ESPN College Football

The Big East doesn't usually grab a lot of the nation's elite players. There are currently four members of the ESPNU 150 who are committed to Big East schools, with three of those heading to Louisville.

So it's nice when those rare blue-chippers actually work out. ESPN's recruiting experts put together a list of how the 2007 ESPNU 150 players panned out, and here's a look at the four Big East players on that list:

Noel Devine, West Virginia (No. 6 overall): I'd say this was a fortuitous relationship. Devine might have had a disappointing, injury-plagued senior season, but he still ended his career as one of the top running backs in Big East history.

Anthony Davis, Rutgers (No. 113): Davis was a major recruiting coup for the Scarlet Knights. A three-year starter who anchored the left tackle spot his final two seasons, Davis was dominant at times and inconsistent at others. But he was the No. 11 overall pick in last year's NFL Draft after just three years in school.

Pat Bostick, Pittsburgh (No. 134): Always a little overrated as a prospect, Bostick was forced into a starting role his true freshman year as Pitt went 5-7. From there he settled into a backup's role, but he was under center for two of the Panthers' most memorable victories: at West Virginia at the end of '07, and at Notre Dame in 2008.

Manny Abreu, Rutgers (No. 144): Abreu has never quite lived up to his hype, but has been a solid contributor at linebacker for most of his career thus far and has a year left.

Why stop at 2007? Here's a look at how some other ESPNU 150 performers have panned out at Big East schools in recent years:

Brandon Heath, Louisville (No. 58 overall in 2006): Heath was hurt a lot earlier in his career but became a star linebacker as a senior this past season, finishing with 70 tackles and three sacks.

Nate Byham, Pittsburgh (No. 68 in 2006): Byham was the top blocking tight end in the league for most of his career at Pitt and went on to the NFL.

Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh (No. 74 in 2006): Dickerson underachieved for his first three years as the Panthers could never quite figure out what to do with him. Moved to tight end, he had a huge senior year and finally justified the hype.

Andrey Baskin, Syracuse (No. 86 in 2006): Never made it to the Orange.

Deantwan "Peanut" Whitehead, Louisville (No. 130 in 2006): Had a promising freshman year at defensive end, but a back injury prematurely ended his football career.

Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh (No. 25 in 2008): Baldwin had an excellent three-year career and is entering the NFL Draft.

Shayne Hale, Pittsburgh (No. 101 in 2008): Moved from linebacker to defensive end after his redshirt freshman year, but hasn't been able to crack the rotation.

Chris Burns, Pittsburgh (No. 110 in 2008): The running back was buried on the depth chart for two years and transferred to UMass after the season.

Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh (No. 124 in 2008): Started this season at right tackle before moving inside to guard and playing at an all-league level.

Darrell Givens, Rutgers (No. 61 in 2009): The cornerback has yet to make an impact for the Scarlet Knights.

Geno Smith, West Virginia (No. 97 in 2009): Starting quarterback for the Mountaineers was my choice this year for first team All-Big East at his position.

Tom Savage, Rutgers (No. 125 in 2009): Took over starting job early in true freshman year, but was replaced this year by freshman Chas Dodd. Has announced he will transfer this spring.

Antwan Lowery, Rutgers (No. 134 in 2009): Was moved to offensive line last season and contributed; expected to start in 2011.

Demar Dorsey, Louisville (No. 12 in 2010): Opting for Louisville after Michigan would not admit him, Dorsey has not been able to get eligible and has never enrolled with the Cardinals.

Ivan McCartney, West Virginia (No. 109 in 2010): Had one catch as a true freshman; could see his role expand in Dana Holgorsen's new offense.

Terrence Mitchell, South Florida (No. 144 in 2010): Signed as a defensive back, he had his biggest impact as an electric punt returner. Was switched to offense midway through the season and could stay on as a receiver.

As expected, three Big East players were drafted in the first round. That still qualified as big news for two league schools.

Rutgers' Anthony Davis went 11th to San Francisco, the highest draft pick in school history. Devin McCourty later joined him in the first round when New England took him No. 27 overall. The Scarlet Knights' only other first-round pick in their history came last year with Kenny Britt.

Rutgers is the first Big East school with two first-round picks in the same draft since Miami and Virginia Tech in 2004.

Former University of South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul made history tonight when he was selected with the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL draft by the New York Giants, becoming USF’s highest draft pick ever and the 12th selection in USF history.

Meanwhile, Jason Pierre-Paul became South Florida's highest-ever draftee when he went to the New York Giants at No. 15. The Bulls have only one other first-rounder in their short history, and that's 2008 selection Mike Jenkins, who was taken with the 25th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Big East's three first-round selections were one more than the Pac-10, the same as the Big Ten and one fewer than the ACC. And of course, the Big East has fewer teams than any of those leagues.

Unless you've been living in a cave the past three months, you know it's NFL Draft time. (And even then, I've bet at least one mock draft made it to your underground dwelling).

Anyway, the first round is tonight at 7:30 in New York City (on ESPN, naturally). Let's look at the potential first-rounders from the Big East:

Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers: Davis had a disappointing junior year and he had some ups and downs during the scouting process. But none of that changes the fact that he's 6-foot-5, 325 pounds and wildly athletic at left tackle. Those types of guys just don't come around very often, which is why someone will take him early. Todd McShay currently pegs him a No. 8 to the Oakland Raiders, which is a fate I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Pierre-Paul might be the biggest risk/reward guy in the first round. There's little doubt he has incredible upside or physical tools. However, he played only one year of major college football and is incredibly raw. Some NFL team will have to hope he loves the game and is willing to work at it; his potential, though is too much to ignore. McShay has him going 14th to the Seattle Seahawks.

Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers: McCourty is being pegged as a late first-round pick, and I think whatever team lands him is going to be very happy. McCourty is a terrific corner but also an extremely versatile player who can do a bunch of things on special teams. And there will be no questions about his character or leadership; Rutgers coaches could not say enough good things about McCourty and what he meant to their team. McShay has him going No. 30 to the Minnesota Vikings, which would be a great situation for McCourty to walk into a team built to win now.

That should do it for the Big East in round one. South Florida safety Nate Allen has occasionally had his name mentioned as a late fist-rounder, but it looks more likely that he'll go in the second round unless a team really likes him.

Three first-round picks would match the number for the Big East last year. Rutgers had its first-ever, first rounder last year in Kenny Britt, and now the Scarlet Knights look to double the total from their previous 141 years.

• The Sugar Bowl loss is helping motivate the Bearcats, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• News and notes from UConn's seventh spring practice, courtesy of the Hartford Courant's Desmond Conner.
• Tight end Nick Provo is glad to be back on the field, Nolan Weidner says in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
• Anthony Davis, who skipped Rutgers' pro day, held a private workout for several NFL teams, Manish Mehta writes in The Star-Ledger.
• Matt Grothe's comeback continued with a workout for scouts at South Florida's pro day, Scott Carter says in the Tampa Tribune.

• Skip Holtz is using volleyballs at South Florida practice on punt drills to reduce injuries, Greg Auman notes in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Rebuilding the offensive line is one of the top projects this spring at Pitt, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Cincinnati players like new coach Butch Jones' open-door style, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• UConn linebacker Kijuan Dabney is eager to show what he can do after an injury-shortened 2009, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Former Rutgers tackle Anthony Davis, who did not attend his school's pro day last week, has rescheduled his workout for scouts, NFL.com reports.

• Latwan Anderson's decision to go to Miami based on image may be somewhat troubling for West Virginia, but it's no big surprise, Bob Hertzel writes in the Times West Virginian.
• Mardy Gilyard and Tony Pike had nice performances at Cincinnati's pro day, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer. And here's some video from the event.
• The Home News Tribune's Keith Sargeant has more on Tim Brown's rocky pro day at Rutgers.
• In their latest mock drafts, Mel Kiper has Jason Pierre-Paul seventh, while Todd McShay lists him 17th. Anthony Davis is 18th in Kiper's draft and 23rd in McShay's. And Devin McCourty is 30th in Kiper's.

Rutgers players went through their pro day on Wednesday, with 35 scouts and whoever wanted to watch via the Internet looking on.

It wasn't a great day for wideout Tim Brown, who didn't receive an NFL combine invite and probably needed a good workout. Brown measured in at just 5-foot-6 and 3/4 inches and 151 pounds. He had been listed at 5-8 during his college career. His actual size makes what he accomplished at Rutgers even more impressive, but it doesn't exactly thrill tape-measure obsessed scouts.

And Brown, who had been dealing with an ankle injury, ran just a 4.52 and a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash.

Rutgers' two possible first-rounders, Devin McCourty and Anthony Davis, did most of their work at the combine. Davis didn't do any drills Wednesday, while McCourty focused only on position work.

Center Ryan Blaszczyk had the best performance on the bench press, hoisting 225 pounds 31 times. Fullback Jack Corcoran, who weighed in nearly 70 pounds less than Blaszczyk, managed to 30 reps.

Linebacker Ryan D'Imperio had a nice day, running a respectable 4.65 in the 40 and showing off good athleticism in the other drills. He also worked some at fullback. Defensive lineman George Johnson measured in at 6-foot-4 and 3/8 and 268 pounds and put in some time at linebacker.

You can view the complete Rutgers pro day results here.

If you need a football fix, you can watch former Rutgers players work out for the NFL scouts today.

The Scarlet Knights' Pro Day will be broadcast live on Scarlet Knights.com beginning at 1:50 p.m. Here is the list of players who are participating:

Blair Bines

Ryan Blaszczyk

Pat Brown

Tim Brown

Jack Corcoran

Anthony Davis (will not participate in every drill)

Andrew DePaola

Ryan D’Imperio

Shamar Graves

Kevin Haslam

George Johnson

Stephante Kent

Zaire Kitchen

Jabu Lovelace

Devin McCourty (will not participate in every drill)

Damaso Munoz

McCourty and Davis each worked out at the NFL combine and are considered potential first-round picks.

• West Virginia's governor hopes he's not needed but is ready to step in to make sure the West Virginia-Marshall series continues, Mitch Vingle writes in the Charleston Gazette.
• Whoever joins an expanded Big Ten might not be in for a full slice of the pie.
• Randy Edsall talks spring practice in the Connecticut Post.
• It was a so-so NFL combine weekend for Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Matt Grothe is hoping to be ready for South Florida's pro day, Greg Auman writes in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Anthony Davis was happy with his combine weekend, Keith Sargeant writes in the Home News Tribune.

Offensive players had their turn at the all-important NFL combine over the weekend. Defensive players get started today in Indianapolis. Here's a look at how some of the Big East's offensive invitees performed:

Offensive line: The guy with the most eyeballs on him was Rutgers tackle Anthony Davis, who has been projected as potential top 5 pick. There was good and bad in Davis' performance. His 5.38 time in the 40-yard dash was disappointing, and his 21 reps on the 225-pound bench press was pedestrian. But he showed off a 33-foot vertical leap, fourth best among all offensive linemen, proving his athleticism.

Tight ends: Pitt's Dorin Dickerson turned in an eye-popping 4.40 in the 40. Of course, Big East fans are well aware of Dickerson's top-end speed and athleticism. The question for him remains whether he'll be big enough to be a blocking tight end.

Teammate Nate Byham served that role for the Panthers, and while he posted just a 5.09 time in the 40, his best trait is his physicality in the run game.

Quarterbacks: Some of the bigger-name quarterback prospects didn't throw this weekend, but Cincinnati's Tony Pike and West Virginia's Jarrett Brown did. Here is what Scouts Inc. analyst Todd McShay had to say about them:

"Pike is the third quarterback in the class to adjust his delivery and Pike showed a release that got the ball out of his hand more quickly. He was a little inconsistent with his accuracy, but there is surely an adjustment period after tweaking his delivery and the long-term benefits should outweigh the short-term inconsistency."

"[Brown's] 4.54 in the 40 was best among quarterbacks and he posted a 34.4 vertical jump, showing that he also has the athleticism to move to another position if necessary."

Here is ESPN.com's John Clayton's take:

"The highlight of the day was watching the 6-6 Pike go against the 6-3 [Zac] Robinson. Each has a tight overhand delivery in which the ball zips from the right of his ear and moves with velocity. Even though Pike will probably go ahead of Robinson, I thought Robinson won the day. His passes on comeback routes were crisp and he surprised many by throwing a better 35-yard post corner route than Pike. For whatever reason, I thought Pike's balls wobbled a little too much when he threw outside the numbers."

Receivers: UConn's Marcus Easley ran a 4.46 in the 40, seventh best among wideouts and tops among Big East receivers.

"Easley showed good explosiveness with a 10-3 broad jump and there is a lot to like about the way he tracks deep passes," McShay writes. "Easley is a former walk-on with limited game experience, but he clearly has the raw tools to warrant midround consideration as a developmental project."

Louisville's Scott Long ran a 4.46 and South Florida's Carlton Mitchell posted a 4.49. Both measured in at 6-foot-2 and helped themselves by showing a combination of size and speed. Long also had the best vertical jump among receivers at 41.5 inches and topped all wideouts in the 3-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.

West Virginia's Alric Arnett finishing third in the receiving group with a 40-inch vertical. Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard registered a 39-inch leap.

• Skip Holtz commended Mike Ford for the way he handled his dismissal and pledged to help him find another school, Greg Auman notes in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Speaking of the Bulls, Jim Leavitt is at the NFL combine as a guest of the St. Louis Rams.
• Anthony Davis is eager to prove himself at the NFL combine, Keith Sargeant writes in the Home News Tribune.
• Here's a Q&A with another Rutgers draft hopeful, Kevin Haslam.
• A Wilkes-Barre columnist advocates Pitt for the Big Ten.

Here are a few links to help you finish out the work day:

• I've got to say I've been very entertained by Cincinnati coach Butch Jones' blog, whether he's actually doing it or someone else is in charge. The blog is offering some inside looks at the Bearcats' winter conditioning, including the team testing and Super Bowl champ Troy Evans' address to the players. Up today: a video of the post-workout tug-o-war contest.
• Here's a mock draft that has Jason Pierre-Paul going third, with Anthony Davis and Devin McCourty also in the first round. Remember that Kenny Britt was Rutgers' first-ever first-rounder last year, and now many sites are predicting two Scarlet Knights' first-rounders this year.
• NFL.com's Pat Kirwan lists Pierre-Paul and Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike among his 10 players to watch at the combine.
• Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney was in Bristol today and gives this interview about the always-intriguing topic of expansion. Delaney insisted that there will be nothing but internal discussion about potential new league members for quite some time but did say the Big Ten may know the direction it wants to go by June.
• NESN.com's Rob Lunn picks UConn to win the Big East this year. Of course, he's a little biased, having played for the Huskies. But his reasoning is not far off.

• Rutgers stars Anthony Davis and Devin McCourty took different paths to the NFL combine, which starts today, Tara Sullivan writes for the Bergen Record.
• Mardy Gilyard has been getting ready, as he details in this Q&A with his hometown paper.
• The Syracuse Post-Standard's Bud Poliquin is no fan of the combine and its silliness.
• Lots of good South Florida info here in Greg Auman's St. Petersburg Times notebook. He also reports that an NC State receiver is looking to transfer to USF.
• SI.com's Kris Dyer attended a New Jersey recruiting event and has information about some potential prospects for Rutgers, West Virginia and Pitt.
• The Times West Virginian's Bob Hertzel wonders what Rich Rodriguez was in a hurry to shred when he left West Virginia for Michigan.

• Jim Leavitt, South Florida and a bunch of lawyers met for nearly six hours for mediation over the weekend without a resolution being reached, Greg Auman reports in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Former Syracuse receiver Mike Williams needs a big showing at the NFL combine, Russ Lande says in the Sporting News.
• UConn's Andre Dixon is holed up in preparation for the draft workouts, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Anthony Davis, Jason Pierre-Paul and Arthur Jones are listed among the Top 45 prospects heading to the combine by SI.com.
• Cincinnati hosted several top junior prospects over the weekend, Tim Adams reports for Bearcatlair.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• The Home News Tribune's Keith Sargeant interviews former Rutgers star Shaun O'Hara, who just endowed a scholarship at his alma mater.

Good news for Rutgers fans who need a winter dose of football.

For the first time in school history, the Scarlet Knights will broadcast the team's pro day activities on its Web site, ScarletKnights.com. The broadcast will air March 10 at 2 p.m. and will show 16 former Rutgers players performing drills for scouts, including the 40-yard dash, 225-pound bench press, broad jump, vertical jump, three-cone drill, flexibility tests and individual position testing.

Greg Schiano and former stars Ray Rice, Jeremy Zuttah, Jamaal Westerman and Kevin Malast will be among the guests on the broadcast. Among the Rutgers hopefuls who will be working out are offensive tackle Anthony Davis and cornerback Devin McCourty, each of whom have a shot at being first-round draft picks.

It used to be that only scouts and maybe a handful of media members got to watch pro day workouts. But now with this and NFL combine performances being shown live, there's more access than ever before. All of which serves to feed an insatiable appetite for football of any kind, even if it's just guys running and jumping in shorts and T-shirts.