ESPN College Football

• UConn's Johnny McEntee was stunned by the immediate popularity of his trick-shot viral video.
• Pittsburgh is making Texas a new recruiting home base thanks to its staff's connections to the Lone Star State.
• Syracuse's defensive staff changes are aimed in part at helping stop spread offenses.
• Tate Forcier's transfer to Miami may have rendered the whole Tom Savage-to-the-Hurricanes debate moot.
• Devin McCourty exceeded everyone's expectations -- including his own -- during his first NFL season.

• Syracuse lost another scholarship player and two walk-ons, though its numbers should go up next month.
• West Virginia will have a new look on special teams this year.
• The Mountaineers got a commitment from a Florida receiver.
• UConn's season-ticket number is at 24,500.
• Devin McCourty has agreed to terms with the New England Patriots

As expected, three Big East players were drafted in the first round. That still qualified as big news for two league schools.

Rutgers' Anthony Davis went 11th to San Francisco, the highest draft pick in school history. Devin McCourty later joined him in the first round when New England took him No. 27 overall. The Scarlet Knights' only other first-round pick in their history came last year with Kenny Britt.

Rutgers is the first Big East school with two first-round picks in the same draft since Miami and Virginia Tech in 2004.

Former University of South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul made history tonight when he was selected with the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL draft by the New York Giants, becoming USF’s highest draft pick ever and the 12th selection in USF history.

Meanwhile, Jason Pierre-Paul became South Florida's highest-ever draftee when he went to the New York Giants at No. 15. The Bulls have only one other first-rounder in their short history, and that's 2008 selection Mike Jenkins, who was taken with the 25th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Big East's three first-round selections were one more than the Pac-10, the same as the Big Ten and one fewer than the ACC. And of course, the Big East has fewer teams than any of those leagues.

Unless you've been living in a cave the past three months, you know it's NFL Draft time. (And even then, I've bet at least one mock draft made it to your underground dwelling).

Anyway, the first round is tonight at 7:30 in New York City (on ESPN, naturally). Let's look at the potential first-rounders from the Big East:

Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers: Davis had a disappointing junior year and he had some ups and downs during the scouting process. But none of that changes the fact that he's 6-foot-5, 325 pounds and wildly athletic at left tackle. Those types of guys just don't come around very often, which is why someone will take him early. Todd McShay currently pegs him a No. 8 to the Oakland Raiders, which is a fate I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Pierre-Paul might be the biggest risk/reward guy in the first round. There's little doubt he has incredible upside or physical tools. However, he played only one year of major college football and is incredibly raw. Some NFL team will have to hope he loves the game and is willing to work at it; his potential, though is too much to ignore. McShay has him going 14th to the Seattle Seahawks.

Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers: McCourty is being pegged as a late first-round pick, and I think whatever team lands him is going to be very happy. McCourty is a terrific corner but also an extremely versatile player who can do a bunch of things on special teams. And there will be no questions about his character or leadership; Rutgers coaches could not say enough good things about McCourty and what he meant to their team. McShay has him going No. 30 to the Minnesota Vikings, which would be a great situation for McCourty to walk into a team built to win now.

That should do it for the Big East in round one. South Florida safety Nate Allen has occasionally had his name mentioned as a late fist-rounder, but it looks more likely that he'll go in the second round unless a team really likes him.

Three first-round picks would match the number for the Big East last year. Rutgers had its first-ever, first rounder last year in Kenny Britt, and now the Scarlet Knights look to double the total from their previous 141 years.

• Latwan Anderson's decision to go to Miami based on image may be somewhat troubling for West Virginia, but it's no big surprise, Bob Hertzel writes in the Times West Virginian.
• Mardy Gilyard and Tony Pike had nice performances at Cincinnati's pro day, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer. And here's some video from the event.
• The Home News Tribune's Keith Sargeant has more on Tim Brown's rocky pro day at Rutgers.
• In their latest mock drafts, Mel Kiper has Jason Pierre-Paul seventh, while Todd McShay lists him 17th. Anthony Davis is 18th in Kiper's draft and 23rd in McShay's. And Devin McCourty is 30th in Kiper's.

Rutgers players went through their pro day on Wednesday, with 35 scouts and whoever wanted to watch via the Internet looking on.

It wasn't a great day for wideout Tim Brown, who didn't receive an NFL combine invite and probably needed a good workout. Brown measured in at just 5-foot-6 and 3/4 inches and 151 pounds. He had been listed at 5-8 during his college career. His actual size makes what he accomplished at Rutgers even more impressive, but it doesn't exactly thrill tape-measure obsessed scouts.

And Brown, who had been dealing with an ankle injury, ran just a 4.52 and a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash.

Rutgers' two possible first-rounders, Devin McCourty and Anthony Davis, did most of their work at the combine. Davis didn't do any drills Wednesday, while McCourty focused only on position work.

Center Ryan Blaszczyk had the best performance on the bench press, hoisting 225 pounds 31 times. Fullback Jack Corcoran, who weighed in nearly 70 pounds less than Blaszczyk, managed to 30 reps.

Linebacker Ryan D'Imperio had a nice day, running a respectable 4.65 in the 40 and showing off good athleticism in the other drills. He also worked some at fullback. Defensive lineman George Johnson measured in at 6-foot-4 and 3/8 and 268 pounds and put in some time at linebacker.

You can view the complete Rutgers pro day results here.

If you need a football fix, you can watch former Rutgers players work out for the NFL scouts today.

The Scarlet Knights' Pro Day will be broadcast live on Scarlet Knights.com beginning at 1:50 p.m. Here is the list of players who are participating:

Blair Bines

Ryan Blaszczyk

Pat Brown

Tim Brown

Jack Corcoran

Anthony Davis (will not participate in every drill)

Andrew DePaola

Ryan D’Imperio

Shamar Graves

Kevin Haslam

George Johnson

Stephante Kent

Zaire Kitchen

Jabu Lovelace

Devin McCourty (will not participate in every drill)

Damaso Munoz

McCourty and Davis each worked out at the NFL combine and are considered potential first-round picks.

Thanks for the many great submissions on the gameday traditions series. Only three schools left, and they may be the most difficult ones to find a lot of traditions. So help me out if you can, fans of Syracuse, South Florida and UConn.

Let's get to a few e-mails while dreaming of spring:

Maurice from Farmington writes: What I am reading and hearing is that the Big 10 will make Rutgers an offer. My question: can the Big East survive another raid?

Brian Bennett: I'm glad you bring this up, Maurice, because I've heard this talk a lot. And I think it's way overblown. Yes, if the Big East loses a team, it would be a big blow. But let's assume for now that the Big Ten takes one and only one team. And if it's Rutgers, well, the Big East would hate to lose that presence in New Jersey/New York. But let's be frank: Rutgers has never won a Big East title in football, and its men's basketball team is terrible. Do you think Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse, et al would just decide to close up shop because Rutgers was no longer in the league? Unless other conferences choose to expand and poach, the Big East would remain viable and would just have to add another team or two. Remember the ACC raid took three programs, and Miami and Virginia Tech were much stronger then than Rutgers is now.

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Sean P. from Tampa writes: I'm an alumnus from USF and a diehard Bulls fan. I'm very passionate on all this expansion talk; please give me one good reason why the Big East shouldn't drop Seton Hall, Providence, DePaul, and Notre Dame. Then add Memphis, UCF, East Carolina, and Marshall. By adding UCF you get more Florida recruits for the conference and renew the rivalry with UCF and USF. By adding Marshall you refuel that passionate rivalry with WVU. Memphis brings prominence to basketball and East Carolina has a decent enough football team to do well in the conference.

Then if the Big Ten takes a team from the Big East we can do everything we can to get Boston College or Kentucky. I know it would be hard to draw them away from the money but they aren't accomplishing anything by being in those conferences. Then split the conference between the North and the South and boom, you have a championship game.

Brian Bennett: I'm not sold on Marshall being anywhere near ready to field a BCS program, and Memphis is a long way off, too. I think we all know why Providence isn't going anywhere soon; the school has some, ahem, strong advocates in the Big East office. But I've said for a while now that adding DePaul was a mistake that needs to be corrected, and Seton Hall adds very little to the table. I see no reason to drop Notre Dame; the Irish are a terrific draw in all sports besides football and help with the bowl bids. So, I'd amend your plan and add UCF and East Carolina while dropping DePaul and Seton Hall. That gets you to nine football members if one bolts for the Big Ten, helping scheduling. And the basketball would remain at 16.

Sean P. and I would now like to collect our $50,000 consulting fee.

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Zach from Baltimore writes: Love blog and keep up the good work. Anyways I have a question on the gameday traditions. How did "Sweet Caroline" a Pitt "tradition?" Um, isn't that a Red Sox tradition dating back a whole lot further than Pitt? What's next? Are they gonna steal the rock-touching thing from Clemson and call it a Pitt "tradition"? Maybe they should start chanting "Rock Chalk, JayPanther" and call it a Pitt tradition as well. Doesn't the word in and of itself imply something invented by their own fans for a long period of time?

Brian Bennett: I thought this e-mail was very funny. I'll restrain from poking fun, but Pitt fans feel free to defend yourselves below. As a Red Sox fan myself, I have to point out that the "Sweet Caroline" tradition at Fenway Park isn't very old either and also makes almost no sense. But it is a catchy song, even when my friend Greg sings it with an evil baritone on karaoke nights.

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Juan F. from Lafayette, La., writes: You had a small piece on how well Devin McCourty did at the combine. Well this note on a blog on NFL.com suggests he might have done even better than credited for. "McCourty ran unofficial hand-held 40 times of 4.34 and 4.35, but his official electronic time came in at a much slower 4.48."

Brian Bennett: Thanks for the tip, Juan. I think all of us who watched McCourty play at Rutgers thought he would run better than a 4.48. Any scout who's paying attention knows he's a special talent.

The NFL combine wrapped up on Tuesday, and as far as Big East defensive players go, it appears Jason Pierre-Paul and Devin McCourty solidified their status as potential first-rounders.

Pierre-Paul, the former South Florida defensive end, impressed with all his physical tools as expected, Todd McShay says.

"[He] measured just shy of 6-5 and at 270 pounds was a little heavier than we expected. That's a good thing, though, because there are some concerns about his ability to hold up against the run. He also has the kind of length that makes scouts salivate with 34-3/4 arms and 10-3/8 hands.

"What makes Pierre-Paul so special, though, is his best-in-class quickness. He ran a 4.67 and moved very well for his size, the kind of tools that give him the potential to be a dominant pass-rusher at the next level. His bench press was only 19 reps and he needs to develop his upper-body strength, but Pierre-Paul has a very high ceiling."

McCourty, the former Rutgers star cornerback, ran a 4.48 in the 40, which tied for fifth among corners. He was also sixth in the broad jump and second in the three-cone drill.

"We learned that Rutgers CB Devin McCourty is a quiet kid who doesn't draw much attention to himself when we got a chance to sit down with him at the Senior Bowl," Scouts Inc. analyst Steve Muench writes. "McCourty may not be flashy, but he handles his business and is showing he is worth considering late in the first round. McCourty officially ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds, and he looked fluid changing directions during drills, just like he did in Mobile."

South Florida corner Jerome Murphy, who had an up-and-down senior season, impressed in some of the workouts. His 10 foot, seven-inch broad jump was one of the best of all the players who participated in Indianapolis. He also finished second among corners in the 20-yard shuttle drill. Former teammate and Bulls safety Nate Allen didn't run because of a quadriceps injury.

The players will now move on to their pro day workouts at their individual campuses. South Florida will hold its pro day on Friday.

Here are a few links to help you finish out the work day:

• I've got to say I've been very entertained by Cincinnati coach Butch Jones' blog, whether he's actually doing it or someone else is in charge. The blog is offering some inside looks at the Bearcats' winter conditioning, including the team testing and Super Bowl champ Troy Evans' address to the players. Up today: a video of the post-workout tug-o-war contest.
• Here's a mock draft that has Jason Pierre-Paul going third, with Anthony Davis and Devin McCourty also in the first round. Remember that Kenny Britt was Rutgers' first-ever first-rounder last year, and now many sites are predicting two Scarlet Knights' first-rounders this year.
• NFL.com's Pat Kirwan lists Pierre-Paul and Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike among his 10 players to watch at the combine.
• Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney was in Bristol today and gives this interview about the always-intriguing topic of expansion. Delaney insisted that there will be nothing but internal discussion about potential new league members for quite some time but did say the Big Ten may know the direction it wants to go by June.
• NESN.com's Rob Lunn picks UConn to win the Big East this year. Of course, he's a little biased, having played for the Huskies. But his reasoning is not far off.

• Rutgers stars Anthony Davis and Devin McCourty took different paths to the NFL combine, which starts today, Tara Sullivan writes for the Bergen Record.
• Mardy Gilyard has been getting ready, as he details in this Q&A with his hometown paper.
• The Syracuse Post-Standard's Bud Poliquin is no fan of the combine and its silliness.
• Lots of good South Florida info here in Greg Auman's St. Petersburg Times notebook. He also reports that an NC State receiver is looking to transfer to USF.
• SI.com's Kris Dyer attended a New Jersey recruiting event and has information about some potential prospects for Rutgers, West Virginia and Pitt.
• The Times West Virginian's Bob Hertzel wonders what Rich Rodriguez was in a hurry to shred when he left West Virginia for Michigan.

Good news for Rutgers fans who need a winter dose of football.

For the first time in school history, the Scarlet Knights will broadcast the team's pro day activities on its Web site, ScarletKnights.com. The broadcast will air March 10 at 2 p.m. and will show 16 former Rutgers players performing drills for scouts, including the 40-yard dash, 225-pound bench press, broad jump, vertical jump, three-cone drill, flexibility tests and individual position testing.

Greg Schiano and former stars Ray Rice, Jeremy Zuttah, Jamaal Westerman and Kevin Malast will be among the guests on the broadcast. Among the Rutgers hopefuls who will be working out are offensive tackle Anthony Davis and cornerback Devin McCourty, each of whom have a shot at being first-round draft picks.

It used to be that only scouts and maybe a handful of media members got to watch pro day workouts. But now with this and NFL combine performances being shown live, there's more access than ever before. All of which serves to feed an insatiable appetite for football of any kind, even if it's just guys running and jumping in shorts and T-shirts.

A postseason ranking of the Big East's top 30 players ...

No. 8

Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers, Sr.

Preseason rank: NR

Why him here: McCourty had not been properly appreciated, at least by me, going into the season. Maybe that's because he played his first three years alongside his twin brother, Jason, who's now in the NFL.

But in 2009, Devin stood out on his own. He showed himself as the best cornerback in the Big East, an outstanding cover guy who also finished second on the team with 80 tackles. Though he had but one interception, his 10 pass breakups ranked second in the league.

If that weren't enough, he was also a special-teams dynamo, blocking two kicks, forcing a fumble and returning a kickoff for a touchdown. If not for Mardy Gilyard, McCourty would have won the league's special teams player of the year award, and he was in the running for its defensive player of the year trophy as well.

After a good showing at the Senior Bowl, there's talk of McCourty moving up in the draft to first-day status. He's no longer overlooked or unappreciated.

Previous:

No. 9: Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh
No. 10: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
No. 11: Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
No. 12: Robert Sands, S, West Virginia
No. 13: B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida
No. 14: Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
No. 15: Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers
No. 16: Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut
No. 17: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
No. 18: Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
No. 19: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
No. 20: Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
No. 21: Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 22: Nate Allen, S, South Florida
No. 23: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
No. 24: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
No. 25: Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
No. 26: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
No. 27: Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
No. 28: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 29: Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut
No. 30: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati

No lunchtime links today, because there aren't any. It's a slow time, though Rutgers is expected to name two new assistant coaches this afternoon. So instead, I thought I'd give you the full list of Big East players who have been invited to the NFL combine, which begins Feb. 24 in Indianapolis:

• Nate Allen, S, South Florida
• Alric Arnett, WR, West Virginia
• Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
• Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh
• Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
• Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
• Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
• Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
• Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
• Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati
• Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
• Scott Long, WR, Louisville
• Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
• Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida
• Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida
• Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
• Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
• George Selvie, DE, South Florida
• Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse
• Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
• Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut

A year ago at this time, the Big East was dealing with the loss of a plethora of stars, including some of the best players in league history. Guys like Pat White, Donald Brown, Kenny Britt, LeSean McCoy and Scott McKillop seemed difficult, if not impossible, to replace. The league fared just fine in 2009 without those stars, and the good news for 2010 is that many of its top performers will be back. But that's not to say there aren't still some key losses that teams will have to adjust to this spring. Here's a look at the biggest shoes to fill this season in the Big East:

• Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: The Bearcats aren't exactly hurting at wide receiver with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and USC transfer Vidal Hazelton around. Still, someone must replace Gilyard's leadership and knack for making the big play at crucial times. What might be even more difficult to replace is Gilyard's production on special teams. The two-time Big East special teams player of the year was always a threat to score on kickoffs and punt returns. And hopefully someone will step in Gilyard's role as the best quote in the entire conference.
• Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers: Brown may not have received a ton of attention nationally, but he was vitally important to the Scarlet Knights. The speedster averaged 20.9 yards per catch and amassed 1,150 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as the team's only true deep threat. With a still very young receiving corps surrounding Tom Savage, Rutgers will need to find someone who can stretch the field the way Brown did.
• Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh: The 2009 co-defensive player of the year in the conference, Williams was a wildly disruptive force in the middle of that Panthers defensive line, as well as an inspirational leader. With fellow senior tackle Gus Mustakas also gone, Pitt needs more production from backups Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih, among others.
• Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers: McCourty was an underappreciated gem for the Scarlet Knights, a lockdown cornerback who also was seemingly everywhere on special teams. He was the leader of the secondary. Guys with his skills don't come around that often.
• Reed Williams, LB, West Virginia: The Mountaineers had to deal with Williams' absence for most of 2008 and at times this past season because of various injuries. But it was clear that they were a different team whenever Williams was healthy. A smart player (he's the 2009 Big East football scholar-athlete of the year ) who anchored the defense at middle linebacker, Williams was like a coach on the field.
• George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Say what you will about Selvie's dwindling production, but opposing offense still always had to account for him. And Pierre-Paul ascended to star status in his one year on campus. Combined, the two produced 26 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2009. The Bulls now need the next wave of pass-rushers to emerge, with former stud recruit Ryne Giddins one possible candidate.