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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

It appears that Big East players had mixed performances at the NFL combine, which just wrapped up in Indianapolis.

Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, UConn receiver Kashif Moore, Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes had solid performances, and likely helped themselves.

Of the 18 Big East players there, those four probably had the most notable performances. And it is still unclear if players like Jones, Reyes and Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu will be drafted in the first round.

To find out how your favorite player did in all the measurable categories, just click on his name:

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pitt

Justin Francis, DE, Rutgers

John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Brandon Lindsey, DE, Pitt

Kashif Moore, WR, UConn

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Darrell Scott, RB, USF

Dave Teggart, K, UConn

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

With the NFL combine underway, our friends over at Scouts Inc. have done quite an impressive job putting together a list of grades for the top prospects leading into the draft.

Today, we spotlight the defense:

• Defensive linemen
• Linebackers
• Defensive backs

Here is a quick overview on Big East players:

• In the pass-rush skills category for end, Chandler Jones ranks No. 5; for tackles, Derek Wolfe ranks No. 4. In the quickness category, Kendall Reyes ranks No. 5. In the toughness/motor category, Chas Alecxih of Pitt ranks No. 2. Jones is rated as the top draftable defensive linemen among all Big East players, and No. 8 overall. Reyes, Wolfe, Alecxih and Justin Francis of Rutgers were all given draftable grades.
• Brandon Lindsey of Pitt is the only Big East linebacker given a draftable grade.
• Phillip Thomas of Syracuse is rated the No. 3 safety in the instincts/recognition category; No. 2 in cover skills; No. 3 in ball skills. Thomas, Antwuan Reed of Pitt and Jerrell Young of USF were all given draftable grades.

Last up in our position rankings for the defense -- the secondary. In the preseason, I rated the safeties and cornerbacks separately. In the postseason evaluation, I feel that would be a little redundant, so I am taking into account the unit as a whole. Of all the positions, I felt there was a clear bottom and a clear top to the league in this category.

In my opinion, this was also one of the weakest positions in the league. Only three teams allowed opponents to complete fewer than 60 percent of their passes.

1. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were clearly the best here, allowing a league-low eight passing touchdowns, grabbing a league-high 19 interceptions and allowing their opponents to complete just 51.8 percent of their passes. Logan Ryan emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the league, while safety Duron Harmon won first-team honors.

2. West Virginia. Though there were some problems for the Mountaineers in the secondary this season, for the most part this group held its own. Cornerback Pat Miller was inconsistent and eventually lost some starts to Brodrick Jenkins -- who was an upgrade. Keith Tandy was third in the league with four interceptions, and Eain Smith, Terence Garvin and Darwin Cook played well at safety. West Virginia finished the year as the No. 2 pass defense, and let's not forget some of the huge plays this group made at the end of the season.

3. Pitt. The Panthers were up and down in pass defense all year, and were hurt when safety Jason Hendricks was lost for the year. Antwuan Reed was better; Jarred Holley earned his spot on the Big East first team. This was not an opportunistic group, with a league-low eight interceptions. But it was one that got better as the year went on. After allowing over 300 yards in two of the first three games of the season, the Panthers held the rest of their opponents below that mark.

4. USF. This unit was steady, if unspectacular in 2011. Kayvon Webster was much improved, and Jerrell Young did a nice job anchoring the team at safety. But there weren't big plays -- 12 total interceptions, and depth was an issue when injuries hit late in the season. Major kudos are deserved for holding West Virginia to 237 yards -- second-lowest on the year.

5. Louisville. The Cardinals were better than I expected given all the youth and inexperience in the secondary. Hakeem Smith was good again; Adrian Bushell was a huge pickup and made a big impact. The one weakness was getting beat way too many times on deep passes. Louisville allowed 20 passing touchdowns and had just 10 interceptions, tied for second-worst in the league.

6. Cincinnati. The Bearcats were a much more opportunistic group than a year ago. Drew Frey emerged as a first-team Big East safety, and Cam Cheatham and Deven Drane each got three interceptions. But the long pass was again something the Bearcats had a hard time covering, and wrapping up and tackling was sometimes a problem, too. Opponents averaged 7 yards a completion.

7. Syracuse. Injuries took a toll on the defensive backs last season. Players like Shamarko Thomas, Olando Fisher, Ri'Shard Anderson and Keon Lyn were banged up and that impacted how everybody played. Then the best player in the secondary, Phillip Thomas, was suspended for the final two games of the season. Syracuse gave up 300 yards five times last season, and only had 10 interceptions.

8. UConn. The Huskies struggled in the secondary all season, particularly after starting cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson went out with a knee injury. There were a lot of young players forced into action, and it showed. UConn gave up over 400 yards passing four times last season, and ranked last in the league in passing defense.

The NFL officially released its list of players heading to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, and 20 Big East players made the cut. More than 300 prospects are set to gather beginning Feb. 22, to be tested, interviewed, evaluated and graded in the lead up to the NFL draft in April.

Here are the Big East representatives:

Chas Alecxih, DE, Pitt

Justin Francis, DE, Rutgers

Najee Goode, LB, West Virginia

John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Brandon Lindsey, DE, Pitt

Kashif Moore, WR, UConn

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Darrell Scott, RB, USF

Dave Teggart, K, UConn

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

Breakdown by school:

Pitt: 4

Syracuse: 4

Cincinnati: 3

UConn: 3

Rutgers: 3

West Virginia: 2

USF: 1

Several Big East players have been invited to participate in postseason all-star games. Here are the players who have agreed to participate in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game and The East-West Shrine Game, the two contests that have released their full rosters.

The Senior Bowl is releasing its player roster daily, and there is no official word yet about players from Big East schools.

Casino Del Sol All-Star Game, Monday

Don Barclay, OT, West Virginia

Evan Davis, OG, Cincinnati

Dexter Heyman, LB, Louisville

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Manny Abreu, LB, Rutgers

Antwon Bailey, RB, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OL, Syracuse

East-West Shrine Game, Jan. 21

Moe Petrus, C, UConn

Max Gruder, LB, Pitt

Brandon Lindsey, LB, Pitt

Justin Francis, DL, Rutgers

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

Jeremiah Warren, OG, USF

Jerrell Young, S, USF

Najee Goode, LB, West Virginia

Julian Miller, DL, West Virginia

Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia

Rather than dwell on the way Todd Graham left Pitt, center Ryan Turnley turned is mind to the future.

He watched Wisconsin play in the Rose Bowl against Oregon, just to get a first glimpse at what new coach Paul Chryst will bring to the Panthers.

"Just from watching Wisconsin play, I know he’s going to bring a physical brand of football back to Pitt," Turnley said in a recent phone interview. "We're all looking forward to it. I watched the Rose Bowl. They executed their offense so well, which means they’re taught extremely well. That's something as a player, when you watch other teams do that, you know they have great coaches, and we're looking forward to that."

Turnley was probably not alone in watching that game. It is a way of looking ahead after the distractions of the last month. The players will attempt to put all that behind them as they head into the BBVA Compass Bowl against SMU on Saturday.

"I think everybody knows what (Graham) did, and I think he took some criticism for it," Turnley said. "It’s time to move on. We’ve been through things like this before, and we’re not going to dwell on it."

Turnley was much nicer than a few of his teammates, who began bowl week interviews with more scathing comments. Linebacker Max Gruder called Graham's actions despicable, and defensive tackle Chas Alecxih said he had no desire to ever see Graham again.

Because of all the turmoil, many have wondered where Pitt would find the focus or motivation going into a bowl game it already played in last season, under similar circumstances.

"We have to do it for each other and Pitt," cornerback Antwuan Reed said. "We’re a Pitt family and we’re keeping our Pitt family together. We’ve come closer because of everything that’s happened, come closer. We've just got to play for each other and we’ll be fine. That’s the motivation."

This will be Reed's final game as a Pitt player, so ending it with a victory is something that would be special. Turnley also mentioned winning the game for all the outgoing seniors. Pitt is looking for its third straight bowl win, and also its first two-game winning streak since September.

This has been a maddeningly inconsistent team that finished the season 6-6, but one that did show signs of improvement on defense. You could make the argument that the defense is the the reason why the Panthers are in the bowl game at all, after forcing six turnovers in the regular-season finale against Syracuse.

But Turnley said he expects the offensive line to play better against SMU because it will have had the same unit playing together for the third straight game, and through all bowl practices. Expect Greg Gaskins, Ryan Schlieper, Turnley, Lucas Nix and Jordan Gibbs to start the game. Also, the Panthers have slimmed down their playbook and are not going to rush the offense.

"I think it's a good plan," Turnley said. "At times this year, we were a little out of control with our offense. If we slow down a little bit, that should allow us to execute a lot better."

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.

Cincinnati dominated the Big East individual awards announced Thursday, as running back Isaiah Pead was honored as Offensive Player of the Year, tackle Derek Wolfe was selected as Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Butch Jones won Coach of the Year.

Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene also took Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is the Newcomer of the Year and West Virginia all-purpose player Tavon Austin is the Special Teams Player of the Year.

Below you will find the first and second teams. All of these awards and teams are selected by the eight league coaches. Here are some of my thoughts on the winners:

• I have to say I am surprised to see Pead win Offensive Player of the Year. I thought West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith would be a slam dunk because he and the Mountaineers dominated on offense this season. That being said, Pead is deserving of this award because he was the most valuable player for the Bearcats this season and he put the team on his back when Zach Collaros went down with an ankle injury. Pead led the Big East in touchdowns (14) and ranks second in the league in all-purpose yards with 1,429. He is a very deserving winner.
• As for the defensive awards, I am not surprised to see a split. My choice was Greene, and I have been going back and forth for most of the season on who was most valuable for Cincinnati -- Wolfe or linebacker JK Schaffer. I thought both were terrific this season. But perhaps the coaches voted for Wolfe because he had a breakout season and was a big reason why Cincinnati led the nation in sacks. Wolfe led the Big East with 19.5 tackles for loss to rank No. 6 in the nation. The senior also had 9.5 sacks after notching 10 sacks combined coming into this season.
• Jones also was my choice for coach of the year because of the turnaround season he led: from 4-8 to 9-3 and a share of the Big East title.
• As for the first-team offense, I am surprised that Tavon Austin made it at receiver over teammate Stedman Bailey. Both are extremely solid, valuable players, but I thought Bailey was a notch more consistent this season as a wide receiver. Austin absolutely is the special teams player of the year. I also was surprised to see Antwon Bailey with first-team honors. My two backs would have been Ray Graham and Pead.
• On first-team defense, West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin made the list despite an inconsistent season. Coaches clearly realized what a force he is because he was double-teamed most of the year and still got 7.5 sacks. The coaches were torn at safety, where four players were honored on the first team. I thought Duron Harmon and Hakeem Smith were the top two this season.
• How about Rutgers getting Art Forst on the first team at guard and Desmond Wynn on the second team at guard. Hand clap for the big-time improvement on the Scarlet Knights offensive line.

Every league team will release its depth chart at some point this week with the season upon us. The Pitt two-deep came out this morning with few surprises.

• There is no decision yet on backup quarterback. Behind Tino Sunseri, Pitt lists Trey Anderson OR Mark Myers.
• There still is some uncertainty at linebacker. Max Gruder or Tristan Roberts will start on the weak side, while Todd Thomas or Andrew Taglianetti will start at strong side. Taglianetti also plays safety.
• Justin Hargrove could be in danger of losing his starting job at defensive end. The depth chart lists Hargrove OR Aaron Donald as the starter there. That is not much of a surprise. Donald had an excellent offseason and fall camp.
• Who is the backup behind Ray Graham? Zach Brown, Corey Davis and Malcolm Crockett are all listed as options at No. 2.
• K'Waun Phillips and Antwuan Reed are listed as the starting cornerbacks.
• Kevin Harper will be the place-kicker.
• The return jobs are still up in the air. At kick returner, it will be either Davis or Buddy Jackson. At punt returner, it will be either Ronald Jones or Cameron Saddler.
• Plenty of true freshmen will get opportunities. Ten true freshmen are listed on the two-deep: Jones, Anderson, Crockett, Davis, running back Isaac Bennett, safety Lafayette Pitts, safety Lloyd Carrington, linebacker LaQuentin Smith, linebacker Ejuan Price and nose tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith.

Time to finish up the rankings before the frenzy of media days next week. I am going with the top five safeties and top five cornerbacks on this list of defensive backs. Safety is a much stronger position leaguewide than cornerback, where many teams lost their top players.

Safeties

1. Hakeem Smith, Louisville. Smith had a breakout season as a freshman last year and was selected the Big East Rookie of the Year. He led the team with 88 tackles, including six for a loss, and became known for his ability to make big plays. Imagine what he can do as a sophomore.

2. Jarred Holley, Pitt. A second-team All-Big East selection in 2010, Holley enters his third year as a starter. Last year, he ranked third in the Big East with five interceptions. This year, he should anchor a unit that has the potential to be among the best in the league.

3. Phillip Thomas, Syracuse. Thomas is the top returning tackler for the Orange, having made 92 stops last season. He is a physical player and brings an incredible energy to the field, but has to make sure to keep his emotions in check.

4. Jon Lejiste, USF. The Bulls have one of the best secondaries in the conference, and Lejiste is a reason why. He especially excelled last season on the safety blitz USF liked to use -- he racked up four sacks from his safety position.

5. Terence Garvin, West Virginia. Garvin led the Mountaineers in tackles last season. In fact, he had five or more tackles in nine games last season. He brings great size to the position (6-foot-3, 222 pounds), and great leadership and experience as well.

Cornerbacks

1. Keith Tandy, West Virginia. Not only is Tandy the best cornerback in the league, he is one of the best in the country. Tandy was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list this season after a breakout 2010, when he ranked No. 5 in the nation in passes defended (17) and was named first-team All-Big East. He is moving to the left side this season.

2. Blidi Wreh-Wilson, UConn. Wreh-Wilson found his comfort zone last season and became a force. Of his four interceptions, he returned two for touchdowns. He should be even better this year in a secondary that returns all four starters.

3. Quenton Washington, USF. With Mistral Raymond gone, Washington should step in as the team's best cornerback. USF coaches are confident he is going to have a breakout season after an impressive spring. One area he can work on -- helping the secondary get more interceptions. He had just one last season.

4. Dwayne Gratz, UConn. The Huskies overcame a shaky start in the secondary last season and should be one of the best this year. Gratz and Wreh-Wilson team to form the best cornerback duo in the league.

5. Antwuan Reed, Pitt. Reed returns as the most experienced player in the Pitt secondary. Despite missing the spring as a precaution (concussion), Reed should be full-go for fall practice and much is expected of him in his second year as a starter.

Previous rankings:

• Offensive linemen
• Wide receivers
• Running backs
• Tight ends
• Quarterbacks
• Defensive line
• Linebacker

We round out the defensive team position rankings with the cornerbacks. There are some teams with plenty of experience. Others are in desperate need of improvement. Where do they stack up?

1. Connecticut. Both starters return in Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Dwayne Gratz, and the Huskies should continue to make the improvements they made in the second half of the season. The two combined for six of the team's 20 interceptions. Wreh-Wilson should be a preseason All-Big East selection and is one of the best in the league.

2. West Virginia. Keith Tandy returns after making first-team All Big East last season, though the Mountaineers have to replace Brandon Hogan, a second-team selection. They do have an experienced player in Pat Miller set to take over, with Brodrick Jenkins and Brantwon Bowser providing depth as well.

3. USF. The Bulls have to make up for the loss of Mistral Raymond, but have plenty of experienced players back in Kayvon Webster, Ricardo Dixon, George Baker and returning starter Quenton Washington. West Virginia gets the nod ahead of USF because of Tandy.

4. Syracuse. Both starters are gone in Mike Holmes and Da'Mond Merkerson. Kevyn Scott and Keon Lyn are penciled in to start. Scott has experience, while Lyn has plenty of potential. The problem is depth. Walk-on Joe Nassib is listed as a backup. Early enrollee Jaston George needs to show big improvement in the fall.

5. Pittsburgh. Coach Todd Graham has talked up K'Waun Williams and fifth-year senior Buddy Jackson after both had good springs. Antwuan Reed missed spring with injury but should be fine for the season, giving the Panthers three players with the potential to have a good year. The problem is that Williams is inexperienced and Jackson has failed to live up to expectations. Reed was inconsistent last season, too.

6. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights lose their best cover cornerback in Brandon Bing, and David Rowe moved to safety. Both starting jobs are up for grabs. On the post-spring depth chart, Logan Ryan and Marcus Cooper were battling for one spot and Brandon Jones and Mason Robinson for another. Robinson moved over from receiver. Jordan Thomas also is in the mix after moving from running back.

7. Cincinnati. The Bearcats were pretty dismal in the secondary last season. They return everybody, and Dominique Battle should be back from a knee injury that cost him most of the season. Still, they need to tackle better and become more aggressive to help this unit improve.

8. Louisville. The Cardinals have major problems at cornerback. They lose starters Johnny Patrick and Bobby Burns, and Darius Ashley is suspended indefinitely following his second DUI arrest. Jordan Paschal, Anthony Conner and Preston Pace are in the mix. Freshman receiver Charles Gaines was moved here in the spring to provide some relief. But this is a major area of concern.

Previous rankings

• Offensive line
• Receiver
• Running back
• Tight end
• Quarterback
• Defensive line
• Linebacker
• Safety

2010 overall record: 8-5

2010 conference record: 5-2, T-1st in Big East

Returning starters:

Offense: 6, defense: 8, punter/kicker: 0

Top returners:

DE Brandon Lindsey, RB Ray Graham, QB Tino Sunseri, WR Mike Shanahan, DT Chas Alexcih, DT Myles Caragein, S Jarred Holley

Key losses:

WR Jon Baldwin, RB Dion Lewis, DE Jabaal Sheard, OT Jason Pinkston, S Dom DeCicco

2010 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Dion Lewis (1,061 yards)
Passing: Tino Sunseri* (2,572 yards)
Receiving: Jon Baldwin (822 yards)
Tackles: Dom DeCicco (94 tackles)
Sacks: Brandon Lindsey* (10 sacks)
Interceptions: DeCicco and Jarred Holley* (5 interceptions)

Spring answers

1. Depth on the defensive line: New head coach Todd Graham seemed most excited this spring about the depth he has to work with on the defensive line. Starting tackles Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih return, along with Brandon Lindsey, who will play the new linebacker/defensive end hybrid position. The Panthers also got strong contributions this spring from guys like Bryan Murphy, Aaron Donald, Tyrone Ezell and Khaynin Mosley-Smith. Graham feels like he's blessed with a terrific rotation up front that might be the overall strength of the team.

2. New center of attention: Pitt played a former walk-on at center last season and had no heir apparent ready. A mid-spring switch to center for guard Chris Jacobson appeared to pay dividends. The senior had some trouble with snapping early on as expected for someone who had never played the position. But he grew more comfortable as the spring wore on, and the Pitt coaches liked the way his move there improved the overall line. Jacobson will spend the rest of the summer getting a crash-course at center school.

3. Still Sunseri: There were questions coming into spring whether Tino Sunseri would hold onto his starting quarterback job, or whether he'd be surpassed by talented redshirt freshmen Mark Myers and Anthony Gonzalez in a new offensive system. But Sunseri made it clear early on that he would not be supplanted, and he provided a steady hand at the most important position. His 400-yard passing day in the spring game indicated what he can do in this no-huddle offense, and coaches raved about his preparation and understanding of the game.

Fall questions

1. Linebacker mix: Linebacker was not a strong position for Pitt last season, and now the team needs four of them in the 3-4 scheme. The Panthers played around with different combos there this spring while trying to find ways to hide their limitations. Two players who could contribute, Dan Mason and Todd Thomas, missed the spring because of injuries. Graham hopes to get more out of Greg Williams, who's fast but inconsistent. The depth chart could change a couple of times between now and the start of the season.

2. Corner concerns: The good news is, sophomore K'Waun Williams and fifth-year senior Buddy Jackson had nice springs and established themselves as leaders at cornerback. The bad news is, Williams is still inexperienced, while Jackson has never lived up to his physical talent in games. Antwuan Reed missed the spring because of injury, so it's unknown how much he'll improve on an up-and-down 2010. Incoming freshman Lafayette Pitts could get a look here this summer as well. Pitt feels like it has some good candidates to improve last season's play at cornerback, but a lot must still be proved on Saturdays in the fall.

3. Punting progress: The Panthers must replace All-Big East punter Dan Hutchins, who also handled field goals for them last season. They feel like Kevin Harper will do a solid job in place-kicking; he's got a huge leg and can connect from beyond 50 yards if he can maintain accuracy. At punter, walk-on sophomore Matt Yoklic had the edge this spring. He boomed some punts, but also lacked consistency. You never know with kickers until the lights come on for real.

Pittsburgh is starting to feel a little bit like Ann Arbor East.

The Panthers' new coaching staff includes former Michigan assistants Calvin Magee, Tony Dews and Tony Gibson, all of whom were on Rich Rodriguez's staff. Pitt also landed a Wolverines transfer in safety Ray Vinopal last month.

Now it appears that Todd Graham's team has taken on another former Maize and Blue member. Cornerback Cullen Christian, who played in 10 games as a reserve for Michigan last year as a freshman, has said he is transferring to Pitt.

Christian played at Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh. As a recruit, ESPN.com ranked him the 18th-best cornerback in the Class of 2010 and a four-star prospect. He's listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds.

He'll have to sit out this year under transfer rules, but he could compete for a starting job in 2012. Pitt's defensive backfield was exposed at times last season, and two of the team's top three or four corners this year are expected to be seniors Antwuan Reed and Buddy Jackson.

PITTSBURGH -- A few quick thoughts and observations from what I got to see of Pitt's spring practice on Tuesday:

• I was looking forward to seeing just how high-octane this offense was, to use Todd Graham's description. While the usual drills and other periods were held at the same tempo as a lot of practices I've seen, when Pitt went to an 11-on-11 drill it was pedal to the metal. The offense was sprinting to the line of scrimmage and snapping the ball in under 10 seconds. That doesn't mean it was effective. There was a bad shotgun snap from Chris Jacobson and another one mishandled by backup quarterback Anthony Gonzalez. Throw in an incomplete deep ball, and the short team period looked a little disjointed. But fast.
• In the past couple of years, Pitt was always what Dick Vitale would call an "All-Airport" team. That is, they looked awfully good in their uniforms. The Panthers don't look quite as physically imposing this spring, but perhaps that's just because guys like Jon Baldwin, Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard are not longer around. This team still has plenty of talent, though depth looks like it could be an issue.
• Tino Sunseri has pretty clearly established his hold on the starting quarterback job as the incumbent. He had a little trouble hooking up with receivers on deep balls while I was watching, but the coaching staff loves his poise and experience. Remember that Graham has won with quarterbacks who weren't necessarily physical specimens but who were really smart. Sunseri, as a coach's kid and with a year under his belt, fits that bill.
• Gonzalez got the first backup QB snaps on Tuesday, though he didn't throw as much as Mark Myers in some other drills. It's hard not to like Myers' skills; he's tall and throws a very tight spiral. Is he the right quarterback for this system? That's a good question, considering he looks like a prototypical pro-style signalcaller, which is one reason why he signed with Pitt.
• Receiver Cam Saddler was back on the field after missing some time with a leg injury. The 5-foot-7 speedster has got to love this offensive system after not really getting used much by Dave Wannstedt. He's the kind of waterbug Graham found success with at Tulsa. Devin Street and Mike Shanahan look terrific as the top two wideouts. Pitt just has to find more guys behind them.
• The first-string offensive line, for what it's worth, saw Lucas Nix and Jordan Gibbs at tackle, Greg Gaskins and Cory King at guard and Jacobson at center. Gaskins struggled last year when he was first given a chance to start but now he's a senior. After Gaskins made a nice block in a lineman drill, offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich yelled, "If you do that, you can play here."
• As usual in these settings, it's hard to tell a whole lot about the defense when there's not much hitting. But Graham raves about his defensive line, saying tackle Chas Alecxih in particular has had a huge spring. He also says cornerback K'Waun Williams "can be special." Some currently injured players like Brandon Lindsey, Antwuan Reed and Todd Thomas will help when they're healthy.