ESPN College Football

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just about wherever Devin McCourty went last year, David Rowe made sure to follow.

Rowe wanted to soak up all the knowledge he could from Rutgers' star cornerback and future first-round NFL draft pick.

"He taught me all the little things," Rowe said. "Not big things like scheme, but just how to win those one-on-one battles and how receivers want to leverage you. It was all about the mentality of football."

Rowe also was McCourty's roommate the night before games and would lean on the veteran to help calm his nerves, especially before Rowe made his first career start against Florida International.

"He said all the right things to calm me down," Rowe said. "He'd say, 'Just go out there and have fun. Love what you're doing.'"

Flash forward to this season, and now it is Rowe who's the experienced Scarlet Knights cornerback. He's the one ready to give advice to younger players -- and Rutgers hopes, to play as well as McCourty did.

The junior recently was named as the team's best draft-eligible pro prospect by Mel Kiper. At 6-foot and 196 pounds, he's got excellent size for a corner and showed good coverage skills last season after moving into that starting role early. He had been a nickelback before that.

"That was a big step for me going, from nickel to outside, basically on an island," he said. "Each game throughout the year, I got better and more comfortable."

Rowe said he felt like he belonged when he grabbed his first career interception against Texas Southern and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown. He also had a pick against UConn.

The Rutgers secondary is young but talented, with redshirt freshman Logan Ryan battling Brandon Bing for the starting job at the other corner spot. Promising youngsters such as Darrell Givens, Brandon Jones and Lorenzo Waters make sure the defensive backfield is in good hands for the future.

"I think the secondary can expect a lot of big things this year," Rowe said. "We know the defense and what the offense wants to do to us. I think we can play with a lot of teams in the country."

And if any of the younger players need advice or a word of reassurance, Rowe is happy to pay back the favor.

Let's continue 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.

Rutgers, come on down:

Casey Turner and Jawan Jamison, RB: Coach Greg Schiano is hoping to inject some explosiveness into the running game, and incoming freshmen backs Turner and Jamison promise just that. They'll both be given a long look this fall camp, and if one or both of them proves ready to play early, don't be surprised if they're given some significant handoffs even with veteran tailback Joe Martinek returning.

Logan Ryan, CB: The redshirt freshman ended the spring listed as a backup at corner, but he showed enough promise that he could eventually overtake Brandon Bing as the starter. Along with fellow redshirt freshman Darrell Givens, Ryan could be a star cornerback for a long time in this league.

Tim Wright, WR: Wright didn't catch a single ball last year as a sophomore but was one of the biggest standouts of the spring. At 6-foot-4, he's a big target with plenty of speed, and he appears to have figured things out now. Pairing him with Mohamed Sanu and Mark Harrison could give Rutgers one of the best receiving groups in the league.

More fresh faces.

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.

Several teams went through full-scale scrimmages on Saturday as spring practice draws closer to its conclusion. Here are some notes from several of those scrimmages:

Louisville

The Cardinals' offense played well again in Saturday's 120-play scrimmage after a slow start. With Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright sidelined, Bilal Powell ripped off some long runs and finished with 169 total yards. Josh Chichester caught a pair of touchdowns. Adam Froman was 11-of-14 for 98 yards.

But the offense also struggled with the quarterback-center exchange and committed three turnovers, including Justin Burke's pick in the red zone to Zed Evans.

Pittsburgh

Dion Lewis only played about 30 seconds, and Ray Graham was out with an injury. In their absence, Chris Burns ran for 89 yards and three touchdowns. Burns could play for a lot of teams, but you can't sit Lewis.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Paul Zeise has lots of good observations from the scrimmage and says Greg Cross, Devin Street and Tyrone Ezell were among those who stood out.

The offensive line and secondary remain concerns for Dave Wannstedt.

Rutgers

Saturday's 150-play scrimmage was the first full-scale one of the spring for the Scarlet Knights, and it was a rough day for the offense.

Rutgers didn't produce a touchdown except during goal-line drills. Darrell Givens, who let a kickoff sail past him for a touchdown on the very first play, redeemed himself with a 49-yard pick six off Steve Shimko. Tom Savage was just 7-of-14 for 54 yards, though he was working through a sore thigh on a windy day. Shimko was just 8-of-21 with two interceptions, highlighting a concern if Savage gets hurt this season.

The offensive line, which is going through a major upheaval, struggled to protect either QB. The defense is obviously pretty far ahead of the offense right now.

South Florida

The Bulls held their final scrimmage before this week's spring game, a 170-play workout at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice facility.

Skip Holtz liked the work of running back Demetris Murray, who's making a push for playing time and Lindsey Lamar, who's adjusting to a new role at receiver. Receiver Dontavia Bogan, cornerback Daniel Bryant and linebacker Michael Lanaris also stood out.

Offensive linemen Mark Popek (hip) and Chaz Hine (foot) suffered minor injuries but are expected back soon. With Zach Hermann ending his career because of a neck injury, the Bulls can't afford many more injuries along the line.

Syracuse

The Orange went through a full-contact, 18-series scrimmage on Saturday. Ryan Nassib was 14-of-28 for 151 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while backup Charley Loeb went 19-of-28 for 215 yards and three scores. Delone Carter ran 15 times for 75 yards and a score.

Hofstra transfer Aaron Weaver had a pair of touchdown grabs and 88 receiving yards, looking like he intends to be a major contributor this season. Linebacker Derrell Smith scored on a 95-yard interception return.

This Part II of my interview with Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. You can read Part I here.

On the defensive line, you lost a couple of guys but it seems like one of your most experienced units overall. How do you feel about that group?


GS: I like the group of guys we have there. I think there is experience and there's a lot of young guys we've redshirted, which is something we've never been able to do with our defensive line position, and that's going to be critical for depth. We have Scott Vallone and Charlie Noonan and Eric LeGrand, and those three guys as a group are probably the best we've had on the inside since we've been here.

And then you look at the outside, and there's [Alex] Silvestro and [Jonathan] Freeny and [Justin] Francis. We're going to be able to roll some guys and we've got good young guys that we redshirted. And when you start with defense, it starts with your front. So if these guys can perform the way that I believe they will, it's going to give us a chance.

So you think defensive line is where we might see some young guys make an impact this spring and fall?


GS: We roll eight guys and sometimes 10 guys through the front. So a lot of different guys will be out there in any given game. So hopefully some of those guys I talked about that we redshirted, you look for those guys and say can they come in and give you 15, 18, 20 plays a game? What a big help that is, when you get to the fourth quarter and you have to rush the passer. If your best and most experienced guys are 18-to-20 plays fresher, that's going to lead to some good things.

At linebacker, Ryan D'Imperio and Damao Munoz are gone, but you still have some experience and Steve Beauharnais, who really came on late as a true freshman. How good can he be?


GS: I think it's a good mix because we have experience with [Antonio] Lowery and Manny [Abreu] and then we have Steven, who the last half of the year got more action. And Steven is really a talented football player. And I think Ka'Lial Glaud is a guy you're really going to see figure into the mix. He played on all our special teams last year, he was a highly-recruited kid and he has the leadership, toughness and all those things a linebacker needs. So I think it's going to be a good mix there, and again, it's easier to play when you're playing behind a good front.

You lost Devin McCourty at cornerback. How do you replace a guy that valuable, and do you need some younger guys to step up at that position?


GS: We have some experienced guys in David Rowe and Brandon Bing who played a lot of football for us. David started from Week 3 on. He had played a lot for us as a nickelback his freshman year and then started nine games his sophomore year, so he brings a lot of experience. Brandon played a lot, mostly in third-down situations in sub packages. And then we have a bunch of young kids that we redshirted -- [Darrell] Givens, [Brandon] Jones, [Logan] Ryan, [Abdul] Smith -- those guys were all very good prospects coming out of high school, and now is their chance.

The thing I like is, we have two experienced guys in front of them. So if they don't come on quickly enough, hopefully the experienced guys give you a little buffer. Brandon Jones played the latter part of the year and played well -- he had an interception in the South Florida game -- and did some good things at the nickelback spot. So I think we've done a good job recruiting that position and we've been able to create some depth. It's always nice when you can roll guys in there gradually rather than be forced to play them.

But you're right. You don't replace Devin. He did so many things. There was one game where I think he played 110 plays, special teams and defense. That's two players.

Joe Lefeged is one of your few seniors back there at safety. Is he a guy you're counting on for leadership?


GS: Without a doubt. Joe has been a playmaker since the day he walked on campus. He's an impact guy and he's incredibly talented. He's grown up as a leader, and he's a guy we look to lead that secondary. And I really like the young guys. Khaseem Greene and Deron Harmon, those guys all played last year, and Pat Kivlehan.

So I think defensively, we've got a chance. We were a top 20 defense in most categories a year ago, and we've got a lot of the same guys back. We've been running this defense now for five years, which is a long time. So these guys have heard it over and over again, and I think we're starting to get to where systematically and programmatically, the defense is beginning to create some tradition. That's important when you try to build something.

How about the coaching staff? You replaced three guys, though a couple of them have been with you before. How is the chemistry there so far?


GS: I think this is the best coaching staff I've had here in the nine years I've been at Rutgers. Randy Melvin and Phil Galiano were here before as coaches, so they know exactly what we do here. As always, things evolve so they've got to get caught up on some things. But more importantly, I know them as people and as coaches, so that helps. P.J. Fleck, who's going to coach the wide receivers, I've been very pleased with him in the short time he's been here. I think he's an excellent football coach and a neat guy to be around because he has a lot of energy. Robb Smith did a very good job last year running the special teams for the first time, and we showed marked improvement. I like the staff. In Year 10, it's nice when you like the staff and feel comfortable with it.

With such a young team, do you change the way you run spring practice? Or do you run it the same way you would with a more veteran team?


GS: We're going to do a couple different things, not because they're young but because when you've been some place 10 years -- this is our 10th spring -- you've got to shake some things up a little bit just to keep it fresh. And I think this team needs some different things. The neat thing about college football is every team has its own identity each year, and we're still trying to figure out ours. I think one thing is, we've got to do some hard-nosed, tough things this spring and get tougher. We've worked on it all offseason in our winter program, and I think we need to continue it in the spring. We're going to do a lot of different things, but one thing we're never going to get away from is being a hard-nosed Northeast football team.

Does that mean more hitting in practice, or just other kinds of drills?

GS: Maybe a little more hitting. We scrimmage a lot already, and when we scrimmage they bring you lunch so it's a pretty good day. Maybe little more individual stuff, knocking each other around a little bit. We'll be putting them in positions that really challenge them a little more than maybe when you have an experienced team.

You found some success last year using the Wildcat with Mohamed Sanu. Is that something we can expect to see a lot of again this year?


GS: It will definitely be a component of the offense, no doubt about it. You have to make sure you don't overdo anything. I think it's been a big weapon of a lot of people in college and pro football and I don't see that changing. The thing about the Wildcat is it changes the numbers offensively. You only have 11 guys and all of a sudden you have a guy who takes the snap and is an eligible runner. It's the reason people ran option football and do the zone read stuff, and the Wildcat is no different. It's an opportunity to tilt the numbers in the offense's favor.

It will be a part of our offense; it'll never be 50 percent or more, that kind of a deal. But I think we're blessed with a guy who can do it and do it very well in Mohamed, and the thing that makes him a little different is, he legitimately can throw the ball. He did that a few times but I think we'll do that a lot more. When you can throw the ball, that changes the dynamic of it in a big way.

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)

Spring practice is just around the corner, and that means it's time to start looking at two-deeps and position battles. While some players know what their roles will be in the fall, others will begin heated competitions for playing time during spring drills in hopes of impressing their coaches. Here are a few position battles worth watching this spring in the Big East:

• Pittsburgh quarterback: Pitt may well be the preseason Big East favorite, but the Panthers have to figure out their quarterback situation first. Sophomore Tino Sunseri came close to winning the job in a heated three-way battle last year and settled in as Bill Stull's backup. Pat Bostick, however, has improved his mechanics and has won big games in the past. This should be a good competition that might not be settled until the fall.

• Louisville quarterback: Three players -- Justin Burke, Adam Froman and Will Stein -- all started games under center for the Cardinals, and none of the trio distinguished himself as heads and shoulders above the rest. Whoever wins the job in the spring might not necessarily be the guy in the fall, as new coach Charlie Strong is bringing in some promising freshmen quarterbacks as well.

• South Florida running back: Skip Holtz has suggested he'd like to have a real No. 1 tailback, something the Bulls haven't had in a long time. Mike Ford had a huge game against Northern Illinois in the International Bowl and may finally be ready to assume that go-to-guy role as a senior. Last year's starter, Mo Plancher, is trying to get a sixth year of eligibility. Sophomore Lindsey Lamar will push for the job, as well as possibly Jamar Taylor and several newcomers.

• Rutgers receiver and cornerback: Like last year, the Scarlet Knights go into the spring with one proven wideout (this time, Mohamed Sanu) and a bunch of question marks. It's time that someone from the group including Julian Hayes, Tim Wright, Keith Stroud and Marcus Cooper separate himself. At corner, Rutgers needs a replacement for Devin McCourty. Will a guy like Brandon Bing step forward, or will one of two redshirt freshmen -- Darrell Givens and Logan Ryan -- make a move in the spring?

• Cincinnati's defensive front seven: With a new coaching staff and probably a change back to a 4-3 scheme, the Cincinnati players have basically been told they're back to square one this spring. Add to that fact that both defensive ends and two starting linebackers were seniors this past season, and there are a lot of jobs up for grabs. The constants appear to be defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, linebacker JK Schaffer and Walter Stewart, who could either play linebacker or on the line. After that, it's one big competition.

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.

The final ESPNU 150 rankings are out, but if you're a Big East fan, the Scouts Inc. list of the nation's top high school prospects can't get you too excited.

There is only one player among the top 150 currently committed to a Big East school. That defensive tackle and South Florida recruit Todd Chandler, who's ranked No. 67.

Several prospects in the top 150 remain uncommitted, but only four are officially listed as considering a Big East school. They are receiver Adrian Coxson (No. 101) and receiver Ivan McCartney (109), who are considering West Virginia; receiver Willis Wright (121), who's being courted by Rutgers and the Mountaineers; and cornerback Terence Mitchell (144), who's looking at USF.

Last year, the Big East signed five players from the 2009 ESPNU 150 -- Rutgers cornerback Darrell Givens (61), South Florida defensive end Ryne Giddins (64), West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith (97), Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage (125) and Rutgers defensive lineman Antwan Lowery (134). Of those, only Savage had a major impact this past season, though Smith played the majority of two games in place of an injured Jarrett Brown.

These rankings don't always mean that much. For example, last year Dion Lewis was rated the 81st best running back in the country. Um, yeah. Pitt defensive end Greg Romeus -- who was co-defensive player of the year in 2009 -- received a scouts' grade of 40 out of high school, basically meaning he was chopped liver.

Still, the ESPNU 150 list shows that the nation's top programs are hording talent, and the Big East has to continue to do a great job of identifying and developing players to compete at the highest levels.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Former Penn State signee Darrell Givens has officially enrolled at Rutgers and will be eligible for the start of practice tomorrow, head coach Greg Schiano announced this afternoon.

Givens was an ESPNU 150 recruit in the Class of 2009 and was ranked as the nation's sixth-best cornerback by Scouts Inc. He was denied admission to Penn State this summer even though he had been cleared academically by the NCAA.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder could compete for a starting job right away.

"I think he'll pick it up pretty quickly," Schiano said.

Givens gives Rutgers three ESPNU 150 recruits in this year's class, which is the most in the Big East.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

I haven't written about this yet because of the hubbub of media day and the fact that our recruiting guys had it covered.

But it now looks like star cornerback and one-time Penn State signee Darrell Givens will be at Rutgers' first practice next week. Givens' high school coach told Tom Luicci of The Star-Ledger that the Scarlet Knights were merely awaiting his high school transcripts to clear him academically.

"It's just a matter of the paperwork now," said Doug Lamb. "He's eligible according to the NCAA. I'm not really sure what happened at Penn State. I think there was a communications mix up. But the paperwork is supposed to be done shortly. Then you will see him at Rutgers."

Givens was an ESPNU 150 recruit and was ranked as the nation's sixth-best cornerback in the class of 2009. Penn State denied him admission this summer even though he had qualified academically. Givens spent the summer re-taking an English course to raise his core GPA but got a call from the Nittany Lions last week informing him he would not be admitted.

Here's part of the Scouts Inc. evaluation on Givens:

Givens may need some technique refinement, but he is one of the more athletic and instinctive cornerbacks in his class. He has good size--a tall, rangy frame--and knows how to use it. Shows the quick feet and fluid hips to mirror receivers off the line and in and out of their breaks. Can step up and be physical in press coverage and demonstrates excellent technique in man-to-man.

Obviously, this would be a big pickup for Rutgers, which is looking to replace Jason McCourty at one of the starting cornerback spots. Don't be surprised if Givens comes in and wins that job.