ESPN College Football

National signing day is inching ever closer, so it is time to take a look at the biggest recruiting needs for every team in the Big East.

Cincinnati

Defensive line. Cincinnati loses a host of seniors from this position, including Co-Defensive Player of the Year Derek Wolfe, John Hughes, Monte Taylor, and Rob Trigg. Factor in the key contributors for 2012 will be seniors in Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and Walter Stewart and it is time to reload at this position.

Receiver. There is some promising young talent on the roster, but several guys are going to be leaving in the next few years. The Bearcats really need a guy who can stretch the field and make some big plays to join Anthony McClung and Alex Chisum.

Secondary. The Bearcats are going to take a hit at this position after 2012, losing a ton of seniors-to-be, including Cam Cheatham, Drew Frey, Dominique Battle and Reuben Johnson. Senior safety Wesley Richardson is already gone. The lone four-star commitment the Bearcats have is from a safety, Marcus Foster.

UConn

Quarterback. This need has been addressed in this recruiting cycle, with junior college transfer Chandler Whitmer and Casey Cochran already enrolled in school.

Tight end. With the impending departure of Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt, the Huskies could use another young player to be groomed to take over. Tight end is a critical part of the UConn offense.

Offensive line. UConn is losing its two best linemen in Moe Petrus and Mike Ryan. Of the 16 linemen currently listed on the roster, seven are juniors or seniors. Linemen generally take a redshirt season, so it never hurts to sign more to be able to restock.

Louisville

Linebacker. The Cardinals are losing Dexter Heyman and have a lot of juniors and seniors on their roster at this position. It is no surprise, then, that three of the top players coming in are linebackers -- Keith Brown and James Burgess are already enrolled; four-star recruit Nick Dawson has given a commitment.

Offensive line. Louisville has young players here, but not much depth, as evidenced this season when several true freshmen were forced to play much earlier than anticipated. It never hurts to build depth here, and the Cardinals have gotten a huge commit from four-star guard Abraham Garcia out of Miami.

Running back. This was an area the Cardinals struggled in this season, having to move quarterback Dominique Brown to the position. Victor Anderson is gone, and this team could really used another back to carry the load.

Pitt

Quarterback. This one is pretty self explanatory if you watched Tino Sunseri play. Mark Myers and Trey Anderson are also on the roster, but the Panthers are in definite need here -- which is why so many fans are looking forward to commit Chad Voytik coming to town.

Linebacker. This has been an area of inconsistency for the Panthers, who lose their best player in Max Gruder. There are some young players with talent in Todd Thomas and Ejuan Price, but this position could definitely use an upgrade.

Receiver. The play of the offense was disappointing this season, and that includes the receivers. Pitt could use some players to stretch the field. Ronald Jones was a start this season. But when you consider that Cameron Saddler, Mike Shanahan and Devin Street will all be upperclassmen in 2012, this is a definite area of need.

Rutgers

Receiver. Mohamed Sanu is gone, and Mark Harrison is a senior to be. There is plenty of young talent, but there is a reason Rutgers has commitments from four athletes. This gives the Scarlet Knights the flexibility to try them at receiver or running back, another area of need.

Running back. Once Savon Huggins got hurt this year, Rutgers had Jawan Jamison and Jeremy Deering at running back and that was about it. Depth has to be developed here.

Offensive line. Strides have absolutely been made at this position, but coach Greg Schiano likes to reiterate that the Scarlet Knights aren't going to pull themselves out of the hole they were in overnight. They need another solid draft class at this position to keep building.

USF

Secondary. Injuries and inconsistent play this season showed the Bulls really lacked some depth and need some immediate help in this area, which is why they signed junior college cornerbacks Fidel Montgomery and Josh Brown. One of their top four-star commitments is cornerback Chris Bivins.

Quarterback. Beyond B.J. Daniels, a senior in 2012, the Bulls have Bobby Eveld and Matt Floyd as the two heirs to take over. Eveld has been less than impressive, and we don't know much about Floyd. The Bulls would be served to get another quarterback in as they prepare for the future.

Running back. Darrell Scott is gone, and the Bulls are really in need of a game breaker at this position. Demetris Murray is going to be a senior, and nobody else really has stepped up at the position. Depth has to be built here, because USF goes into spring practice with four running backs on the roster.

Syracuse

Defensive line. The Orange are losing Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich and could really used some difference-makers up front who can help get after the quarterback. Depth is an issue here. One of their big commitments so far has been defensive end Josh Manley out of Georgia.

Secondary. This was one of the weakest parts of the team and now the Orange lose Phillip Thomas and Kevyn Scott, and there was a lack of depth when injuries hit this position in 2011. Brooklyn prep safety Wayne Morgan would be a huge get to add to this unit.

Receiver. Alec Lemon is a senior, Van Chew is gone and who knows what happens with Marcus Sales. The bottom line is the Orange are in major need of a game-changer to turn 15-yard passes into 40-yard receptions.

West Virginia

Quarterback. Geno Smith is a rising senior and after him it is crickets in the form of one player behind him in Paul Millard. So consider this need majorly filled with Ford Childress, ranked No. 139 on the ESPNU 150.

Offensive line. The most inconsistent part of the team in 2011, West Virginia has a major need here. The Mountaineers struggled so badly here they started converted defensive lineman Curtis Feigt late in the season. Don Barclay is gone, and Joe Madsen, Jeff Braun and Josh Jenkins are all upperclassmen.

Defensive line. Julian Miller, Josh Taylor and Bruce Irvin are gone, and there are depth concerns here. West Virginia has four commitments from defensive linemen already.

Let's check in on practice from the weekend:

Cincinnati: Coach Butch Jones has yet to decide on a backup quarterback to Zach Collaros. Munchie Legaux and Jordan Luallen are locked in a battle for the backup spot, with neither player emerging just yet.

Connecticut: The Huskies went back to the basics during practice Saturday, but there still is no answer in the quarterback race. Coach Paul Pasqualoni said, "We are constantly changing the rotation of who is doing what. They are all working hard, all doing good things. They also all still have things that they need to improve on and we try to point those things out and move on."

Louisville: The Cardinals ran about 125 plays in their Saturday scrimmage, which was closed. Will Stein led the first-team offense and led a scoring drive early. Victor Anderson ran for more than 100 yards. Freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater also looked sharp, capping off his drive with a 25-yard scramble for a touchdown. The defense recorded five turnovers on the day, including a 56-yard interception return by Terence Simien. Shenard Holton had an interception in the end zone. One other note: Eli Rogers had a nice day at receiver.

Pitt: The Panthers broke camp with a few positions still up for grabs. Coach Todd Graham said he would know more after evaluating tape from the final scrimmage Saturday. But it appears Todd Thomas has beaten out Greg Williams for the starting spur linebacker job. The offensive line, cornerback and backup quarterback jobs still are open.

Rutgers: Mohamed Sanu stood out during Rutgers' final scrimmage Saturday, catching six passes for 112 yards. De'Antwan Williams had 79 yards on 14 carries (that includes five negative running plays). Savon Huggins had 55 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while Jawan Jamison had 25 yards on 14 carries. Jeremy Deering is still out with a head injury. Meanwhile, the defense played better though both sides were sloppier than coach Greg Schiano wanted to see.

Syracuse: The Orange held a scrimmage Saturday in which nearly all the backups were featured. Adrian Flemming did a nice job at receiver, and the offensive line looked solid. Now the Orange are going on lockdown with no media availability or open practices as they prepare for Wake Forest. Also, offensive line coach Greg Adkins underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder and is expected to return to work this week. Freshman cornerback Jaston George injured his left groin and will be out indefinitely.

USF: Skip Holtz was not pleased with his backup quarterbacks following the team's scrimmage Saturday, saying he was disappointed that Bobby Eveld hasn't pushed starter B.J. Daniels and Matt Floyd hasn't pushed Eveld for the backup job. Holtz also wants to see more out of his second-team offense.

West Virginia: Coach Dana Holgorsen named a few standouts from Saturday's scrimmage: "Jeff Braun had some energy out there, and Stedman Bailey made some really good plays. Najee Goode is a guy that is as mentally tough as they come Terence Garvin is a guy that has been in those wars and battles. The guys that have been there and done it are the guys that typically rise up and are able to handle a situation like this. This is the closest we have come to what it is going to be like two weeks from now, which is the way we wanted it. You can’t just put them in this situation all the time. You have to practice. You go in and watch the film and correct it. You try to put them in more situations before the first game."

What is going on around the league today? Let us take a whirl ...

Cincinnati's hopes in 2011 ride on defense. Cincinnati coach Butch Jones goes in depth with Bearcat Lair.

UConn gets another commitment from Florida.

Todd Graham suspended backup quarterback Anthony Gonzalez for two games. Gonzalez was arrested earlier this year and charged with possessing a small amount of marijuana and fake identification, and underage drinking.

Pitt got its most high-profile commitment yet from four-star quarterback Chad Voytik out of Cleveland (Tenn.).

Watch live video of the Governor's Cup news conference featuring Kentucky coach Joker Phillips and Louisville coach Charlie Strong. Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal writes about the rivalry between the teams.

Quenton Washington and Kayvon Webster are stepping up for USF.

Jeff Braun is anxious for his role as West Virginia guard.

Greg Schiano pledges $250,000 to the Rutgers Future Scholars Program.

Is USF-Notre Dame one of the top under-the-radar games? Maybe Syracuse-UConn.

West Virginia starting left guard Josh Jenkins is out for the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee, the school announced Wednesday.

Jenkins sprained his MCL in the spring game and underwent an extensive rehab program. But following rehab, team doctors felt his kneecap was still unstable, so he underwent surgery on July 5. Jenkins is eligible for a medical hardship waiver and should be back for his senior season in 2012.

Trainer David Kerns said in a statement the surgery was done to "help better track his patella for normal function. Jenkins will remain in a leg brace for six weeks, then will regain strength and slowly regain any residual lost motion due to the immobilization period.

"At the appropriate time, he will begin the back-to-run/play-progression, which all totaled will be six months from surgery until fully healed and strong enough to play football. He should be fully participatory for winter training and then spring football."

This is a big blow for West Virginia. Jenkins, a two-year starter, has been one of its most solid contributors and one of its most experienced players returning. But there was always uncertainty about whether he would be able to play this season. On the post-spring depth chart, coach Dana Holgorsen listed Jeff Braun at left guard. Braun moves over from right tackle, where he started every game last season. Redshirt freshman Quinton Spain would be in the No. 1 spot at right tackle.

Now by popular demand, we begin ranking the positions across the Big East. I know I am a little late to the party on this one, but better late than never, right? I asked on Twitter for suggestions on which position to start with today. There was no consensus. But I did like one suggestion: to work our way up from the line.

So first up is the offensive line. To make these rankings, I considered returning starters, accolades for returning starters, position switches and depth. The truth is, this is not an area of strength for the league as a whole. Most teams have depth concerns and questions at one or more positions.

1. Syracuse. The Orange have four returning starters, including two seniors. You have Justin Pugh, who made second-team All-Big East last year as a freshman. You have a more mature and experienced unit than the one last year, which had to replace four starters. There also is depth to have a nice eight-man rotation. The concern is at center, where Macky MacPherson is undersized. Actually, when you look at the entire group, it is undersized. Andrew Tiller is the only one who tips the scales at more than 300 pounds.

2. West Virginia. The offensive line was an area of strength under Rich Rodriguez, but has struggled the past few years. It was hard to get a gauge on this unit in the spring, with both starting tackles Jeff Braun and Don Barclay out because of injuries. Starting guard Josh Jenkins also got hurt and is still not 100 percent. But the potential is there for this group to be significantly improved.

3. UConn. The strength of this unit is at tackle and center, where the Huskies return first-team All-Big East selection Mike Ryan (20 career starts) and Adam Masters (18 career starts). Moe Petrus, a second-team all-conference pick, has 39 career starts. Their experience should help along the guards -- nobody on the roster has started a game at the position. The good news is that Gary Bardzak does have starting experience, but it came at center.

4. Pittsburgh. The Panthers made so many position shifts during the spring that it is hard tell how this unit is going to shape up come fall. Chris Jacobson moving to center was one of the biggest moves, and Pittsburgh hopes it pays off with more stability there. Jacobson and starting tackles Jordan Gibbs and Lucas Nix have a combined 49 career starts, but Pitt has to make up for losing first-team Big East selection Jason Pinkston.

5. USF. The Bulls are going to be young on the offensive line this season after losing first-team All-Big East center Sampson Genus, along with tackles Jamar Bass and Jake Sims (second team All-Big East). Chaz Hine and Jeremiah Warren are a solid tandem at guard, and Mark Popek at left tackle and Kevin McCaskill at center do have playing experience. But at right tackle, USF plans to go with redshirt freshman Quinterrius Eatmon. He does have loads of potential, but there will be a learning curve. Depth also is an issue, and the Bulls could have true freshmen in the rotation.

6. Cincinnati. The Bearcats had their share of problems last season, ranking second-to-last in the Big East in sacks allowed (31). This year, they have to replace three starters on the offensive line with unproven players. Senior right tackle Alex Hoffman has taken on some leadership responsibility with the loss of Jason Kelce, but players like Austen Bujnoch, Andre Cureton, Sean Hooey and Evan Davis are going to have to step up. Depth could also be an issue here.

7. Louisville. The Cardinals return just one starter in center Mario Benavides, who has been hampered with a knee injury. Ryan Kessling and Alex Kupper have playing experience, but most everybody else is pretty unproven, and that makes for one of the biggest question areas on the team headed into the fall.

8. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights own the bottom spot until the season starts and we can see how much this unit has improved. It is a well-known fact that they finished last in sacks allowed and were one of the worst rushing teams in the country last season for that reason. They suffered a blow when junior college transfer Dallas Hendrikson went down with a season-ending injury in the spring, but coach Greg Schiano said he saw plenty of improvement from this group. They certainly will have more experience, but how much better will they be?

Let us all hope West Virginia is the last school to ever employ a coach-in-waiting.

The Mountaineers are just the latest team to see the situation fail miserably. About the only people who thought it was a good idea to hire Dana Holgorsen to learn under Bill Stewart for a year were Oliver Luck and the West Virginia administration. But after the events of the past few weeks, Luck has been second-guessed to death. He probably is going to second-guess himself, too, after his quote at the late Friday news conference announcing Stewart was out and Holgorsen was in, a year earlier than planned.

"At the time I thought it made a lot of sense and was a good management practice. With hindsight, folks could certainly disagree. I will take some time to think about it myself and decide if I made mistakes and, if I did, I will be the first one to acknowledge that I did.

At the time I thought it made some sense. I had an agreement from both coaches that they liked the idea and were willing to work with us on the concept, but hindsight is always 20/20 as we know."

When has a coach-in-waiting worked? When the departing coach has picked his successor or has his own time line for when he wants to step down. There were easy transitions at Wisconsin, Oregon, Kentucky and Purdue. The Boilermakers are the only team of that group that has yet to make a bowl game under their new head coach.

But the situation turned ugly at Maryland, Florida State and now West Virginia. Even Will Muschamp realized he had no idea when Mack Brown would step down at Texas; so he bolted from his coach-in-waiting designation to take the head job at Florida last December. What happened at Florida State is reminiscent of what happened at West Virginia.

You have a coach who's not quite ready to go, a large part of the fan base eager to see him retire, his replacement standing next to him as offensive coordinator and tensions flaring on the coaching staff. At FSU, there were Bowden loyalists on staff and Jimbo Fisher loyalists on staff, and rumors swirled about infighting and no sense of direction in the final few seasons when it seemed the situation was untenable.

After what happened at Florida State in 2009, it seemed obvious the coach-in-waiting idea was a bad one. But that did not stop Luck, who believed it would help Holgorsen ease into the job if he learned from a veteran coach. The idea is a sound one if it existed in a vacuum. But there are egos and feelings involved in any personnel decision.

Luck said there was nothing concrete that pointed to Stewart being the source of allegations that smeared Holgorsen in recent weeks, but it was obvious the situation was untenable. Players admitted as much this weekend.

Offensive tackle Jeff Braun said, "Coach Stewart said himself that these past six months were tough and it would be tough for anybody to have a dream job in your hometown basically and to know that in the back of your mind this is going to be it for you. It’s tough. I think everything fell into place the way it should have at this point. We got rid of any problems and I think for the program itself, it’s going to help us move forward."

Cornerback Keith Tandy said, "It relieves the tension a little bit, I guess. With Coach Stew and Coach Holgorsen both around, it was hard to figure out who to listen to and who was in charge. Now it's more clear-cut and we can get back to work."

We can all say that West Virginia should have never made the decision to designate a coach-in-waiting. But what is important now is that the situation has been resolved before marring the actual football season. Hopefully the rest of the college football world has made a note: "Never again."

West Virginia offensive tackle Jeff Braun spoke for many of his teammates when he said Saturday afternoon that there was an incredible sense of relief around the program, one day after Dana Holgorsen took over as head coach.

The rumor, speculation and innuendo of the past week were not lost on the players, many of whom took to Twitter to voice their frustration. They saw their school and football program being portrayed negatively, and there was nothing they could do about it. But now that Bill Stewart has resigned and coach-in-waiting Holgorsen is in, everyone can finally move on to the business of trying to win a Big East championship.

Stewart and Holgorsen each addressed players who were in Morgantown on Saturday morning. Braun said Stewart had a smile on his face and thanked his players for giving him the opportunity to coach them.

"Coach Stewart said himself that these past six months were tough and it would be tough for anybody to have a dream job in your hometown basically and to know that in the back of your mind this is going to be it for you," Braun said in a telephone interview. "It’s tough. I think everything fell into place the way it should have at this point. We got rid of any problems and I think for the program itself, it’s going to help us move forward."

Stewart recruited Braun, so he had mixed emotions about the move. "He’s one heck of a man," Braun said. "He teaches you how to walk the daily walk as he used to say." But Braun agreed the decision for Stewart to leave was the right one.

Players found out Friday when athletic director Oliver Luck sent everyone a text message. Braun said players had been going about their daily workouts as normal throughout the turbulent past few weeks, though they did discuss the turmoil surrounding their program in the locker room.

"We knew in the end our athletic department would take care of everything and we, as players, are the ones who are going to have to play," Braun said. "No matter how great (Holgorsen's) offense, we still have to play and still have to execute. We’re the ones who are going to produce a Big East championship. It’s going to have to come through us."

West Virginia opens practice on Wednesday, and I had a chance to catch up with head coach Bill Stewart on the eve of spring drills. Here's Part I of our conversation. (Note: Stewart offered a thorough, lengthy overview at the start of my interview, so I'm going to divide that up by topic rather than make you wade through several unbroken paragraphs).

You obviously had some great leaders on last year's team. How do you see this year's team replacing that?

Bill Stewart: We've lost seven guys on our defensive side of the ball to graduation and four of those guys went to the NFL combine. That tells you not only the kind of players we had, that tells you about the leadership we had on the 2010 football squad.

This year's team, I see a guy now like Keith Tandy; we're counting on big, big things from Keith. We've got some other young corners in Patrick Miller and Brodrick Jenkins, who have played, so that's kind of exciting. We've got some underclassmen to jump in the mix as well. I'm anxious to see Ishmael Banks, and Brantwon Bowser is ready to go and he has a chance to step up and make plays. We lost some players at safety, and certainly who I feel was the best corner in the league in Brandon Hogan. But I really feel good about our corners. With the inside guys, the spur, free safety and the bandit, we have Terence Garvin back, who gave us great play last year, and I'm looking for a big year out of him. Eain Smith is back, and he had a really good last couple of years. Then it's time for guys like Travis Bell and Mike Dorsey and Darwin Cook, Wes Tonkery, see these guys step up and make plays. That's going to be a fun thing to watch.

[On linebackers]: We lost three great linebackers; everybody knows that. We have Najee Goode back, and he's given us great leadership, as Casey Vance has done. A newcomer coming into the fold is Josh Francis. Man, he's real fast, he's explosive. He's going to be a real force, I think, in there at linebacker. We have Branko Busic, and Doug Rigg is a rising superstar, I really believe that.

[On the defensive line]: We lost Scooter Berry and what I think was the best nose guard in the league in Chris Neild. But we still have Julian Miller and Bruce Irvin, the great sack master. And now we have some young guys like Will Clarke, Jorge Wright, Josh Taylor and J.B. Lageman in there at nose guard. So there are some guys in ready to step up and make plays. Now it's their turn.

[On wide receivers/running backs]: Brad Starks can be as good as there is in this league. Stedman Bailey, what a player he was, and then Tavon Austin, J.D. Woods and Ivan McCartney. So we've got five or six top quality receivers. I'm really anxious to see how they do in this new offense. And then you take our new tight/end fullback type in Tyler Urban, who I think is going to be as good a big back as there is. And then you take Ryan Clarke, Matt Lindamood, Shawne Alston ... these guys have all played and they've done well.

[On the offensive line]: I'm worried about our offensive line, simply because Don Barclay and Jeff Braun, our two starting tackles, are out with shoulder injuries. They're healing up fine. That just makes way for the young guys. Now we'll see what Quinton Spain, the big redshirt freshman, can do with a chance to come into his own. Some other tackles like Nick Kindler and Pat Eger will get a lot of snaps this spring. And I'm really excited about our inside guys. Our center, Joey Madsen, is a great leader, he's the heart of the offensive line. Josh Jenkins has started a bunch of games at left guard. And then we have Cole Bowers, who's probably the most talented lineman we have, he just hasn't played that much. I'm really excited to see those inside guys.

I'm really looking forward to this offensive scheme. We have a lot of speed and we're very very blessed to have tremendous speed at our skill positions. And our offensive line, once Braun and Barclay get back, could be very very formidable

[On special teams]: I worry about our special teams a little bit. We're now on our fourth punter in four years in Corey Smith. Our punting game is still a question mark. Our kicker, Tyler Bitancurt, he's won big games for us, but he missed two there in the [Champs Sports] Bowl, so he's got some work to do. ... What we really need to step up to the plate, to be very honest, is our return men. Our return men we just haven't hit the big play like Tavon did a couple years ago against UConn [in 2009], or like Shawn Terry used to do in the early 2000s. We need to get more productivity on our punt and kickoff retrun. That's one of the big things we'll work hard at this spring.

Who do you have now as your return men?


BS: Tavon Austin and Bradley Starks could be good return men. I really like Brodrick Jenkins with the punt return game; I think he has a chance to catch punts and maybe make a name for himself. Some other skill guys we'll throw back there. That's what spring practice is all about. We'll see who can catch a punt, make a couple of guys miss and give us a couple of first downs on these returns.

Sounds like you hired an interesting special teams coach this week in Daron Roberts.


BS: He's going to help out. I got a nice call from a friend of mine with the Detroit Lions who said, "Boy, he's a great guy, very much a student of the game." He's going to bring some excitement to the game. He's young, and I know our players will rally around him. ... We're going to break it up again -- Steve [Dunlap] will be doing the defensive side of the special teams like kickoff and punt return, punt block, and Daron is going to be heading up kickoff return units and things like that. So there shouldn't be that much change there.

Again, we need more productivity there. We do have the talent, we just haven't done it yet. That's something that has to come back to the arsenal. I know what we're going to do on defense, and I think I know what we're going to do on offense, because we have fast playmakers who make people miss in space, and that's what this new offense is going to be all about. That's going to be exciting, and I can't wait to see it in action. But our return game has to get better.

Can you get a sense, through meetings and workouts, how well the team is picking up the new offense so far?

BS: Oh yeah. It's like anything else. It will look worse before it gets better. That's true no matter what brand of offense or defense you run. We think we have a pretty good deal going with this 3-3 stack. We know it, the coaches know it, the players know it inside and out pretty much. Now we just have to get the new players ... to carry on the tradition. And then offensively, I'm excited about what's on the horizon. We haven't done it yet, we haven't gotten a first down yet, but I think we're going to have a few tricks in the arsenal that's going to make us more explosive, and maybe we can get some of that game-breaking type play that we need to have.

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith told reporters on Wednesday that his foot is healed and that he'll be ready for spring practice.

"I will be participating in the spring, and from what I’m told I’m full go when spring comes,” Smith said. “As far as the doctor tells me, my foot is pretty much healed.”

Smith had surgery on his troublesome left foot in January. The same foot problem forced him to sit out many of last spring's drills, and he played through a stress fracture last season.

It would be huge for West Virginia to have a healthy Smith for spring practice, which opens March 28, because the junior needs time to learn Dana Holgorsen's new offense.

However, expect the Mountaineers to remain extremely cautious with their star quarterback, especially with only two true freshmen behind him.

"Geno isn't expected to take every snap as it is," Holgorsen told the Charleston Gazette. "He may take 33 percent of the snaps. As the spring goes on, that may increase to 66 percent."

Holgorsen also announced that starting tackles Don Barclay and Jeff Braun won't be available for full spring work because of offseason shoulder surgeries.

• West Virginia has a plan for fixing its kickoff coverage. Jeff Braun could solve the team's problem at right tackle.

• Dan Mason's mental grasp of the game is catching up with his physical tools, and that has him looking like a future star for Pittsburgh.

• Johnny McEntee already helped UConn secure a key recruit and might someday help at quarterback too.

• South Florida lost lineman Mark Popek to a knee injury, but it wasn't as serious as originally feared.

• Syracuse freshman receiver Jarrod West, a former Stanford recruit who was in line for playing time this season, has a broken foot and is out indefinitely.

• A weekend scrimmage looms large for Rutgers running back De'Antwan Williams. Jonathan Freeny wants to prove he's more than just a pass-rushing specialist.

• Freshman cornerback Adrian Witty is impressing for Cincinnati. Meanwhile, freshmen Dyjuan Lewis and Ty Phillips have yet to be cleared by the NCAA.

• Walk-on running back Blayne Donnell is hoping for a chance at Louisville.

• Cincinnati could be in trouble if the Big Ten expansion gobbles up the Big East, Paul Daugherty writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

• Speaking of the Bearcats, defensive back Reuben Johnson had minor knee surgery.

• Jeff Braun didn't get much of an opportunity last season, but he's in the mix to start on the West Virginia offensive line, Dave Hickman writes in the Charleston Gazette.

• Selvish Capers bucked the odds to become an NFL draft pick, Bob Hertzel writes in the Times West Virginian.

• It's ironic that Joe Paterno is leading the Big Ten expansion charge given the history, David Jones writes in the Patriot-News.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

There's an image that West Virginia coaches keep showing the offensive players. It's not always the same picture, but it carries the same message.

It's a referee holding his hands inches apart.

"They showed us a lot of pictures of that," left tackle Don Barclay said. "It hurts deep down."

The Mountaineers saw that in real life too much last season, failing to convert key short-yardage downs at Colorado, Pitt and elsewhere. That wasn't all the offensive line's fault. Some of the blame has to be pinned on the lack of a real power back.

But Barclay said the linemen are taking that picture to heart. And short yardage is not all that's riding on him and his guys up front.

With four starters from last year gone, the O-line is the biggest area of concern for most West Virginia fans. That fact is not lost on the players.

"That's definitely the question," Barclay said. "Anyone you talk to is like, the season's going to depend on the O-line. We talk about that, too. We tell each other that this is going to be our season; it's going to depend on how we do.

"I don't think a lot of people have our backs. But I think we're going to come out and surprise a lot of people."

Coach Bill Stewart has been shuffling his line in recent days during practice. Redshirt freshman Joey Madsen has seen time as the starting center, with Eric Jobe shifting to right. Jeff Braun is also at right guard but can play center, too.

"They are young, and they are making mistakes, but they are giving great effort," Stewart said. "I think those three are pretty interchangeable."

Josh Jenkins is entrenched at left guard after playing as a true freshman last year, and Selvish Capers is the lone graybeard as the senior right tackle.

"We are young, especially on the inside," Barclay said. "But I think every day we're improving a little bit. We've had some rough days in camp, but we've had some really good days, too."

Barclay will be starting at the all-important left tackle spot after appearing in 13 games as a reserve his redshirt freshman year in 2008. The 6-foot-4, 291-pounder will try to replace Ryan Stanchek, who left as one of the more decorated offensive linemen in school history.

"He had an unmatched passion for the game, and his motor never stopped," Barclay said. "He taught me everything I needed to know, all the insights. I'm really close with him and we always talk."

Barclay feared he might not get this opportunity when he broke his leg in the spring game. But he said he was full go again about a week before training camp began, and he hasn't missed any reps since practice started.

The line is different this year, and not just because of fresh faces. For years the Mountaineers wanted lean, quick blockers for their running schemes. Now they're turning to a bigger, more powerful line that can help with the increased passing game.

"We're a little more downhill now," Barclay said. "It's more pro-style stuff. But they're putting in tricks so the defense doesn't know if we're running outside or the inside belly."

Barclay holds no illusions about the importance of improving the offensive line. He doesn't want to be looking at any more disheartening pictures this time next season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Some players we knew about before the spring and were anxious to watch perform. And then there are guys who were way off the radar but made us pay attention. Here are five guys in the Big East who came from out of nowhere and made it somewhere:

• Evan Landi, South Florida: B.J. Daniels got most of the hype as Matt Grothe's understudy at quarterback. Heck, Jim Leavitt wasn't even sure he wanted Landi two years ago on the recruiting trail. But given a chance to shine this spring, Landi wowed everyone with his work at quarterback and receiver, forcing his way into some fall playing time somewhere.

• Danny Milligan, Cincinnati: How's this for a spring game stat line: Milligan caught three passes for 83 yards and a touchdown -- and kicked three field goals. You don't see that every day. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound redshirt freshman doesn't look like a prototypical football player, but he finds ways to get things done.

• Collin McCafferty, Cincinnati: The Bearcats get two players on this list because they have so many new faces and because they've done such a good job developing lesser-known talent. McCafferty, a redshirt junior linebacker, had a nice spring and worked his way into the mix for the fall.

• Marcus Easley, Connecticut: Easley made four starts last year but remained a mostly unknown walk-on receiver. That changed when he made 10 catches for 169 yards in the Huskies' spring game. Was that a one-day wonder? Coach Randy Edsall said Easley made a lot of progress this spring, and the senior will be on scholarship this fall.

• Jeff Braun, West Virginia: The redshirt freshman played defensive line late into his high school career but appears to have won the job at left guard for the Mountaineers after entering the spring as a backup.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Back to more of your questions about the teams I saw on my mini-spring tour ...

Frank from Parkersburg, W. Va., writes: I was curious about the status of the offensive line at WVU. Given the youth and lack of a fullback... how do they match up against other teams and how is the health status of Josh Jenkins?

Brian Bennett: Mountaineers fans were spoiled by the play of the offensive line the past few seasons. This year's group is a work in progress. The coaching staff likes the tackles -- senior Selvish Capers at right tackle and sophomore Don Barclay on the left side. The guards -- Jenkins and redshirt freshman Jeff Braun -- are both basically first-year players and need to gain experience. The defense absolutely dominated them in the scrimmage last Saturday. I would be encouraged by the unit's overall size and athleticism, but it's going to take them some time to jell.

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Chris from Princeton,W.Va., writes: Here are a few of my questions: 1. What type of practices does Coach Stewart run -- too soft? too nice? 2. How does Jarrett Brown look at QB? 3. Give us a name we don't know now but will hear this coming season. 4. What's the team's biggest strengths and weaknesses? 5. Do we finally have a fullback to run 3rd and short?

Brian Bennett: Lots of questions, and good ones. Nice and soft are not words I would use to describe the practices I saw. The Mountaineers' practice with a pretty high energy and tempo, and they're not afraid to hit each other. Stewart doesn't keep them out for three hours, but he gives them intense workouts. I wrote about Brown Wednesday, and suffice it to say he looks sharp. A guy you might not know much about right now is defensive lineman Josh Taylor. The redshirt sophomore is really athletic and could force his way onto the field. The biggest strength right now is probably the defensive front six. The weakness is the offensive line and the kicking game. I wrote about Ryan Clarke and some of the fullback options on Tuesday.

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Daniel from Wheeling, W. Va., writes: Hey, Brian, I'm sure youll get this question a lot, but how does Logan Heastie look? A lot of people in Morgantown are looking forward to seeing him this fall.

Brian Bennett: Heastie was running with the second-teamers and didn't do anything to stand out among the receivers when I saw him. But, hey, he's a true freshman who enrolled early. He's got a good frame. Let's give him time to develop. The Mountaineers seem pretty set at receiver with Bradley Starks, Alric Arnett and Wes Lyons, plus the possible return of Jock Sanders.

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Anthony from Tampa writes: Brian, after seeing Mike Ford on the practice field do you think he looks good enough to be the best running back in the Big East?

Brian Bennett: Unfortunately, we only get to see the first 30 minutes at South Florida, and that time was spent on basic drills. Ford is entering his junior year, and it's time for him to live up to his potential. I hear the same things I've heard in the past about him: He needs to get in the weight room and really dedicate himself to being the best back he can be. Right now, I'm not sure he's the best running back on his own team.

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Kyle from Washington, D.C., writes: On a scale from 1-to-10, how worried should I be as a USF alumnus and football fan about the offensive line in the 2009 season?

Brian Bennett: Right now, today, it's a 10. The line is banged up and inexperienced, to boot. But if everybody heals up, and the guys coming in this summer are as talented and ready as the coaching staff expects, then this could end up being a pretty solid group. I question how they're going to build the right chemistry with basically only fall camp to work on it. But given that the Bulls' first three games are against Wofford, Western Kentucky and Charleston Southern, they should have time to iron out some kinks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

So much for laid-back spring afternoons.

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart had his team go through drills at 6 a.m. sharp today.

"There is always a method to the madness," he said. "It is class and that is first and foremost. We have food waiting for them with a big team breakfast and bonding, make them hang out. Then they'll do pictures for the media and that will be cool. We'll have an early study hall and then they have the afternoon and tonight to just be college students, which is good.
 
"Discipline-wise, it was sparkling today. You have to throw a curveball every now and then. We want to make them strain a little bit more than the average college football player and then you sell them on how hard they really do work. It's a mind thing."

Stewart said he was happy with the effort and intensity during the hour-and-45-minute workout. He said players got taped as early as 5 a.m. and were raring to go by 6. He's considering holding early-morning workouts again next week.

One other nugget from today's practice. Stewart said that redshirt freshman Jeff Braun is the leader right now for the right guard position. Braun, who's listed at 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds, is battling with junior Matt Timmerman for the job. 

"He's learning and he's doing well for his age," Stewart said of Braun. "Not well enough to be a Big East player yet, but he's gaining. I'm pleased with him."