ESPN College Football

Time to check in to see how some players from the Big East fared during the college all-star games this past weekend.

In the East-West Shrine Bowl on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.:

• USF safety Jerrell Young and offensive guard Jeremiah Warren played for the East team, which lost to the West 24-17. Young finished the game with five tackles. Warren was selected team captain for his efforts throughout the week and started the game.
• West Virginia defensive standouts Julian Miller, Najee Goode and Keith Tandy also played in the game. Miller and Tandy nearly had interceptions.
• ESPN Scouts Inc. had observations about the game and practice in this draft blog . Miller and Warren received some notice.

In the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl on Saturday in Carson, Calif.:

• Syracuse running back Antwon Bailey had 12 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown to lead the National team to a 20-14 win over the American team in the inaugural NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Safety Phillip Thomas also played in the game, making four tackles for the American squad. Bailey led all rushers, and also had three catches for 11 yards. His 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter put his team up 10-0.

In the Battle of Florida on Saturday in Boca Raton:

• Louisville receiver Josh Bellamy had a 60-yard touchdown pass from Stephen Garcia in the third quarter as the North team beat the South 51-3. Bellamy ended with 90 yards on three receptions. Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden coached the North team, and the game got so out of hand, a running clock was used midway through the third quarter.
• Seven USF players were on the North team. Chaz Hine, A.J. Love, Kevin McCaskill, Patrick Hampton, Keith McCaskill and Quenton Washington started. Claude Davis had an early impact with a sack and forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
• Pitt running back Zach Brown had three carries for eight yards for the South team.
• Most of the players in the game are considered long shots for the draft, but there were 140 scouts there from the NFL, Canadian Football League and Arena Football League.

Senior Bowl practices begin this week with Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe and UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes.

Time for a little Big East: Did you know? to get you ready for Week 4. Special thanks to the Big East, school sports information staffs and ESPN Stats & Information for the great nuggets below.

• Pitt coach Todd Graham is trying to make a little bit of history against Notre Dame. No coach has ever beaten the Irish in consecutive seasons while coaching for two different schools. Only three coaches have ever beaten Notre Dame while coaching two different schools (Howard Jones with Iowa and USC, Johnny Majors with Pittsburgh and Tennessee, Dennis Erickson with Miami and Oregon State). Graham was coach at Tulsa last season.
• West Virginia has allowed 153 plays of 10 yards or longer since the start of the 2010 season, fifth fewest in FBS. Yet, in its last game against Maryland, the Mountaineers allowed 17 such plays, which is the most they have allowed since November 2007 in a win against Connecticut.
• How about the passing strategy for the West Virginia offense? ESPN Insider Teddy Metrosilis has something for the Mountaineers to consider.
• Syracuse has a winning record despite being outscored by a combined 81-74 margin this year and being outgained by an average 391-328 margin.
• At halftime of the Syracuse-Toledo, the school will honor late Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, who died this summer after a long battle with dementia. Mackey played for the Orange from 1960-62. The first 10,000 fans to the game will receive a commemorative magnet featuring Mackey’s No. 88 as well a card highlighting his college and professional football accomplishments.
• Rutgers K San San Te has made all five of his field goal attempts this season and ranks seventh on the Big East career list (49). That puts him second all-time in school history behind Jeremy Ito (2204-07). Te also is tied for third nationally in 2011 with 2.50 field goals per game.
• Under Greg Schiano, Rutgers is 7-1 against MAC opponents. The Scarlet Knights have won six straight games against the MAC, with the last loss coming against Buffalo in 2002.
• UTEP not only plays USF for the first time, but plays a Big East team for the first time in school history.
• Bet you did not expect this before the season began: USF linebacker Michael Lanaris has a team-high 20 tackles, while defensive tackle Claude Davis leads the team with three sacks.
• Two big reasons UConn is 1-2: The Huskies have committed eight turnovers in three games and converted just 28 percent of their third-down chances (11-of-40.)
• It is Coach to Cure MD week around college football, and each Big East coaching staff will wear a special arm patch to raise awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. A total of 109 of the 120 FBS programs are participating. Louisville coaches will wear the patch next week when the Cardinals play Marshall.

Linkin' it ...

• Cincinnati has got to get better on defense.
• The Huskies want a "blue out" on Friday night. Iowa State relishes the role of being the underdog. UConn has gotten a transfer from Penn State.
• Louisville quarterback Will Stein is red through and through -- but his father played at Kentucky and is a UK season-ticket holder. Does Charlie Strong mean it when he says the Cardinals aren't good enough to beat Kentucky or is he playing mind tricks? The top prospect in Georgia, Josh Harvey-Clemons, will visit Louisville.
• Things are working out for Hubie Graham at Pitt. Joining Graham at H-back is former backup quarterback Anthony Gonzalez, eligible to play after serving a two-game suspension.
• Rutgers freshman running back Savon Huggins is keeping his cool despite early struggles. Greg Schiano is contemplating a major shakeup on the offensive line.
• Old connections give USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin a leg up in preparing for Syracuse. Los Angeles native Deon Goggins bleeds orange.
• USF backup Claude Davis already has three sacks. The Bulls get two games for fine-tuning before Big East play begins.
• Cecil Level has been special on special teams for West Virginia. Are expectations a bit high for the offense? WVU is still searching for offensive champions.

No. 22 USF breezed to a 37-7 win over Ball State, showing no signs of a letdown after an emotional week.

The Bulls came into the game off a big win at Notre Dame, but also mourning the loss of Lee Roy Selmon. Tributes to him were all over the place during the game, with his No. 63 on the field and on helmets. But USF was on from the start -- and has now outscored opponents 46-0 in the first half this season.

The Bulls ended up with 519 yards of total offense and a school-record 33 first downs. B.J. Daniels only played a few series in the second half before giving way to Bobby Eveld. Daniels finished with 359 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception. Darrell Scott and Demetris Murray each had one touchdown on the ground.

Ball State came into the game after an upset win over Indiana. The Cardinals run a high-tempo spread offense, but the USF defense stymied them. Ball State had 218 total yards and scored its lone touchdown in the fourth quarter with the USF backups in the game. Claude Davis had a huge game as well, with a forced fumble and sack.

South Florida's opening game against Stony Brook doesn't hold a lot of intrigue -- except that it's the first game for the Bulls under new head coach Skip Holtz. I caught up with Holtz this week to talk about where his team is on the eve of a new era.

What is your excitement level like as your first game with South Florida approaches?

Skip Holtz: I'm just excited to be here at game time. I didn't realize how excited I was until last week. Like everybody, you go "OK, this our dress rehearsal, we're going to treat this like our first game," and you go through everything, the schematics. Then all of a sudden you start talking about your press conference on Tuesday, your practice and everybody getting ready, and all of a sudden the excitement is really starting to grow that it's here. It's game time. I'm really excited to get started and to stand on the sideline and watch this team play.

Before fall camp you wanted to improve chemistry, and you took the team to Vero Beach for training camp to help with that. How has that process gone?

SH: I thought we had a great camp. Vero Beach was a home run as far as what we were trying to accomplish on offense and defense and bringing everybody together. I think we made some strides, and I'm anxious to see how this team responds when you get some type of adversity. That's the whole reason we went to Vero and got closer. We'll learn how much it paid off when we hit some adversity during the course of a season, or even during the course of a game.

Receiver and running back were the two biggest questions on this team heading into fall practice. Where do those positions stand now?

SH: Still question marks. [Laughs]. The only receiver who has any experience under his belt is Dontavia Bogan. You look at that position right now and it's made up of a bunch of guys who have been moved around. Evan Landi is a converted quarterback, Lindsey Lamar was a running back, Joel Miller was a running back, T.J. Knowles was a junior college player. So we really kind of piece-mealed that receiving group together.

I mention those guys, and Faron Hornes had a nice camp. He's done a good job for us and impressed me so far. And a young man who is a true freshman named Stephen Bravo-Brown has done a pretty good job. But only one of those seven guys I named has played, so you just don't know how any of them are going to respond when the lights come on and the stands are full and those types of things.

It's kind of the same situation at the running back position. Bradley Battles had a good fall camp for us and has done a lot of good things. Demetris Murray has had a good camp, and then there's a true freshman, Marcus Shaw, who I think is going to be a really good player. All of those guys will play, but it's the same situation we have at receiver -- just a lot of unknowns.

So is seeing how those guys respond in a game situation one of the biggest things for you in Week 1?

SH: That's going to be huge, especially with the opportunity to play here at home to open the season, and to see how some of these guys are going to respond. Because you look at the offensive line, and all five of those guys have played. B.J. Daniels got a lot of quality reps a year ago. On defense, we've got a lot of guys who have played some, not in starting roles, but guys like David Bedford and Craig Marshall and Terrell McClain, Jacquian Williams, Sam Barrington and Sabbath Joseph and Donte Spires. They're upperclassmen, at least in game experience.

Those positions that concern me the most, as far as not knowing what you're going to get, are obviously the receivers and the running backs. And we've got some young guys at linebacker and in the secondary who will be playing a lot as well. Guys like Mike Lanaris and DeDe Lattimore and Jon Lejiste. So I'm anxious to see this team play. They've been working hard, their attitude has been great, but I'm anxious to see how it comes together on game day.

With Florida on the schedule in Week 2, some coaches might keep things pretty close to the vest. But with so many young players and a new system, can you afford to hold things back in the opener?

SH: I said to the staff we've got to find a way to win the first one. We'll worry about the second one the second week. But right now we can't take anything for granted. It's not like we've got a veteran, seasoned team coming back that's been in this offense for four years, so we can say "Well, hold on that, hold on that. If we've got to put it in on game day we will." I mean, these are guys that have never stepped on the field before. I've got to imagine their eyes will be as big as their whole facemask.

You said earlier this week that you had a "no-name defense" that would have to do it by committee. That speaks, I guess, to inexperience, but does it also say you have some depth?

SH: I would say it's depth, but then I'd bring up the saying that if you have three tailbacks, that just means you don't have one great one. We've got a lot of depth, but at this point where we are it's more saying that we don't have a difference-maker. You lose two defensive ends like Jason Pierre-Paul and George Selvie, and those guys are hard to replace. We've got some young guys -- two freshmen in Ryne Giddins and Julius Forte, Patrick Hampton as a junior who's never really played, Claude Davis a junior college player who just got in here.

So you've got a lot of inexperience, and that's the word that keeps coming up with this team. On the D-line you've got Cory Grissom that's played very little, Anthony Hill that's played very little, Luke Sager that's played very little. Those guys have worked hard and bring value, and we'll have to play a lot of guys and get them experience. Because we just don't have that. I say it's like the no-name defense because we don't have the Pierre-Paul this year. We don't have that one guy who will be a difference-maker, so we have to do it by committee.

Are there guys you think will emerge and be a "name," so to speak?


SH: I think Terrell McClain as a defensive tackle is special. I think he's a legitimate player, something special. And then some of the young guys -- Sam Barrington, DeDe Lattimore, they can just run. They can really run. They have a tremendous amount of talent, but one's a redshirt freshman and one's a true sophomore. And then in the secondary, we've got good young guys like Jon Lejiste, and then we're talking about playing four corners.

So we'll just see which guys emerge and be it. Because we can scrimmage and say, "These guys will be it," but it's a close competition. And once you get on game day and guys start to gain game-time confidence, I think you may see some of those guys start to emerge.

Will you have a big pre-game speech prepared, or will you be more low key?

SH: It won't be anything rah-rah. I'll get with them a little bit Saturday. I've got to be careful because I think they'll be ready to play. Everybody is this time of year. They've been beating on each other for a month; now they're ready to go out and play and get in the stadium. You only get 12 of them. I'll be pretty calm on game day and won't have a lot to say. Most of mine is done in the preparation.

And then there were two ...

South Florida

Schedule: Practice starts Thursday at 3:30 p.m. After the first four practices on campus, the team moves to Vero Beach, Fla., for a two-week camp.

What’s new: As the slogan goes, "It's a Holtz new era." (Get it?) New coach Skip Holtz takes over and promises to deliver a different offense and a new way of doing things. Also, gone are several defensive stalwarts, like George Selvie, Jason Pierre-Paul and Nate Allen.

Key battle: Middle linebacker. Sam Barrington and Mike Lanaris were listed as co-starters after the spring. Barrington has the talent to be a star, but he's also had some recent off-the-field issues involving motor vehicle violations.

Sidelined: Receivers A.J. Love (knee) and Sterling Griffin (ankle) are out for at least the first month of the season.

New on the scene: Defensive lineman Claude Davis arrived in the spring and is hoping to have the same kind of immediate impact as Pierre-Paul, though that's a tall order. Kevin Gidrey, a fullback/tight end who played for Holtz at East Carolina, has the fastest track to playing time. Junior college import T.J. Knowles will be given a chance to make noise in the depleted receiving unit, and at 6-foot-8 he's intriguing to say the least.

Breaking out: Tailback-turned-slot-receiver Lindsey Lamar is one of the fastest players in the Big East, and Holtz plans to use the sophomore in a variety of ways to get him in open space.

Don’t forget about: Defensive end Ryne Giddins chose USF over Florida last year on the recruiting trail. He missed most of last season with an injury but is back and possibly ready to make an impact.

All eyes on: Quarterback B.J. Daniels is the unquestioned star of this team. He's healthy now after being limited in the spring with a shoulder problem.

Quoting: "We don't need to reinvent the wheel. It's not broke. There are just some things we need to tweak." -- Skip Holtz.

Here's the third part of a series looking at three players from each team who will burst onto the scene in the Big East. It could be an incoming or redshirt freshman, a transfer or just someone stepping into a new role.

Up today is South Florida:

Terrence Mitchell, CB: Mitchell represented a huge recruiting coup for Skip Holtz, who lured the standout away from Florida State just before signing day. Given South Florida's youth in the secondary, Mitchell -- whom ESPN's Scouts Inc. rated as the 12th best cornerback in the class of 2009 -- has an excellent chance of seeing early playing time and perhaps even starting right off the bat.

Claude Davis, DE: A big-time prospect from the junior college ranks, Davis enrolled in January and went through spring practice. At the two-year level, he recorded 18 sacks in two years. The 6-foot-4, 247-pound Davis would love to have the kind of first-year impact that Jason Pierre-Paul had last season at defensive end, but Pierre-Paul was a special case. Davis should find a significant role on the defense.

Curtis Weatherspoon, LB: Like Davis, Weatherspoon enrolled in January from junior college and got spring practice reps. He's currently listed as a backup linebacker after earning juco All-American honors at defensive back. Look for the 6-2, 205-pound Weatherspoon to break into the lineup on nickel and dime packages and provide depth at linebacker.

More fresh faces.

Rolling on with our post-spring position rankings in the Big East. We turn to the defense now and start up front with the linemen. Remember that depth matters as well as star power:

1. Pittsburgh: The Panthers had the best defensive line in the league a year ago, and that remains the case even without defensive tackle, and Big East co-defensive player of the year, Mick Williams. Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard are the best pair of defensive ends in the league, while tackles Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih are solid at tackle. There's depth, too, with emerging young players like Tyrone Ezell and Shayne Hale.

2. West Virginia: What was a thin position at times last year has become an area of strength for the Mountaineers. Chris Neild is a beast at nose tackle, while Scooter Berry and Julian Miller (nine sacks in '09) bring experience to the defensive end spots in the 3-3-5 scheme. Will Clarke looks like a future star, while junior college import Bruce Irvin is expected to add depth this summer.

3. Rutgers: Three of the four starters return, including senior Alex Silvestro and sophomore Scott Vallone. Jonathan Freeny should be ready for a starting role after recording nine sacks as a rush specialist a year ago, while Eric LeGrand, Justin Francis and redshirt freshmen Andre Civil and Isaac Holmes are around to provide excellent depth.

4. South Florida: Yes, George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul are gone. Still, new Bulls defensive coordinator Mark Snyder said the line had SEC-caliber depth this spring. Tackles Terrell McClain and Keith McCaskill and end Craig Marshall are the veterans of the group. If Ryne Giddins, Julius Forte and junior college star Claude Davis develop as expected, this line could be among the most feared in the league.

5. Connecticut: Kendall Reyes and Twyon Martin are moving into their third year as starters at tackle (though Martin found himself in the doghouse this spring). Promising sophomores Jesse Joseph and Trevardo Williams return at end along with Marcus Campbell, who missed last year because of academics. Getting converted linebacker Greg Lloyd back from knee surgery this summer would help provide depth, and UConn lacks some size on the edge.

6. Cincinnati: Derek Wolfe is an elite run-stopper in the middle, but the Bearcats will need improved production from Dan Giordano, John Hughes and Brandon Mills. Depth is a serious concern behind the starting unit.

7. Syracuse: Replacing Arthur Jones in the middle is no easy task. His younger brother, Chandler, could be ready to break out as a star defensive end after recording 10.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore. Mikhail Marinovich could join him in opposing backfields from the other end spot. This line held its own last year but lacks proven stars.

8. Louisville: The Cardinals' defensive line looked like a mess this spring, with no standout ends and lacked size and strength on the interior. Greg Scruggs was moved from end to tackle despite weighing just 270 pounds. It's been a couple of years since the Louisville defensive line truly could pressure opposing quarterbacks with any consistency; at least head coach Charlie Strong knows how to build a good defense.

Both Connecticut and South Florida released their post-spring depth charts late Monday. Let's take a quick peek at both.

Not a lot of surprises on the new UConn two-deep. One change is that former receiver Mike Lang is now backing up Kijuan Dabney at one of the safety spots as the Huskies continue to look for depth in their secondary. Despite missing the spring with an injury, Jesse Joseph maintains his No. 1 status at one of the defensive end spots, with Trevardo Williams and A.J. Portee neck-and-neck to back him up.

Twyon Martin, a two-year starter who had his work ethic questioned by Randy Edsall this spring, is listed as the co-starter along with Ryan Wirth at one of the defensive tackle spots. Marcus Aiken, who spent time this spring in the secondary, is back at receiver and listed as tied with Gerrard Sheppard for second at one of the wideout spots. Former heralded recruit Dwayne Difton is stuck at third string.

The Bulls' depth chart shows that plenty of competition will remain in fall camp, especially at linebacker. Sam Barrington and Mike Lanaris are listed as co-starters in the middle, with Sabbath Joseph and DeDe Lattimore tied atop the two-deep at weakside linebacker.

Sterling Griffin is listed as the starter at A.J. Love's old receiving spot after Love suffered an ACL injury in the spring game. Jerrell Young has edged ahead of Jon Lejiste at strong safety. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Ryne Giddins and juco import Claude Davis are each in a battle as backups at either defensive end spot.

Eric Schwartz is leading Maikon Bonani at kicker. Schwartz filled in ably last year as the team tried to replace Bonani, who injured his back in an amusement park accident.

Skip Holtz didn't want to form a depth chart before the first scrimmage at South Florida. Now that the Bulls have been through a scrimmage, Holtz released his first depth chart Monday. You can find it here. Of note:

• Lindsey Lamar has been moved from running back to receiver. He may be the fastest player on the team, and offensive coordinator Todd Fitch has said he wants to use Lamar in lots of different ways.

• Isaac Virgin has moved from tight end to fullback

• Jeremiah Warren has moved from tackle to guard, while Jamar Bass is now No. 1 at left tackle. The other offensive line spots are Sampson Genus at center, Chaz Hine at guard and Jake Sims at tackle.

• Eric Schwartz is ahead of Maikon Bonani at kicker.

• David Bedford and Craig Marshall top the depth chart at defensive end. Former top recruit Ryne Giddins and junior college hotshot Claude Davis are listed behind Bedford at one of the end spots.

TAMPA, Fla. -- No Big East team lost more talent on defense from last year's team than South Florida.

Don't believe it? Just ask the NFL. Five Bulls defenders were invited to the NFL combine, more than any other league team by far. Throw in another departed solid senior in linebacker Chris Robinson, and South Florida must replace not only its top playmakers but also more than half its starters.

That's the bad news. The good news is, while the defense may be extremely young this season, new coordinator Mark Snyder does not lack building blocks.

"There's talent there," Snyder said. "It's young talent. But you know what? Those other guys were young at some point in their career, too."

The most obvious holes to fill are at defensive end, where George Selvie starred three years and where Jason Pierre-Paul became a sensation in just one season. They were, in many ways, the faces of the defense.

Get ready for some new names.

Claude Davis hopes to take the same route as Pierre-Paul, from junior college to immediate superstar. Unlike Pierre-Paul, the 6-foot-4, 247-pound Davis enrolled early and is going through spring practice.

"He's athletic," Snyder said. "We've just got to teach him what to do. He's of the Selvie mode. He's running around crazy right now, but he does run around."

Ryne Giddins, the highest-rated recruit to sign with a Big East school in 2009, could emerge as the starter at the other end spot. Giddins played in three games last year before an ankle injury ended his season. Redshirt freshman Julius Forte and senior Craig Marshall are also in the mix, and South Florida has good experience and ability in the middle.

Snyder says the defensive line is "SEC-like" in its depth, and he's doing many of the same things that the previous coaching staff did up front. One difference is that the line will have a strong and weak side this year, so the ends will flip depending on how the offense lines up.

"That's a little bit of an adjustment, but other than that, it's the same," Marshall said. "[Selvie and Pierre-Paul] are a big loss, but I think we have people that can fill the void. We've got some playmakers at defensive end."

Snyder also likes the depth at linebacker, though the position is mostly young, too. He called senior Jacquain Williams -- a juco import who played in every game last year -- an "unbelievably pleasant surprise." Williams could start at the SAM, or strong side, linebacker. Sophomore Sam Barrington looks ticketed for the middle after an impressive freshman campaign.

The secondary, especially at cornerback, is a concern. Snyder says the Bulls are "young and thin" there, and that a newcomer -- with highly-touted freshman Terrence Mitchell being an obvious candidate -- likely will have to come in and contribute right away.

The defense lacks experience at most spots, but it still has South Florida's trademark: speed.

"It's hard to move and get after people when you don't have speed," Snyder said. "And we do have speed. We're going to have to get after people a little bit."

Experience is terrific, but nothing beats ability. Perhaps in a year or two, this defense will send a bunch of players to the NFL combine, too.

"As long as everybody is on the same page and gives good effort, there's no reason why we can't be a good defense," senior linebacker Sabbath Joseph said.

TAMPA -- Some practice observations ...

• Don't expect too much deep analysis here. The media was allowed to watch the first 30 minutes, which consisted of some running and jogging, some skeleton pass and defense drills and field goal units. There was no contact during that window, though it was good to see a Big East team on the field in pads for the first time this spring. And one thing hasn't changed: The Bulls still pass the eyeball test just standing around in their uniforms.

• It's impossible to miss B.J. Daniels in practice. The quarterback is wearing a bright red jersey that really stands out against the rest of the team's green and white tops. It was either that or a protective halo around him, I suppose. And during stretching, several coaches stopped by to check on Daniels to see how he was doing. There's no doubt the quarterback is the franchise.

• Speaking of which, Daniels threw along with walk-on quarterbacks Glenn Fagan and Eric Johnson, who are both new to the program. It has to be a strange time for the receivers, as the walk-ons deliver wobbly ducks and Daniels throws bullets. Daniels and his receivers were out of sync much of the time I watched them Monday. Remember, they're all learning new routes and a new offense, and this was only the fourth spring practice. South Florida has a lot of wideouts. But who is going to emerge as the go-to receiver on this team? That's a big question.
• Depth won't be a problem for the offensive line. It looks like there are lot of capable big bodies.

• It was hard to gauge much of anything about the defense as there was no contact during the viewing period. Junior-college transfer Claude Davis has an impressive frame and seems to run well. The most impressive player on defensive was Jason Pierre-Paul. He's working out with the team as he gets ready for the NFL draft, going through their drills in shorts and a T-shirt.

• Good to see Maikon Bonani back and kicking in practice. He looks like he's bulked up a little, too. The Bulls had two field goal units going at the same time, one located about 10 yards diagonally across from the other. I guess you never know when you need to practice running a double field-goal attempt.

• It's definitely a new era at South Florida. At one point, Skip Holtz came over to talk to a few people on the sidelines and started chatting about the upcoming Big East track meet, which will include a couple of his players. Jim Leavitt would have ripped somebody's head off if they tried to converse with him during practice.

• Initial, knee-jerk reaction of questionable value: This team has a lot of talent, as usual, but it's awfully young and has a lot of work to do to pick up the new system. That makes me wonder if the Bulls can contend for the Big East title in 2010. But it's only March 22.

• I'm heading back to for some post-practice interviews and will chat with the coordinators tomorrow. Look for some South Florida stories to be sprinkled in on the blog in the next several days.

Spring football in the Big East kicks off March 16. Here's a breakdown of three issues facing each program heading into the spring:

CINCINNATI
Spring practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 24
What to watch:

• Building depth: New coach Butch Jones said this is the biggest key for the spring. The Bearcats have a lot of top-flight players with starting experience back, like Zach Collaros, Armon Binns, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer. But there's a lot of youth and inexperience in potential backup roles, especially at positions like offensive line, linebacker and receiver. All slates are clean with the new coaching staff, and the spring will be a time when new names can emerge in key roles.

• Defensive line retooling: Jones will switch back to the 4-3 after a year in the 3-4 scheme. Both starting defensive ends from last year are gone, but the smallish line was overpowered at times near the end of the season anyway. Derek Wolfe should be a fixture inside, Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and John Hughes step into more prominent roles. Jones will have to decide whether to make Walter Stewart a defensive end or keep him at outside linebacker. The Bearcats could use a little more strength and bulk up front against the bigger Big East offensive lines.

• Vidal's arrival: USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is eligible after sitting out last year. He reputedly dominated practices last season, and now he'll get to go full time with the first string. A lot of people will be watching closely to see how he and Collaros connect during the spring. A big year by Hazelton will lessen the loss of star wideout Mardy Gilyard and could keep Cincinnati as the Big East's best offense.

CONNECTICUT
Spring practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 17
What to watch:

• Secondary matters: UConn returns a truckload of starters and looks rock solid in most areas. But the defensive backfield will be an area of emphasis starting in the spring. Gone are stalwarts Robert McClain and Robert Vaughn from a secondary that got picked apart much of the season by opposing passing games. Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson showed progress by the end of their redshirt freshmen seasons and should be the starting corners. The Huskies need someone to replace Vaughn at safety and overall better performance from the unit.

• Frazer vs. Endres: Zach Frazer and Cody Endres have been splitting starts since the second half of the 2008 season at quarterback. Endres took over early last year and played well until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Frazer picked things up late after a slow start. The competition should be back on this spring, with Frazer probably holding the edge given his late-season improvement.

• Catch as catch can: Receiver was a major question for UConn going into last spring, when walk-on senior Marcus Easley surprised everybody with his giant leap forward. He became the go-to guy in 2009, but now he's gone, along with starter Brad Kanuch. So the Huskies are basically back in the same position as this time a year ago, needing to find some reliable pass catchers. Kashif Moore may be the next to break out after some good, late-year performances. And perhaps former highly-touted recruit Dwayne Difton will emerge. UConn hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again like it did with Easley.

LOUISVILLE
Spring practice starts: March 24
Spring game: April 16
What to watch:

• Switching to Strong: The Cardinals will have their first practices under new coach Charlie Strong, who promises to bring a much different style than former coach Steve Kragthorpe. Strong is known as being an intense guy on the field, and as a former top-flight defensive coordinator, he will likely be particularly demanding of players on that side of the ball. There will be new terminology to learn, new assistants and new standards to which the Cardinals must adjust in a hurry.

• The quarterback shuffle: Louisville had three quarterbacks -- Adam Froman, Justin Burke and Will Stein -- start games last year. All three will be given the chance to win the job in the spring, and mid-year enrollee Luke Woodley might see some snaps as well. Don't be surprised if this competition goes into the fall and if other newcomers like Dominique Brown get a look. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford wants to run a Florida-style spread offense, which might favor the more mobile Froman if he chooses to go with a veteran under center.

• Line play: The trenches have not been a particularly strong suit for Louisville the past couple of seasons, one of the reasons why the program has fallen out of annual postseason play. The Cardinals have gotten very little pass rush from the defensive line and not enough of a consistent push from the offensive line. Strong asked the offensive linemen to rework their bodies to prepare for the spread, and he'll need replacements for two senior defensive tackles. Junior-college imports Randy Salmon and Tyler Harrell will have a chance to impress on the defensive line. If the holdovers don't step up, we could see more newcomers in key spots by the summer.

(Read full post)

If the 2009 Big East season taught us anything, it was that newcomers can have a big impact.

From offensive player of the year Dion Lewis to Tom Savage and Mohamed Sanu to Jason Pierre-Paul to Greg Paulus, new faces were having an impact all over the league. So which newcomers to the Big East should we be keeping an eye on this spring? Here are a few candidates:

• Vidal Hazelton, WR, Cincinnati: The USC transfer becomes eligible this season and could become an immediate star. He's got size, at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, and wowed onlookers at practice last year. Hazelton could help make sure the Bearcats don't miss a beat on offense this season without Mardy Gilyard.
• Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia: The Mountaineers need some depth up front defensively, and Clarke should be able to help out after a redshirt year. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Pittsburgh native can use this spring to push for playing time at defensive end before highly regarded junior college transfer Bruce Irvin arrives this summer.
• Darrell Givens, CB, Rutgers: Givens was an ESPNU 150 recruit who came to Rutgers after not being admitted to Penn State last year. He spent the 2009 season redshirting as the Scarlet Knights had Devin McCourty. Now may be Givens' time to shine with both McCourty and Billy Anderson gone. Also keep an eye on Logan Ryan, a fellow redshirt freshman corner who was neck and neck with Givens in practice sessions last year.
• Claude Davis, DE, South Florida: The next Pierre-Paul? OK, that's expecting too much of anyone. But like the Bulls' one-year wonder, Davis was a junior college standout with excellent measurables (6-foot-4, 250 pounds). Unlike his predecessor, Davis enrolled in January and will get a full spring under his belt before entering major college football. And with Pierre-Paul and George Selvie both off to the NFL, there is ample playing time available.
• Devin Street, WR, Pittsburgh: Street wasn't one of Pitt's more heralded recruits from the class of 2009, but he won rave reviews last season as a member of the scout team. This spring provides an opportunity for the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder to show he's ready to become an option behind Jonathan Baldwin and Mike Shanahan in the Pitt passing game.

South Florida found success by going to the junior college ranks for defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul this season. The Bulls are hoping for similar luck with two new junior college defenders.

The Bulls announced that defensive end Claude Davis and linebacker Curtis Weatherspoon had signed letters of intent and will enroll in January so they can participate in spring practice.

Davis is a 6-foot-4, 247-pounder who will be asked to bolster the defensive end position. The Bulls lose senior George Selvie and quite possibly Pierre-Paul, who is being projected as a high-round draft pick. Pro Football Weekly named Pierre-Paul a first-team All-American on Monday.

"Claude's a great athlete with excellent speed and quickness," USF defensive line coach John Hendrick said. "He has great ability to rush the passer and is a relentless pursuer of the football."

Weatherspoon, who played at Valdosta (Ga.) High School before going to junior college, is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound outside linebacker. Bulls leading tackler Kion Wilson, a senior middle linebacker, also came over from junior college.