaders for the younger guys. They’re helping them to develop, and I’m very confident in those guys. It all starts with them. If they can protect and run block, the offense has a nice feeling.

AA: Given all the potential, what are your expectations for the offense?

ZC: I think it's the same as it was last year. We had a lot of potential, and we had a lot of high expectations. High expectations are a good thing because you want to reach those expectations. We didn't last year. Turnovers killed us and not scoring touchdowns and kicking field goals and all that stuff. It comes down to execution. The experience will help me.

AA: How do you work on cutting down those turnovers?

ZC: It all starts with the quarterbacks. I have to cut down on the interceptions. I had a lot of them last year coming from behind, forcing too many balls in there. Me making better decisions is what it all starts with. We fumbled a lot last year, which you can't do. If we cut back on that, we're going to have a really good season. In practice every day, we have a five-minute period dedicated to ball-security drills. I think some of it was unlucky last year. The balls didn't bounce our way. We want to change that this year.

AA: Defense was the weak link, though. How is that unit going to be better?

ZC: Well, they’re all returning, which is a good thing. They all have a year of experience and are sick of people telling them they were the weak link and stuff like that. They want to be better. We have great leaders like JK [Schaffer], Cam Cheatham has stepped up. They're good football players. I know they work very hard in the weight room, they’re watching film and I have a lot of confidence the results on field are going to be much better this year.

AA: What goals have you set for yourself this season?

ZC: I just want to win more games, get back to a bowl game and win the Big East. For myself, I want to have a higher completion percentage, to be in the 64, 65 percent range. As long as I can lead my team to wins. I want my teammates to look at me as a leader. If I can accomplish that, I will be happy.

We continue our look at team position rankings with tight ends. This is never an easy group to judge, and this year is no exception with so many starters gone. Here they are:

1. Connecticut. Ryan Griffin finished third on the team with 245 yards receiving and a touchdown, but he was pushed in the spring by two other good players: John Delahunt and Corey Manning. Delahunt and Griffin were listed atop the post-spring depth chart. Both are big with good hands. This group has talent and depth, earning the top spot in the rankings.

2. Syracuse. Nick Provo has proven to be an excellent pass-catcher with good size. Last season, he had 33 catches for 365 yards and a touchdown and is penciled in to start in 2011. He has been injury-prone so he needs to stay healthy. Depth is a question mark here, though Beckett Wales is expected back in the fall.

3. Louisville. A few fans wondered why Josh Chichester was not included in the receiver rankings. The reason is because he will be playing more tight end this season, according to offensive coordinator Mike Sanford. That should bode well for the Cardinals. Chichester is a 6-foot-8, 240 pound big-time target who had 317 yards and five touchdowns last season and should help make up for the loss of Cameron Graham. Sanford also is expecting big things from Stephon Ball and Nate Nord.

4. Rutgers. The running theme with DC Jefferson has been getting him to live up to his potential. At 6-6, 258 pounds, he has ideal size, but has yet to truly make an impact. Rutgers has a new tight ends coach in Brian Angelichio tasked with getting Jefferson to improve.

5. USF. The Bulls lose starter Kevin Gidrey but have the potential to be better here with Andreas Shields in the starting lineup. Shields is big and athletic and capable of making big plays. Isaac Virgin is listed behind Shields.

6. Cincinnati. There is much uncertainty for the Bearcats at this position with the loss of Ben Guidugli, second-team All-Big East selection. Senior Adrien Robinson, junior Travis Kelce and sophomore Blake Annen are all in the mix. Annen is atop the depth chart headed into the fall. Kelce has potential, and coach Butch Jones talked about seeing him step up this season. Someone will have to.

7. Pittsburgh. The Panthers use more of an H-back/TE in the spread offense, but they took a hit when Mike Cruz left the team in the spring. They do have talent in Hubie Graham, an Illinois transfer, and Brock DeCicco, who made a few starts last season. But this position is going to be a big unknown headed into the season.

NR: West Virginia. The Mountaineers do not use a tight end off the line of scrimmage in Dana Holgorsen's offense. What about Tyler Urban you ask? He has moved to inside receiver and will primarily play that position.

Previous rankings

• Offensive line
• Receiver
• Running back

Cincinnati's vaunted receiving corps just lost one potential key piece for 2010.

Kenbrell Thompkins, a junior college transfer and former Tennessee signee, had his request to be immediately eligible denied by the national letter of intent appeals committee. Tennessee refused to release Thompkins from his letter of intent after Lane Kiffin left the Volunteers to coach USC.

The appeals committee did grant Thompkins some relief, allowing him to sit out this year as a transfer and have two years of eligibility remaining. The standard penalty for breaking a letter of intent is one year's loss of eligibility.

We could talk about how unfair it is that a coach can recruit a player, then leave for another school, and the player isn't then free to transfer to another school. But that's another topic, and the system is so ludicrously tilted against athletes I'm not sure there's even any debate.

Either way, Cincinnati is still set at its starting wideout spots with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and Vidal Hazelton. But Butch Jones is concerned with the depth behind the starters, since his high-tempo offense requires a lot from its receivers. Marcus Barnett and perhaps incoming freshman Dyjuan Lewis will have to step up, because Thompkins had been impressive in the spring and was in line for a lot of playing time.

In other Bearcats news, tight end Travis Kelce has been suspended for the season for a violation of team rules. Kelce was behind both Ben Guidugli and Adrien Robinson on the depth chart. He's best known for running in a touchdown against Rutgers out of the Wildcat formation in last year's season opener.

Tight ends are an odd duck. They're not quite receivers, not quite offensive linemen, though they do a little of both jobs. So I thought I'd break them out into their own category as the final group for our post-spring Big East position rankings:

1. Cincinnati: It's unclear how new coach Butch Jones will use tight ends in his offense, but he's got great options there. Ben Guidugli is an all-conference performer, while Adrien Robinson is a physically imposing player at 6-foot-4, 244 pounds. Don't forget Travis Kelce, either. They just add to the seemingly never-ending offensive stockpile the Bearcats have.

2. Rutgers: D.C. Jefferson caught only five balls last year, but remember he made a late switch to tight end before the season began. A terrific 6-foot-6 athlete, this could be a breakout year for him. Paul Carrezola turned some heads this spring as well.

3. West Virginia: Tyler Urban and Will Johnson are two talented and experienced tight ends who could start for many teams. They'll help in the running game. The question is whether the Mountaineers will use the tight end more in the passing game as often promised.

4. Connecticut: Ryan Griffin quietly developed into a valuable target in 2009 and could be counted on even more this year as a receiver. John Delahunt got some valuable experience as well in '09 and should contribute.

5. Pittsburgh: What a change from the past year, when the Panthers had the top two tight ends in the league in Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham. Now it's time for Mike Cruz to emerge as the next playmaker at the position. Virginia transfer Andrew Devlin and Brock DeCicco will also look to crack the lineup.

6. Louisville: Cameron Graham has shown flashes of his ability and had a nice spring. The senior should turn into a more consistent presence, especially in the Florida-esque offense. Pete Nochta needs to live up to his potential.

7. Syracuse: Losing Mike Owen leaves this group as a big unknown. Senior Nick Provo, who finished the spring as a starter, hasn't posted many stats in his career. Hofstra transfer Jose Cruz is a big target.

8. South Florida: The Bulls didn't use tight ends much in the spread offense. They could see a resurgence under Skip Holtz. Current starter Jeff Hawkins has only played in one career game.

CINCINNATI -- The fifth-ranked Bearcats will have to do something that they're not used to doing: Play from behind.

Cincinnati has led throughout just about every game this year, but now it trails West Virginia 14-7. The reason is that the Bearcats haven't been as sharp they've been most of the season. There was the lost fumble that turned into a touchdown, a dropped touchdown pass (by Adrien Robinson, who also lost the fumble), a missed field goal and some broken tackles on defense.

Brian Kelly showed his frustration by yelling at one of his assistant coaches on the sidelines.

CINCINNATI -- It took nine games and five minutes, but Cincinnati finally lost a fumble.

Tight end Adrien Robinson coughed it up after catching a wide-open pass. The Bearcats are the last team in the FBS to lose a fumble.

Can West Virginia capitalize, though?

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Stock up

1. Pitt: At 8-1 and a Top 10 ranking in November for the first time since 1982, the Panthers are at their highest point in a quarter-century. And Notre Dame is coming to town for a sold-out game at Heinz Field. Can the Panthers continue their climb?

2. Julian Miller: The West Virginia defensive end was named Big East defensive player of the week for his three-sack performance against Louisville. The Mountaineers weren't sure about their defensive line outside of Chris Neild and Scooter Berry going into the year (remember the Tevita Finau saga?) Miller has shored that up with team bests of 11.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

3. UConn's grit: We knew the Huskies were tough the way they hung in there after the Jasper Howard death. To come back from 20 points down in the second half on the road against a Top 5 team and nearly pull off the victory was an amazing feat.

4. Darius Ashley: The Louisville freshman running back wasn't used much early in the season, then hurt his shoulder against Pitt. With Vic Anderson and Bilal Powell sidelined Saturday, Ashley carried the ball a whopping 33 times for 164 yards.

5. Adrien Robinson: With Ben Guidugli still slowed from a concussion at Syracuse, Robinson took on a bigger role as Cincinnati's tight end against UConn. He had two catches for 74 yards, including a ridiculous 54-yard grab off a batted ball that set up an important field goal at the end of the first half.

Stock down

1. Syracuse's depth: Already battling roster problems -- the Orange had just 55 scholarship players available for the Pitt game -- Syracuse lost star defensive lineman Arthur Jones and starting offensive lineman Jonathan Meldrum to season-ending knee injuries this week. It could be a struggle to find enough bodies to finish the season at this point.

2. UConn's defense: Credit the Huskies for never quitting, but they should use the bye week to figure out what's wrong with the defense. They have given up big plays at the end of games to lose and got stomped for 711 total yards by Cincinnati. The secondary is a major question mark.

3. Noel Devine: Stock is down only relevant to where he was two weeks ago, when we were calling Devine a Heisman Trophy contender. Since then, Devine has run for 42 yards at South Florida and 56 versus Louisville before being sidelined with an ankle sprain. The Mountaineers must have a vintage Devine performance on Friday at Cincinnati.

4. Cincinnati's defense: From third in the country in scoring defense, allowing an an average of a little more than 12 points a game, to surrendering 45 to a Connecticut team not known for being explosive. Yep, that stock has gone down. Is it a one-week blip in the market, or a more problematic long-term concern?

5. The Big East's bowl hopes: Notre Dame's loss to Navy took the Irish off the BCS table, which means the Irish are firmly pointing toward taking the Big East's spot in the Gator Bowl and moving the No. 2 league team to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Big East should root for Pitt and UConn to beat Notre Dame the next two weeks, and then hope Stanford takes care of business Thanksgiving weekend to make the Irish ineligible at 6-6.

Player of the year race: Offense

1. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: The Big East's leading rusher at 1,139 yards on 203 attempts, with 12 touchdowns.

2. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: The Big East's leader in receiving yards, with 65 catches for 908 yards and eight touchdowns.

3. Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh: The Big East's leader in passing yards and pass efficiency; he's has completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 1,879 yards and 17 touchdowns, with four interceptions.

4. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: Fallen back a bit after the past two games. He has rushed for 1,010 yards on 167 attempts this season, with 10 touchdowns.

5. Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati: Yes, that's right. Collaros not Pike. If you credit Collaros with the South Florida win -- the game was very much in doubt when he came in after Pike's injury -- Collaros has won four Big East games and will start a fifth this week. For the season, he has completed 76 percent of his passes for 1,229 yards and 10 touchdowns, with only one interceptions. He's also run for 288 yards and four scores.

Player of the year race: Defense

1. Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh: Leads the league with 13 tackles for loss, has three sacks and has forced three fumbles.

2. Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida: Leads the Bulls with 61 tackles. Had some strong comments before the Rutgers game and needs to back them up Thursday night.

3. Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia: See above.

4. Aaron Webster, S, Cincinnati: Has three interceptions and 42 tackles.

5. Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh: Has 7.5 sacks and and an interception.

Newcomer of the year

1. Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt: See above.

2. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Has 9.5 sacks, and interception and a forced fumble.

3. Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers: Has completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,341 yards and and eight touchdowns with one interception.

4. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers: has 32 catches for 291 yards and has run 10 times for 55 yards.

5. Darius Ashley, RB, Louisville: See above.