ESPN College Football

I started the postseason countdown of the top-25 players in the Big East this morning. So it is only fitting that I start the postseason position rankings this afternoon.

The preseason version for each position caused much consternation and angst among every fan base. With a full season complete, we all have a much better idea of how everybody stacked up. So let us get started with offensive line. This was not a particularly strong year for line play across the Big East. There was a clear top, a clear bottom and then many similar groups in the middle.

1. Cincinnati. The Bearcats not only had the best group, they had the most improved group over a year ago. Much of that was experience, but they also proved their worth when it came to run blocking. Cincinnati transformed itself into a rushing team with Isaiah Pead leading the way. After allowing 33 sacks last year, Cincinnati only gave up 21 to rank No. 2 in the league. Randy Martinez made the first team at guard as well. Preseason ranking: 6.

2. USF. The Bulls had major question marks at this position going into the season after losing three starters. But Jeremiah Warren and Chaz Hine did a great job anchoring this unit, which allowed a Big East-low 16 sacks, and helped the Bulls lead the league in rushing. Freshman tackle Quinterrius Eatmon proved his worth. Preseason ranking: 5.

3. Syracuse. The Orange had two players make the Big East first team in Justin Pugh and Andrew Tiller, and yet another 1,000-yard rusher in Antwon Bailey. This group had its share of struggles, as the run game was inconsistent and the pass blocking seemed to regress late in the season. But consider this overall position was one of the weakest in the Big East this season. Preseason ranking: 1.

4. West Virginia. Yet another inconsistent group in the Big East, the Mountaineers had struggles at several key positions on the offensive line throughout the season. But what stands out is the way they played against their toughest opponents. West Virginia had its best efforts on the line against LSU and Clemson, proving this group could play up to the level of competition. Also, tackle Don Barclay made the Big East first-team. Preseason ranking: 2.

5. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were vastly improved at this position after ranking last in 2010. They cut the sacks they allowed in half, had a first-team selection in Art Forst and a Freshman All-American in Kaleb Johnson. The one area that remains a problem is rushing offense -- Rutgers averaged 97.8 yards a game and 2.8 yards a carry to rank No. 112 in the nation. Preaseason ranking: 8.

6. UConn. This has traditionally been a position of strength for the Huskies, but that was not the case in 2011. Center Moe Petrus did make the Big East first team, but the Huskies did have a 1,000-yard rusher in Lyle McCombs. But this group did not play well for most of the season. Teams keyed in on the run to get UConn to pass, but even coach Paul Pasqualoni said he wanted to see more out of this unit. UConn gave up 41 sacks, compared to 15 a season ago. Preseason ranking: 3.

7. Louisville. The Cardinals were young at this position and it showed. Injuries hurt, but so did a lack of depth. This group did improve as the season went on, but against the toughest competition and the strongest defensive lines, they wilted. Rushing offense was down, and they gave up 41 sacks on the season. Preseason ranking: 7.

8. Pitt. To put it simply, the offensive line was a disaster for a number of reasons. Injuries to key players like Chris Jacobson and Lucas Nix certainly hurt. But so did the new blocking schemes installed under former coach Todd Graham, and Tino Sunseri's inability to get rid of the ball in a timely fashion in the hurry-up offense. Pitt gave up 64 sacks to rank last in the NCAA -- the second season in a row a Big East team held the dubious honor (Rutgers gave up 61 in 2010). Preseason ranking: 4.

With one day to go before signing day, it is worth taking a look back at how the players on the Big East first-team fared when they were coming out of high school.

You will see, once again, that recruiting rankings generally have nothing to do with the way a player will do in college. So anybody freaking out about what your school does or does not have in the way of commitments for 2012, just take a deep breath. And look at how some of the most unheralded players out of high school become some of the best in the Big East.

I used ESPN recruiting rankings. Note only one player honored on the first team was ranked as an ESPNU150 player. Many on defense came in as either athletes, receivers or quarterbacks.

Offense

WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers. Sanu was ranked the No. 18 safety in the nation coming out of high school in 2009, with a scout grade of 80.

WR/RS Tavon Austin, West Virginia. Austin was rated the No. 41 running back in the nation coming out of high school in 2009 -- three spots behind De'Antwan Williams (Rutgers) and one spot behind Jason Douglas (Pitt). Know who else was ranked ahead -- Victor Marc and Bradley Battles of USF.

OT Justin Pugh, Syracuse. Unranked at his position for the class of 2009, Pugh got a scout grade of 40. Talk about making the most of somebody who was "undervalued."

OT Don Barclay, West Virginia. Ranked No. 65 at his position in the class of 2007. One other West Virginia player was ranked athead of him, at No. 55 -- Gino Gradkowski, who transferred to Delaware.

OG Randy Martinez, Cincinnati. Rated the No. 161 defensive end in the class of 2007.

OG Art Forst, Rutgers. Forst was ranked the No. 25 offensive tackle in the class of 2008 -- the second-highest Big East player on the list behind Lucas Nix of Pitt.

OG Andrew Tiller, Syracuse. Tiller was unranked and did not even get a scouts grade when he was being evaluated in 2009 out of Nassau Community College.

C Moe Petrus, Connecticut. The best center in the Big East was unranked and had no scouts grade when he signed with UConn in 2007.

TE Nick Provo, Syracuse. Provo was ranked No. 86 at his position in the class of 2007

QB Geno Smith, West Virginia. Smith has lived up to his billing -- ranking No. 97 on the ESPNU150 in the class of 2009. He was the No. 8 player at his position and No. 15 in the state of Florida.

RB Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati. The No. 152 ranked running back in the class of 2008, Pead got a scout grade of 71. He just won MVP Honors on the Senior Bowl.

RB Ray Graham, Pittsburgh. Rated the No. 66 running back in the class of 2009, Graham was rated behind West Virginia's Daquan Hargrett (left program) and USF's Adaris Bellamy (academics).

RB Antwon Bailey, Syracuse. Ranked the No. 128 running back in the class of 2008 -- well behind fellow signee Averin Collier (No. 42). Collier was considered the gem of the class, but academics derailed his career.

K Dave Teggart, Connecticut. Teggart was ranked the No. 25 kicker in the class of 2007.

Defense

DL Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati. Wolfe was unranked at his position in the class of 2008 and got a scout grade of 40. Four years later, he was the co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

DL Kendall Reyes, Connecticut. Reyes also was unranked in his position in the class of 2007 with a scout grade of 40. Believe it or not, he came into UConn at 220 pounds (he's now around 300) and now has a shot to be a mid-round draft pick.

DL Chandler Jones, Syracuse. Jones came to Syracuse as a 230-pound tight end, unranked and giving a scout grade of 40. Now he is headed to the NFL draft as a projected second-to-third round pick.

DL Bruce Irvin, West Virginia. Irvin took an incredible journey to West Virginia through Mt. SAC junior college after dropping out of high school.

LB JK Schaffer, Cincinnati. Schaffer was ranked the No. 93 outside linebacker in the class of 2008, behind such players as Tyler Urban, Marvin Booker (Rutgers), Quavon Taylor (USF) and Marcus Witherspoon (Rutgers).

LB Khaseem Greene, Rutgers. No ranking or scout grade for Greene, who went to prep school before arriving at Rutgers.

LB Najee Goode, West Virginia. Goode was a quarterback and linebacker in high school who was not ranked.

CB Adrian Bushell, Louisville. Bushell was ranked the No. 21 cornerback in the class of 2008 and originally signed with Florida. After playing at junior college, he made an immediate impact with the Cardinals.

CB Keith Tandy, West Virginia. Tandy was ranked the No. 207 quarterback in the nation in the class of 2007. The same group that featured Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Mallett.

S Drew Frey, Cincinnati. Frey was a receiver coming out of high school and unranked, with a scout grade of 40.

S Hakeem Smith, Louisville. Smith was ranked the No. 93 receiver in the class of 2009, but his athleticism allowed him to switch to defense and emerge as one of the best safeties in the league.

S Jarred Holley, Pittsburgh. Also a receiver in the class of 2008, Holley was ranked No. 230 at that position with a scout grade of 65.

S Duron Harmon, Rutgers. The No. 49 athlete in the class of 2009, he was ranked below teammate Jamal Merrell, Todd Thomas of Pitt and Kayvon Webster of USF.

P Pat O'Donnell, Cincinnati. O'Donnell was unranked with a scout grade of 40, but he has emerged as one of the most impressive iron men in the league.

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.

Bad news for a Rutgers offensive line that was seeking any kind of good news this season.

Center Dallas Hendrickson, who was brought in from junior college this winter in an effort to shore up the line, suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in Tuesday's scrimmage, head coach Greg Schiano told reporters after Thursday's practice.

Schiano had hoped Hendrickson would fill the hole created by departed senior Howard Barbieri. But Hendrickson had struggled at times this spring as he got used to going up against a nose tackle for the first time.

In his place, the Scarlet Knights will turn to sophomore David Osei, who has opened eyes with a solid spring. Osei was giving Hendrickson a good battle for the starting job anyway.

The Star-Ledger reports that backup guard Art Forst was taking snaps at center in practice Thursday as Rutgers must now identify a second-stringer at the position.

Schiano, whose line allowed an NCAA-worst 61 sacks last season, will have to hope that Osei is the answer and that other pieces of the line come together.

Rutgers begins spring practice on Tuesday, looking to rebound from a tough 4-8 season. I recently caught up with Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano to preview the team's spring. Here is Part I of our conversation:

You made a lot of changes this offseason, from your coaching moves to personnel switches. Was it just the difficult season that made you think you needed change?


Greg Schiano: Obviously, when you have a tough season like last year, it makes you really examine. The other thing is, it allows you more time to examine. When you're at a bowl game every year and recruiting, there really isn't time until after recruiting to spend just evaluating your program. When we ended in December, and then there wast that break over the holidays, I had a lot of time to evaluate recruiting, to evaluate our football program, to evaluate the things we've been able to accomplish in 10 years and things we haven't been able to accomplish. It was a good exercise in looking at both short-term goals and long-term goals. What are the things that are going to allow us to do what we ultimately aspire to do, and what are the things that can help us immediately? And they are not always the same things.

So we worked real hard to do what I felt gave us the best chance to be good in 2011 and ultimately become the best at some point. Hopefully we did that. I'm excited about where we're headed. We made some position changes to best utilize the talent of our players, and we were able to do that because I think we really redshirted some fine players last year. In retrospect, maybe we shouldn't have redshirted so many of them. But we have a lot of guys who can contribute after being in our program for a year, and it gave us some flexibility in other spots.

You talked about getting more speed on the field when you announced position changes. How much was getting faster one of your main goals this offseason?


GS: Without a doubt. We built this program on speed. When evaluating and choosing who to recruit and who to push to get, if it was really close, we always went with speed as our determining factor. And in watching the video, I didn't think we looked like a fast football team, especially in the second half of the year. That can be attributed to a lot of things, but we did some testing, which you generally can't do when you're involved in bowl practices and recruiting. But when we ended [our season], we went right into a mini-winter program and did some testing to get a baseline. It was the true speed of guys, because they weren't training for it. Guys that were playing certain positions were not at the speed level they had been in the past.

There's not one big thing, there's an accumulation of a lot of little things and a lot of introspection that led me to do the changes we did. Getting the speed in the right positions is the most important thing. We had them on the bus, but we didn't have them in the right seats.

You hired Frank Cignetti to run the offense. How important was it to you to get back to a pro-style attack that you had a few years ago?


GS: We made a decision two years ago -- and I ultimately made the decision -- to go in another direction. And after doing it, I wasn't comfortable with it. Rather than continuing down that path, we're going to go with what we're comfortable with. So we're going back to what I really feel strongly about, and we have the personnel to do it -- I hope we do. We'll continue to recruit for that. The thing you get away from is recruiting a fullback when you're not using the kind of offense we're going to use now. So that may take another year or two to catch up, but I think we have some guys who will fill out and be good fullbacks in what we're trying to do.

How do you think the transition will go to the new offense this spring?


GS: I think it will go smoothly. Frank and the staff involved have done a very good job this offseason with the time we're alowed to meeting them in introducing it. Now we'll get out there on the field and install it all. There's a good mix of three guys on that offensive staff who were here last year and two new guys, and with Frank's leadership, I'm really comfortable there. Now, we'll see how it goes in the spring, but I think when you look at our skill players, we have a lot of guys who have gotten some experience now. Some of them have made a lot of plays while getting their experience, and they're on the other side of the hill now, in that they've played a lot of football. This is a new offense to learn, and I'm anxious to see.

The offensive line, I think, has gotten better this offseason. Now, we'll see how that translates to the game of football. But I do think the things we're going to ask them to do are going to be more in their skill set, and I think the football will be coming out quicker as well. I hope all of those things combined will lead to a much better job on the offensive line, because we were really not good up front on offense last year, and that has to change.

You say the line has gotten better. How do you tell that in the offseason?


GS: With big men, there are two things you need to be able to do. Number 1 is, be strong, and I don't mean the weight room as much as functional strength. And Number 2 is, you need to be able to bend. Our strength was average; I wouldn't say we were overly strong, but it wasn't horrible either. But we really played with our pad level too high. So we really emphasized bending, and I see us bending a lot better. So hopefully those two things, being a little bit stronger and bending better, and in an offense where there's more cumulative repetitions over time, I think we're going to get better.

And we added a guy, in [center] Dallas Hendrickson, I haven't seen him play for us, but I've seen him play in junior college. He's going to be really good in that position, and everyone else is going to be a year older, stronger and drilled just a bit more thoroughly. So hopefully that will lead to better results.

You moved some guys around on that line last year. Do you anticipate doing that again, or do you have set positions in mind this spring?


GS: We moved Andre Civil over from defense, and we moved Antwan Lowery over from defense. I think those two guys, it's their time now. They need to perform. Civil is an extraordinary athlete. He should be able to do this. Lowery is an incredibly strong guy, he should be able to do this. Desmond Wynn and Art Forst have played a lot of football. It's just a matter of getting the best five on the field. We've got a young guy named David Osei that I think has a chance now after being in our program for two years. I think what will happen, finally, is we'll have some competition on the offensive line. No matter how dedicated a guy is, competition is still key, because everybody needs to be pushed.

Moving Jeremy Deering to running back, was that just because you liked the way he ran the Wildcat last year?


GS: That was part of it, plus I think we have some good depth at the wide receiver position. And there will be opportunities -- just because he's called a running back doesn't mean he won't play wideout. It will give you some really good matchup possibilities. I really think De'Antwan Williams has had an exceptional offseason. I'm excited to see him. He was as highly touted a running back as there was coming out of high school. It's been a rocky couple of years, but I think he's in great shape, and he's totally committed to what he's doing.

We moved Aaron Hayward to the position, let's see what he can do. Let's see what Jawan Jamison can do -- he was a very good running back in high school. And certainly with the two kids we signed, Savon Huggins and Ben Martin, I think finally we have a little bit of depth at the position and there will be great competition. I don't particularly care who it is that does it, I just want whoever rises to the top.

Looking at your skill players, like Mohamed Sanu and Deering and Mark Harrison, it seems like you have more talent there than maybe ever during your tenure. Would you agree with that?


GS: I'm excited about our skill. The thing that's lost a little bit about our season last year is that, from Game 3 on, Joe Martinek couldn't perform. Sanu, from Game 5 on, couldn't perform. So you were looking at guys who were hurt all year. Timmy Wright, going into last preseason, he was the guy I was most excited about and was performing the best of all our wideouts, and in the second practice of the year he goes down with a knee. A kid that was really highly recruited out of high school, Brandon Coleman, he redshirted and he's 6-7, 6-6, an incredibly lanky receiver who, when we did our testing, ran very, very well -- for anybody, forget that he's 6-foot-7. Then we were able to recruit well to the position as well, with Miles Shuler coming in.

So I am excited about the skill, and Frank is very good -- having coached against him several times -- he's definitely got an NFL mentality as far as matchups and personnel and all that. I think he'll utilize them very, very well. We've still got to block, though, as you and I both know. And part of blocking is getting rid of the ball. We've got to get rid of the football, and move the launch points and all those things. So we'll see.

Let's continue our look at each team's strongest and weakest positions this spring (and this spring only). Up today: Rutgers.

Strongest position: Receiver

Key returnees: Mohamed Sanu, Mark Harrison, Keith Stroud

Key departures: None

The skinny: With so many position changes this spring and several spots hit hard by graduation -- not to mention some poor performance in last year's 4-8 season -- no one group for the Scarlet Knights stands out as definitely the strongest. However, the receiving corps has a chance to be really good. Harrison was the breakout star for Rutgers last year and could emerge as the top wideout in the Big East in 2011 if he continues to progress. Sanu, who will be limited to no-contact work this spring, is a special, versatile talent. Tim Wright, who was drawing raves last spring before an unfortunate knee injury, is back and healthy. Throw in Stroud and the 6-foot-6 Brandon Coleman, among others, and it's easy to see why the team felt fine moving Jeremy Deering from receiver to tailback this spring.

Weakest position: Offensive line

Key returnees: Desmond Stapleton, Desmond Wynn, Caleb Ruch, Antwan Lowery, Art Forst

Key departure: Howard Barbieri

The skinny: This is the rare exception where one of a team's deepest positions is also seen as its weakest. We all know how poorly Rutgers' offensive line played last year. The hope is that another year of experience, a different system, and junior college center Dallas Hendrickson can help. Faithful reader and Scarlet Knights fan Jay asked me to highlight another position since this one is so obvious, so I'll oblige. Quarterback is also weak as a position, with only Steve Shimko behind sophomore Chas Dodd. Linebacker lost its top tackler (Antonio Lowery) and will work in another new starter as Manny Abreu moves to defensive end. Rutgers clearly has a lot to work on this spring, but the good news is that talent is there.

Say this about Saturday's North Carolina-Rutgers game: you couldn't have predicted many of these storylines during the summer.

The Tar Heels (0-2) were supposed to be the team with the all-world defense and shaky quarterback play. Instead, suspensions and investigations have gutted the roster, and North Carolina's defense is ranked just 81st overall and 118th against the rush in the FBS. Meanwhile, quarterback T.J. Yates has been very effective, helping lead the nation's 11th-best passing attack.

Rutgers (2-0) has relied on its defense, as expected. But surprisingly, its quarterback has regressed, at least statistically. Sophomore Tom Savage seemed on the verge of a breakout year, but so far he's the lowest-rated passer in the Big East and is completing just half of his attempts.

So it's anyone's guess what will happen this week in Piscataway, though this much is clear: The Scarlet Knights will have to play better on offense to win. They scuffled most of the opener against lowly Norfolk State, then needed their defense and special teams to help them get by Florida International 19-14. North Carolina has scored 24 points in its first two games against vastly superior competition: LSU and Georgia Tech.

When asked how he'd evaluate his team's offensive play so far, right tackle Art Forst said: "Definitely disappointed."

The Scarlet Knights had a bye week last week, and they tried to find ways to fix the slumping unit.

"We're trying to develop guys," head coach Greg Schiano said. "We had a lot of change in our offensive line. Our oldest receiver is a redshirt sophomore. We have a sophomore quarterback. One of our top two tailbacks is a freshman.

"So it was really a continuation of fundamentals. All you can do is keep teaching guys so it's not the first time they're seeing something. Unfortunately, when you have young guys, that's what happens. [The defense] changes coverage or changes a front, and they have no recall, no cumulative reps to call upon."

Savage blamed his poor performance at FIU (7-of-15 for 72 yards and an interception) on being surprised by the defensive alignments. He's hoping to turn it around this week.

“I just have to go out there and make the throws and stay on the field as much as I can,” he told the Home News Tribune. "Quarterback is all about getting into the groove so I just have to make that first pass and keep going.”

The offensive line also has to get better at opening holes. Meanwhile, the Rutgers offense could get even more inexperienced, as leading rusher Joe Martinek may miss the game with an ankle injury. That would make true freshman Jordan Thomas the No. 1 back.

Forst said it's all about everyone on the offensive side paying attention to details.

"I've said it before, and I think it's very true with this team: The difference between a 10-yard run and 1- or 2- yard gain is just a little bit," he said. "It could be 10 guys doing the right thing and one guy not.

"I think we're very close. But there are a lot of teams that are close, and only a few teams get it. We have a lot of work to do to close that small distance."

The new-look Rutgers offensive line debuts Thursday night against Norfolk State. And it has an unlikely anchor.

Fifth-year senior Howard Barbieri will start at center and will also walk to midfield before the game as one of three team captains. Neither are roles he envisioned himself playing when he arrived on campus.

"I just wanted to show people I could play here," he said.

Barbieri had a lone scholarship offer to Wagner. But he believed in his ability, so he chose to walk on at Rutgers.

That looked like a wise choice as soon as his redshirt freshman year, when he was running second string on the offensive line before he was moved to tight end. Since then, Barbieri has done a little bit of everything.

In 2008, he played at left guard, right guard and right tackle. He started at both guard spots last year and practiced at center, then was moved to that position permanently before this spring, when he finally received a scholarship for his efforts.

A center has to be aware of what everyone is doing on a given play, and Barbieri's background makes that easier.

"I know what the right guard is going to do on a play because I've been there before," he said. "It helps me a lot. I look at myself as a leader of not just the offensive line, but the whole offense."

Assistant coach Kyle Flood told the Home News Tribune that Barbieri's leadership "is going to help us as we go through this process as we try to get everything on track. To have a guy like that who can anchor the middle for you, it makes the transition a little smoother."

The Scarlet Knights could use some stability on their offensive front, which will start together for the first time Thursday night. Three starters are gone from last year, and the most experienced lineman, Art Forst, has moved from guard to right tackle. Desmond Stapleton takes over for Anthony Davis at left tackle, while Desmond Wynn steps into a more prominent role. Caleb Ruch, who was injured most of last year, is at right guard.

Fans will be watching closely, even against Norfolk State, to see signs of improvement after last year's line disappointed. Barbieri said they should like what they see.

"This is the most physical line we've had since I've been here," he said. "That's the way we're practicing, and it's been emphasized to us all offseason. We're going to be tough and physical."

And they have an unlikely anchor.

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Big East media day isn't the newsiest event in the world, and even if news does break it's hard to follow it all since eight coaches are talking at once.

But there were a few interesting items discussed by the coaches on Tuesday, and here's a brief recap:

• Rutgers coach Greg Schiano announced that wide receiver Eddie Poole and tight end Tony Trahan are transferring, while freshmen Tejay Johnson, Kenneth Kirksey and Djwany Mera will attend prep school instead of enrolling.
  
  Rutgers also announced several other departures, including receiver Julian Hayes and offensive lineman Rob Forst, younger brother of starting offensive lineman Art Forst.
  
  Many of the transfers resulted from playing time issues, while the three 2010 signees are expected to enroll in January. Schiano said Fabian Ruiz will move from defensive line to tight end to help offset the loss of Trahan.
  
  Also, backup quarterback Steve Shimko has a shoulder problem which may slow him in camp. Tom Savage had better stay healthy.

• Could South Florida get receivers A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin back in time for conference play?
  
  Coach Skip Holtz said the best-case scenario for both wideouts is that they'd be back after missing four-to-five games. Love tore his ACL in the spring game, while Griffin broke his ankle in summer workouts.
  
  Both are needed since the Bulls don't have much experience or depth at receiver. Getting them back in the fold is one thing, though; having both guys being confident enough in their healed wheels in order to contribute at a high level is another story.

• Louisville's two highly-publicized summer additions still aren't with the team.
  
  USC transfer Jordan Campbell has yet to arrive on campus, and head coach Charlie Strong told The Courier-Journal that the linebacker has "to get some things worked out where he is."
  
  Meanwhile, former Michigan signee Demar Dorsey's status remains up in the air. The Courier-Journal's Eric Crawford reports that Louisville officials are saying the odds Dorsey plays for the Cardinals are 50-50. The defensive back was denied enrollment at Michigan and has had some arrests in his past.
  
  Strong also said that 6-foot-8 receiver Josh Chichester has been working out at tight end, but he said Chichester would be moving around until the coaches found the most effective way to use him.

Two prestigious college football awards -- the Outland and Bronko Nagurski trophies -- released their preseason watch lists today. A handful of Big East players made the cut.

The Outland Trophy -- which honors the top offensive and defensive tackles, offensive guards and centers -- named Pittsburgh's Jason Pinkston, Rutgers' Art Forst and UConn's Zach Hurd to its list. Pinkston was a first-team All-Big East performer at left tackle for the Panthers last season, while Hurd was a first-teamer at guard. Forst is a talented guard who could also play tackle for the Scarlet Knights.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy goes to the nation's top defensive player. Pitt's Greg Romeus, Cincinnati's J.K. Schaffer, Connecticut's Lawrence Wilson and West Virginia's Robert Sands and J.T. Thomas all made the list of more than 70 players chosen to the preseason list.

Romeus, a defensive end, was the Big East's co-defensive player of the year in 2009, while Wilson, Schaffer and Thomas are among the league's best linebackers. Sands emerged as a star at safety last season for the Mountaineers.

Rutgers released a post-spring, two-deep Tuesday, and while there aren't a ton of surprises, there is some shuffling along the offensive line.

The depth chart, which shouldn't be viewed as written in stone at this early date, has junior Art Forst moving from guard to tackle. Forst has the size to play tackle at 6-foot-8, 310 pounds but all of his career starts have come on the interior. Moving to his old guard spot is Desmond Wynn, who was expected to challenge for one of the starting tackle spots but missed spring practice because of a shoulder injury.

Desmond Stapleton, who had a surprisingly good spring, is starting at the other tackle spot, with Caleb Ruch at the other guard and Howard Barbieri -- who had knee surgery late in spring -- at center. Redshirt freshman Antwan Lowery, who was moved to the offensive line this spring, is listed as a backup behind Ruch at guard.

At running back, Joe Martinek is obviously the starter, but oft-injured Kordell Young is listed behind him, not De'Antwan Williams.

On defense, the biggest competition was at cornerback, and for now David Rowe and Brandon Bing are starters, with Bing holding off hard-charging Logan Ryan for that job.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- It's one of the great mysteries of the 2009 Big East season. How did Rutgers' offensive line, blessed with veterans and pro prospects, not come anywhere near expectations?

Guard Art Forst says he watched film of last year and the only conclusion he can come up with is that the unit underperformed. And he vows, "We won't underperform again."

Easier said than done. But how much the offensive line can come together and improve may well hold the key to the Scarlet Knights' fortunes in 2010.

It's a very different cast from last year. Gone are tackles Anthony Davis and Kevin Haslam and center Ryan Blaszczyk. In are ... well, we're not entirely sure yet.

Forst is back, but Howard Barbieri -- who was slated to take over at center -- suffered a knee injury and is out for the rest of spring. Desmond Wynn is penciled in as a likely starter at one of the tackle spots but he, too, has been hurt this spring.

Head coach Greg Schiano likes what he's seen so far out of Desmond Stapleton, who backed up Davis the past two seasons. Stapleton has been playing left tackle, and Schiano said he's provided worry-free performance. His older brother, Darnell, was a Rimington Trophy candidate at Rutgers and a starting center for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The most intriguing prospect on the line is Antwan Lowery. He was Rutgers' highest-rated recruit a year ago as a defensive lineman. After his redshirt season, he asked to make the switch to the O-line, Schiano said. The 6-foot-4, 325-pounder is obviously raw, but his size and skill can overcome some inexperience.

"He's incredibly explosive," Schiano said. "We have to get him good enough. We don't have guys like him, so it's almost to where we've got to make it work."

"He does some things to our best defensive linemen where you sit there and say, 'Are you kidding me?' But then he'll do something [dumb] and you're like, 'Are you kidding me?' So there are kidding-me's both ways."

Rutgers gave up more sacks (40) than any other Big East team last year and it struggled to run the ball effectively for large stretches. This year, there's little depth behind quarterback Tom Savage, so the line simply must protect him for the team to succeed. The group is still mixing and matching parts and probably won't have its pieces together until fall camp when Wynn and Barbieri return.

Still, Schiano is optimistic.

"I've just got a feeling we're going to be better," he said. "I can't tell you why. I don't know if it's chemistry or whatever. But confidence means nothing unless you do it."

And unless this offensive line does it better than last year's, Rutgers won't be going very far in 2010.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage was talking about the need to mentor the "young guys" on his team when he corrected himself.

"Well, not 'young guys,'" he said, "because I'm still a young guy."

It's hard to tell sometimes with these Scarlet Knights. Their two most recognizable stars are true sophomores in Savage and do-it-all receiver Mohamed Sanu, who established themselves as the faces of the program in 2009. Sometimes, young players rising to the spotlight so quickly could cause issues with the rest of the team.

But Savage and Sanu aren't your normal youngsters.

"They're such humble guys, and that allows the older guys to not feel like they're stealing their thunder," head coach Greg Schiano said. "They know their place yet they're strong leaders, and you don't see that very much. A lot of great young players are very boisterous or out in front all the time.

"Not these guys. They're grinders."

The roots of success for both took hold this time a year ago.

Sanu wasn't the typical true freshman; he turned 19 in the summer of 2008 -- the result of being held back a year to work on his English after living in Sierra Leone as a kid -- and was ruled ineligible to play as a high school senior. He enrolled at Rutgers in January as a safety and was moved to wide receiver late in spring practice because of a pressing need at the position.

No problem. Sanu -- who was a quarterback in high school -- became the team's second-leading receiver, a dangerous runner in the Wildcat formation and Rutgers' best all-around offensive playmaker.

Savage didn't enroll early, but he made the 90-minute drive from Springfield, Pa., to watch all but one of the Scarlet Knights' spring practices from the sidelines last year. He scheduled his high school classes so that he could skip lunch and leave early, and he'd switch from his school uniform into regular clothes in a bathroom near the practice fields. Despite particularly cold and rainy weather last spring, Savage braved the elements to soak up as much knowledge as he could.

He was thrust into action during the second half of the opener against Cincinnati after senior Dom Natale suffered through a three-interception nightmare. Savage went 8-3 as a starter, missing one game because of an injury. It's never easy for a true freshman to command a huddle full of upperclassmen, but Savage found his way.

"When you're still a young guy, you have to earn respect in the locker room," he said. "I didn't feel like I could gain that until I started going out there and making plays. What I learned is that people look for you to speak up and assert yourself. I'm using that now."

Taking charge came more naturally for Sanu.

"I had to be who I am," he said. "You don't have to be a senior or a junior to be a leader. You just have to be confident and step up and make plays."

Schiano placed both freshmen on his players' leadership council last year, which wasn't unusual since he tries to have representation from every class. Unlike previous freshmen who mostly acquiesced to the older guys, though, Savage and Sanu spoke their minds and "were integral and respected members" of the council, Schiano said.

It helps that they're both among the team's hardest workers. Sanu said a typical day for he and Savage usually involves around eight or nine hours in the Hale Center complex. They'll watch film, practice extra throws or go over the playbook long after their team requirements have ended.

"We're rarely in our rooms," Sanu said. "We just love the game and want to get better all the time."

Savage is a perfectionist. Offensive lineman Art Forst recalled a game last season in which the young quarterback was having one of his best days. But Savage missed one read, and that's all he could talk about the rest of the game. After throwing an interception near the goal line at practice last week, Savage slumped his shoulders as he walked toward the sidelines and threw his helmet to the ground.

The dedication and desire from both stars can't help but filter down to the rest of the team, and that gives reason to hope that this otherwise green bunch can compete in the Big East this season.

The stat Schiano likes to recite is that 62 of his 85 scholarship players this season will have three or four years of eligibility remaining. That's as young of a team as he can remember having. So while true freshmen like Sanu, Savage and promising linebacker Steve Beauharnais made an immediate impact last year, Schiano redshirted most of his 2009 signing class, including ESPNU 150 recruits Antwan Lowery and Darrell Givens. Last year, he said, was the first time in his nine years at Rutgers that he had enough depth to hold back players of that skill level.

"I know we're young but at the same time, it's probably the most talented group I've ever seen here," senior defensive lineman Alex Sivestro said.

If several underclassmen prove as precocious as Savage and Sanu, the Scarlet Knights could improve on last year's nine wins. Even if not, they appear set up for a run at their first Big East title in the next two or three years.

"We're focused on this year because it's all we can worry about now," Savage said. "But obviously, if you do the math, we're all young and we're going to be here for a while. And that's fun to think about."

Spoken like a grizzled veteran.

The spring superlatives series rolls on today with Rutgers, which gets us back in order after the little reverse-alphabetic switch. Let's look at which positions are strongest and which are weakest for the Scarlet Knights heading into the spring:

Strongest position: Defensive line

Key returnees: DT Scott Vallone (nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries), DE Alex Silvestro (12 tackles for loss, two sacks), DE Jonathan Freeny (9.5 sacks), DT Eric LeGrand (two sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss), DT Charlie Noonan (two sacks).

Key departures: DE George Johnson and DT Blair Bines.

The skinny: Despite the loss of two strong senior contributors, the Scarlet Knights still have loads of depth on the defensive front. Greg Schiano told me this week that the combination of Vallone, LeGrand and Noonan could be the best set of defensive tackles he's had at Rutgers. Freeny and Silvestro have shown the ability to get to the passer. And young players who were redshirted a year ago, like Andre Civil and Isaac Holmes, should be ready to play.

Weakest position: Offensive line

Key returnees: OG Desmond Wynn, OG Howard Barbieri, OG Art Forst, OG Caleb Ruch

Key departures: LT Anthony Davis, C Ryan Blaszczyk, RT Kevin Haslam

The skinny: Rutgers' O-line was a major disappointment last year, and now the unit loses arguably its top three performers, including a likely first-round NFL pick in Davis. This will be a revamped group, which might not be a bad thing considering the way the 2009 line performed. Still, Schiano has to find replacements at both tackle spots, potentially looking to a guy like Desmond Stapleton to step forward. Former super sub Barbieri will have to take on a larger role, while the talented Forst could emerge as a star. There's a lot to work with here, but also a lot to work on.