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• West Virginia defensive tackle Jorge Wright was arrested the day before the Mountaineers' spring game and still played Friday night. The WVU defense took a step backward in the spring game. Are beer sales at West Virginia home games a good idea?
• Rutgers needs more than just Savon Huggins to save the program. Brandon Coleman emerged as a possible star this spring.
• Cincinnati's draft results might tell us something about why the Bearcats finished 4-8.
• Jabaal Sheard was surprised to become a Cleveland Brown.
• Speaking of surprises, Anthony Sherman was the first UConn player drafted.

Scouts Inc. has come up with comprehensive draft boards for every position as we draw ever closer to the 2011 NFL draft (and, hopefully, a 2011 NFL season).

Let's start on the offensive side of the ball and take a look at where some Big East hopefuls are ranked. First, the skill positions:

• Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: second round

• Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut: third round

• Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse: fourth round

• Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: fifth round

• Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh: seventh round

• Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now, the offensive linemen/tight ends:

• Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsbugh: fifth round

• Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville: sixth round

• Zach Hurd, OG, Connecticut: sixth round

• Ryan Bartholomew, C, Syracuse: seventh round

• Jason Kelce, C, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now let's move to the defensive side and see where Scouts Inc. rates some Big East defenders:

• Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida: second round

• Jabaal Sheard, DE/LB, Pittsburgh: second round

• Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville: third round

• Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia: fourth round

• Robert Sands, S, West Virginia: fourth round

• Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers: sixth round

• Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia: sixth round

• Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut: seventh round

These projections aren't gospel by any means, but they should give you a pretty good idea of how Big East hopefuls are being viewed right now.

The NFL combine has wrapped up, and we can all go back to not caring how quickly a guy can navigate a set of cones in shorts and a T-shirt for another year. But first, let's hit some final numbers.

Here is where Big East players ranked among the top overall performers in each drill at Indianapolis:

40-yard dash

Connecticut running back Jordan Todman tied for eighth at 4.40 seconds.

Bench press

Syracuse offensive lineman Ryan Bartholomew tied for fourth with 34 reps on the 225-pound bench. UConn fullback Anthony Sherman tied for 10th with 32.

Vertical leap

Pittsburgh receiver Jon Baldwin tied for second at 42 inches.

Broad jump

Baldwin tied for fifth at 10-feet-9 inches.

Who helped themselves the most? Bartholomew had a really nice showing. Baldwin put up excellent numbers as expected. Connecticut linebacker Scott Lutrus turned heads with some of his performances.

Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said Todman, the 2010 Big East offensive player of the year, was one of the biggest winners of the combine experience. He writes:

"The draft class at running back isn't helped by the fact that many teams have more than one running back on their rosters they feel they can win with. But in a class that was already weak, Todman jumped. He ran a 4.40 in the 40 and was among the top performers in a number of other workouts, highlighting his athleticism. He's one of the few guys in this class who scouts feel can make NFL defenders miss, and at 203 pounds, he isn't a total scat back."

The NFL combine kicked into full swing over the weekend in Indianapolis, and several Big East players already turned in their audition.

There's a lot more testing to be done, with defensive linemen and linebackers getting center stage on Monday. But many results are already in, and here's a look at how Big East players have fared so far. All results are based upon performance by position unless otherwise noted:

Running back


Connecticut's Jordan Todman was third among running backs (and sixth overall so far) in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.40 seconds. He was third with a 38-inch vertical, third in the 60-yard shuttle, eighth in the 20-yard shuttle and sixth in bench press with 25 repetitions.

Huskies fullback Anthony Sherman topped running backs at 32 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press.

Syracuse's Delone Carter was third in the 20-yard shuttle (and ninth overall so far), 14th in the 40-yard dash at 4.5 seconds, 10th in the three-cone drill, sixth in broad jump, seventh in vertical leap at 37 inches and fourth on the bench press.

Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis was 13th with a 4.57 time in the 40, fourth in the 60-yard shuttle, eighth in the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drills, and 14th in vertical leap at 34.5 inches. Lewis, by the way, measured in at 5-foot-7 and 193 pounds.

West Virginia's Noel Devine was seventh in the bench press.

Wide receivers


Pitt's Jon Baldwin topped all receivers (and is second overall so far) with a 42-inch vertical leap. He was fifth in broad jump, 12th in the 40-yard dash at 4.5 seconds and fourth in bench press with 20 reps.

West Virginia's Jock Sanders tied for sixth in bench press and was 10th in the 20-yard shuttle.

Offensive linemen

Syracuse's Ryan Bartholomew topped offensive linemen with 34 reps in the bench press. He was second in the 40-yard dash at 4.97 seconds and ninth in the 20-yard shuttle.

Cincinnati's Jason Kelce was first among offensive linemen with a 4.93 40-yard time and also came in first in the three-cone and 20-yard shuttle drills. He tied for eighth in vertical leap and was third in broad jump.

Defensive linemen

West Virginia's Chris Neild tied for 10th with 30 reps on the bench press.

South Florida's Terrell McClain tied for 14th on the bench with 29 reps.

Tight end

Louisville's Cameron Graham was 11th in bench, 12th in vertical leap, 12th in the 3-cone and 12th in the 20-yard shuttle.

Linebackers

Connecticut's Lawrence Wilson tied for seventh on the bench press with 24 reps.

West Virginia's J.T. Thomas did 23 reps, which tied for ninth.

UConn's Greg Lloyd tied for 13th with 22 reps.

The NFL combine officially began on Wednesday, as players arrived in Indianapolis and started interviews with team officials.

There are more interviews Thursday, along with measurements and medical examinations. Workouts start on Friday, and here is the schedule for position groups:

Friday: Specialists
Saturday: Offensive linemen, tight ends
Sunday: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Monday: Defensive linemen, linebackers
Tuesday: Defensive backs

It will be fun to follow the Big East players as they strut their stuff for scouts. Who will be the top player drafted from the league? My money is still on Pittsburgh receiver Jon Baldwin, whom I expect to put up dazzling numbers in his combine workouts.

Here again is the full list of Big East players scheduled to participate in Indianapolis:

Cincinnati (3)

Armon Binns, WR

Jason Kelce, OL

Jake Rogers, K

Connecticut (6)


Zach Hurd, OL

Anthony Sherman, FB

Jordan Todman, RB

Lawrence Wilson, LB

Greg Lloyd, LB

Scott Lutrus, LB

Louisville (3)


Cameron Graham, TE

Johnny Patrick, CB

Bilal Powell, RB

Pittsburgh (6)

Jon Baldwin, WR

Henry Hynoski, FB

Dion Lewis, RB

Jason Pinkston, OL

Greg Romeus, DE

Jabaal Sheard, DE

Rutgers (1)


Joe Lefeged, S

South Florida (1)

Terrell McClain, DT

Syracuse (4)

Ryan Bartholomew, OL

Doug Hogue, LB

Delone Carter, RB

Derrell Smith, LB

West Virginia (6)

Noel Devine, RB

Brandon Hogan, CB

Chris Neild, DT

Jock Sanders, WR

Robert Sands, S

J.T. Thomas, LB

The official invitation list to the NFL combine is out, and 30 Big East players will be showing off their skills at the premiere pre-draft event.

The following league players are scheduled to participate in the set of drills before scouts from Feb. 23 to March 1 in Indianapolis:

Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

Ryan Bartholomew, OL, Syracuse

Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse

Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia

Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville

Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia

Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse

Zach Hurd, OL, Connecticut

Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh

Jason Kelce, OL, Cincinnati

Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers

Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh

Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut

Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut

Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida

Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia

Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville

Jason Pinkston, OL, Pittsburgh

Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville

Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh

Jake Rogers, K, Cincinnati

Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia

Robert Sands, S, West Virginia

Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh

Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut

Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse

J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia

Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut

Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut

The East-West Shrine Game is on tap for Saturday, but the most important work for scouts came in the week leading up to the contest. Our ESPN experts were in Orlando to watch the players during practice and offered their thoughts on who stood out the most .

Todd McShay listed Connecticut fullback Anthony Sherman and South Florida defensive tackle Terrell McClain among his top performers.

On Sherman: "He's undersized (5-11, 240 pounds) and fullbacks border on extinct in the NFL, but I was impressed with Sherman. He's competed all week. He's tough and has some power at the point of attack. He also has good hands. He caught the ball smoothly and got up the field. It's a pretty good fullback class and right now he's No. 6 in the class. He's a longshot to get drafted yet he's done nothing but help himself this week"

On McClain: "He is strong at the point of attack and just doesn't give ground. He controls blockers with his hands. He has violent hands to get off blocks and he has a power rush."

McShay also talks about McClain in this video.

Syracuse's Delone Carter got some positive reviews earlier in the week for his strong running style, though there were questions about his hands in the passing game. Teammate and linebacker Doug Hogue was not practicing late in the week, and no reason was given for his absence.

Also scheduled to compete in the game from the Big East are Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew, UConn's Scott Lutrus and Greg Lloyd and Cincinnati's Armon Binns.

Here is the list of players from the Big East who will be participating in the East-West Shrine Game, a showcase for seniors and NFL hopefuls:

• Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut

• Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

• Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse

• Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse

• Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut

• Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut

• Ryan Bartholomew, OL, Syracuse

• Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut

• Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida

• Zach Hurd, OL, Connecticut

The 86th annual game will be held Jan. 22 in Orlando.

Ted Miller talks with UConn fullback Anthony Sherman about fellow running back Jordan Todman.

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has come out with his new big board, and while it's a long way away from draft day, it's always fun to see how players stack up on these lists.

On Kiper's list of the Top 25 draft-eligible players, one Big East player appears: Pitt receiver Jon Baldwin at No. 16.

Kiper also lists his Top 5 seniors by position. He has Noel Devine as the No. 4 running back, UConn's Anthony Sherman as the No. 4 fullback, Syracuse's Ryan Bartholomew as the No. 4 center and Orange punter Rob Long fourth at his position.

Kiper's Top 5 non-seniors by position includes a lot of Pitt players. He has Henry Hynoski as the top fullback, Jon Baldwin as the No. 2 receiver behind Georgia's A.J. Green, Lucas Nix the No. 2 offensive tackle and Chris Jacobson the No. 4 guard.

He also has UConn's Moe Petrus as the No. 4 center, Cincinnati's Derek Wolfe as the No. 4 defensive tackle and West Virginia's Robert Sands as the No. 3 safety.

Next Tuesday is Big East media day in Newport, R.I. Each team will bring its head coach and selected players; all the coaches meet with the media in the same room for an hour, followed by an hour with all the players.

Here's the list of players who are coming to Rhode Island for their close-ups (and lobster bibs):

Cincinnati
QB Zach Collaros, WR Armon Binns, LB JK Schaffer

Connecticut
LB Scott Lutrus, OG Zach Hurd, DT Kendall Reyes, FB Anthony Sherman

Louisville
OL Mark Wetterer, LB Brandon Heath

Pittsburgh
RB Dion Lewis, WR Jonathan Baldwin, OT Jason Pinkston, DE Greg Romeus, S Dom DeCicco

Rutgers
RB Joe Martinek, S Joe Lefeged

South Florida
QB B.J. Daniels, C Sampson Genus

Syracuse
LB Derrell Smith, LB Doug Hogue, S Mike Holmes, OL Ryan Bartholomew, P Rob Long

West Virginia
RB Noel Devine, WR Jock Sanders, LB J.T. Thomas

A couple of thoughts:

Obviously, the star power here is from Lewis, Baldwin, Romeus, Devine, Collaros and Daniels. I expect big crowds in front of each of those players.

It would have been nice to have either Tom Savage or Mohamed Sanu from Rutgers, but Greg Schiano has always brought his upperclassmen to these events. Those guys will get their chance.

A tip of the cap to Syracuse for bringing punter Rob Long. Nice to see special-teamers get some recognition, and Long should be up for some awards this year.

Who will eat the most lobsters at the clam bake? My early money is on Hurd, Bartholomew and Genus. When in doubt, go with the offensive linemen.

Anyone else missing from this list you would have liked to see on it? And what questions would you have for some of these guys?

Time to get back to our post-spring position rankings, with running back next up. Remember, we're looking for stars and depth here:

1. Pittsburgh: The Panthers have the Big East's offensive player of the year returning in Dion Lewis, who rushed for 1,799 yards and 17 scores a year ago. Backup Ray Graham, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry, could start for most teams. Henry Hynoski should be the best fullback in the league this year. That's enough to merit the No. 1 spot here.

2. West Virginia: Noel Devine alone would earn the Mountaineers a lofty ranking. But don't forget about bruising fullback/tailback Ryan Clarke, who had eight touchdowns a year ago. Throw in Shawne Alston and Daquan Hargrett, and West Virginia is loaded in the backfield. And that's not even counting Tavon Austin and Jock Sanders, who are considered wide receivers for the purposes of these rankings but who could easily move into running back roles.

3. Connecticut: Jordan Todman (1,188 yards) was the third-leading rusher in the Big East last season. The Huskies are high on Meme Wylie and Robbie Frey, and Martin Hyppolite and Jonathan Jean-Louis could contribute. Fullback Anthony Sherman has 21 career starts. And that UConn offensive line always makes its ballcarriers look good.

4. Cincinnati: I think this is the year that Isaiah Pead takes off and becomes a real star. John Goebel's return adds experience to the backfield, while Darrin Williams is a playmaking spark plug. The only question is how much the Bearcats want to run the ball.

5. Syracuse: Uncertainty over Delone Carter's status -- he has been suspended at least until the fall semester -- makes the Orange a tough team to rank at running back. With Carter, who was a 1,000-yard back last year, Syracuse has a frontline workhorse plus two versatile guys in Antwon Bailey and Averin Collier. Without him, this unit is average at best.

6. Louisville: When healthy, Victor Anderson is one of the best backs in the Big East. He went over 1,000 yards and was the league's newcomer of the year in 2008. He was plagued by injuries last season and was still recovering this spring. If he's back to form, the Cardinals will have a solid trio with Bilal Powell and Jeremy Wright also in the mix. That doesn't count Darius Ashley, whose move to cornerback this spring may be permanent.

7. Rutgers: I put the Scarlet Knights this low despite the return of Joe Martinek, who nearly ran for 1,000 yards last year. But he was far from an explosive runner, and Rutgers averaged just 3.6 yards per carry last season (hurt, no doubt, by a subpar run-blocking offensive line). This backfield needs more playmakers, whether that's from an improved Martinek, a more experienced De'Antwan Williams or one of the speedy freshmen arriving this summer.

8. South Florida: The departure of Jamar Taylor was the latest setback to a position that lacks proven depth. The Bulls will begin the year with a starting tailback (Mo Plancher) who gained just 581 yards last season, and a backup (Demetris Murray) who has 14 career carries. On the flip side, South Florida running backs haven't been given much of a shot to establish themselves under the previous, quarterback-heavy offensive schemes. Perhaps that will change under Skip Holtz, who wants his backs to do more.

• Vidal Hazelton could be the next Cincinnati star at receiver, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Ray Graham has been the star of the spring so far at Pitt, Michael Sanserino says in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Tyrone Wheatley is trying to use his experience to help the Syracuse runners, Nolan Weidner writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
• UConn fullback Anthony Sherman doesn't touch the ball much, but he's happy to do the dirty work, Desmond Conner says in the Hartford Courant.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Here's a look at what players will be attending the Big East's media days on Aug. 3-4 in Newport, R.I.:

• Cincinnati: Tony Pike and Aaron Webster

• Connecticut: Desi Cullen, Scott Lutrus, Robert McClain and Anthony Sherman

• Louisville: Jon Dempsey and Scott Long

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

I'm heading out to Louisville's spring game tonight and will have a report later on. In the meantime, here's what's going on around the league this Friday afternoon:

• Cincinnati broke even on its trip to the Orange Bowl, athletic director Mike Thomas tells Bill Koch of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"People have the perception that because you went to the Orange Bowl you have all kinds of loose change falling out of your pocket,” Thomas said. "For us, the Orange Bowl was about a wash. The best we could have done on the Orange Bowl if we could have sold out our whole allotment (of tickets) was probably another $600,000.

"With our comps and actually sold tickets we were at about 13,000.That would have left us with 4,500 tickets to sell to reach our 17,500 allotment. Even if we would have sold all of those, that would have added about another $600,000.”

Bowl trips themselves are almost never profitable enterprises because of all the people that schools take with them. 

• I'm pretty sure the Robert Marve saga will end ... sometime. But not yet. Brett McMurphy of the Tampa Tribune reports that the former Miami quarterback has at least whittled his list of transfer destinations down to five: South Florida, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Nebraska and Purdue. Given how strong B.J. Daniels and Evan Landi have looked this spring, I don't know that the Bulls would even need Marve. 

• Greg Schiano isn't putting a lot of pressure on his players for tomorrow's spring game, even though several positions are still up for grabs. He tells Keith Sargeant of the Home News Tribune that he wants his guys just to go out "play hard and have fun" during the scrimmage. It should help that the weather forecast looks great after a spring that saw several miserable days.

• UConn has picked captains for 2009, Desmond Conner reports in the Hartford Courant. They are Desi Cullen, Scott Lutrus, Robert McClain and Anthony Sherman.