ESPN College Football

Anybody who has watched the Big East in recent years realizes this a much more defensive league, than offensive league.

Last season, seven of the eight teams ranked in the top half of the nation in total defense. The "worst" defense, Syracuse, ranked No. 64 -- just outside the top half. In 2010, six of eight teams ranked in the top half of the nation in the same category. The "worst" two defenses -- Cincinnati and Rutgers -- were ranked No. 61 and 63, respectively. In 2009, the worst defense, Cincinnati, ranked No. 67 in the nation.

I went back and looked at recent draft history to see how this translated to the next level.

Sure enough, defensive players were selected more than offensive players, and in higher rounds to boot.

In the past two drafts, 21 of the 34 players selected came from the defense. In the recently concluded NFL draft, eight of the 12 Big East players came from the defense. More pronounced, five of the seven players drafted in the first three rounds were defensive, and all played defensive line (Bruce Irvin, Chandler Jones, Derek Wolfe, Kendall Reyes and John Hughes).

Going back to the 2010 draft, 12 of the 16 players taken in the first three rounds were on defense.

We can continue looking a bit deeper to see defensive line has been an incredible strength, not just in the draft this year. In the past four drafts, the Big East has had at least one defensive lineman drafted in the first three rounds. Last year, two of the first four Big East picks were linemen. In 2010, Jason Pierre-Paul of USF went in the first round.

Coaches like Charlie Strong, Greg Schiano, Randy Edsall, Dave Wannstedt, Paul Pasqualoni and Jim Leavitt all have had a hand in the transformation, given their defensive backgrounds.

So will the trend hold for the 2013 draft?

In the super early mock drafts for next season, there are no Big East players listed in the first round. But CBS Sports already has a listing of the top draft prospects, by position. Eleven defensive players are listed among the Top 25 players at their respective positions, compared to five on offense.

However, there are more offensive players ranked among the Top 5 at their positions. Justin Pugh of Syracuse is listed as the No. 4 offensive tackle; Ray Graham of Pitt is listed as the No. 5 running back; and Ryan Griffin of UConn is listed as the No. 5 tight end.

The top-ranked defensive player is Khaseem Greene, at No. 6 among outside linebackers. Sio Moore of UConn also makes that list, at No. 9.

There is obviously an entire season of football to be played, and all these projections will change. But the way the Big East's defensive players have emerged is a trend worth noting.

The NFL draft has come and gone. So how did the Big East fare?

Not great.

The Big East only had 12 players drafted -- the lowest total since 11 were selected in 2006. USF and Pitt did not have a player selected, breaking some pretty long streaks. At least one Pitt player had been selected in each of the last 12 NFL drafts headed into this year; USF had at least one player taken in five straight drafts.

In compiling the numbers, I did count West Virginia because the three players drafted -- Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode and Keith Tandy -- spent their entire careers playing in the Big East. Since Temple now lives in this blog, many of you will probably be happy to hear that the Owls also had three players drafted -- Bernard Pierce, Evan Rodriguez and Tahir Whitehead -- tying a school record.

For those interested in the new members entering the league in 2013 and how they stacked up against those leaving -- Boise State had a school-record six players drafted. SMU (four) and San Diego State (four) ended up with the same number of picks as Cincinnati, which led the Big East.

Here is the breakdown of players selected by school:

• Cincinnati (4)
• West Virginia (3)
• Syracuse (2)
• UConn (1)
• Louisville (1)
• Rutgers (1)

Here are the players that were selected:

Round 1

West Virginia DE/LB Bruce Irvin, Seattle

Syracuse DE/LB Chandler Jones, New England

Round 2

Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe, Denver

UConn DT Kendall Reyes, San Diego

Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, St. Louis

Round 3

Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati

Cincinnati DT John Hughes, Cleveland

Round 4

Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson, New York Giants

Round 5

West Virginia LB Najee Goode, Tampa Bay

Round 6

West Virginia CB Keith Tandy, Tampa Bay

Syracuse OG Andrew Tiller, New Orleans

Round 7

Louisville DE Greg Scruggs, Seattle

Here are a few of my thoughts:

• Eleven Big East players invited to the NFL combine went undrafted, which seems like a pretty large number to me. Generally, those invited to the combine have a decent shot of being drafted. Keep in mind only 20 total Big East players snagged invites to the combine. So the percentage of players drafted who attended the combine in February was less than 50 percent.
• USF running back Darrell Scott decided to leave school early to enter the draft. But he never got picked. Scott ended up signing as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. He was one of 18 underclassmen who entered the draft but was not selected. Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas and receiver Dorian Graham also are underclassmen.
• Speaking of Thomas, I was surprised he went undrafted. I thought he was one of the most valuable players on the Syracuse defense last season before he ended up getting suspended for the final few games of the season for a violation of team rules. He obviously had some baggage because of that, but not any more than other players who have gotten into trouble. At one point, Mel Kiper had him listed as one of the top five safeties available in the draft.
• Other surprise undrafted players? I thought for sure Pitt offensive lineman Lucas Nix would get picked. NFL teams are always in the market for stocking up on quality offensive linemen, particularly ones listed as 6-foot-5 and 317 pounds. I would say he and Thomas were two players that went undrafted that I had penciled in as getting drafted. Nobody expected a Louisville player to go, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Scruggs come off the board.
• I watched the third round Friday night waiting and waiting for Sanu to come off the board. You guys know I guaranteed he would be picked in the first three rounds. What surprised me, though, were some of the receivers who were drafted ahead of him. I thought Houston might take him as a complementary receiver to Andre Johnson with the fifth pick in the round. But instead the Texans went with DeVier Posey of Ohio State, who was suspended for accepting cash and tattoos from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner. Posey played in three games all of last season. NC State receiver T.J. Graham was next to come off the board to the Bills. Sanu had a higher draft grade than those two players.

There are always tough decisions to be made when compiling a Top 25 list. I went around and around before settling on my final rankings, which wrapped up today.

So who just missed the cut? These are the five players I would have spotlighted from 25-30.

Brandon Lindsey, DL/LB, Pitt: As I said in an earlier entry, Lindsey did have a good season. I just did not think it was memorable enough to make the Top 25, in part because it seemed as if the defensive coaches for the Panthers did not know how to best utilize him. I thought Aaron Donald and Chas Alecxih were much more consistent. Donald made the Top 25 list; Alecxih is spotlighted here.

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pitt: Alecxih ranked No. 5 in the league in tackles for loss with 15.5, and had 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He was a big force in the middle of the Panthers' defense.

Adrian Bushell, CB, Louisville: Adding Bushell to the mix really helped a group that lacked in experience. The Cardinals were expected to have problems at cornerback, but Bushell held down the position well, and won first-team conference honors.

Sio Moore, LB, UConn: Moore had 86 tackles and 6.5 sacks on a defense that was strong against the run, but weak against the pass. Getting adjusted to a new coordinator led to some inconsistency.

DeDe Lattimore, LB, USF: Lattimore really put together a strong second half to the season, and finished with 94 tackles -- 13 for a loss and seven sacks. It was tough choosing between him and Ryne Giddins, who did make the Top 25.

And a few others I also considered:

Justin Francis, DT, Rutgers

Alec Lemon, WR, Syracuse

John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Max Gruder, LB, Pitt

It appears that Big East players had mixed performances at the NFL combine, which just wrapped up in Indianapolis.

Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, UConn receiver Kashif Moore, Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes had solid performances, and likely helped themselves.

Of the 18 Big East players there, those four probably had the most notable performances. And it is still unclear if players like Jones, Reyes and Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu will be drafted in the first round.

To find out how your favorite player did in all the measurable categories, just click on his name:

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pitt

Justin Francis, DE, Rutgers

John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Brandon Lindsey, DE, Pitt

Kashif Moore, WR, UConn

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Darrell Scott, RB, USF

Dave Teggart, K, UConn

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

The NFL officially released its list of players heading to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, and 20 Big East players made the cut. More than 300 prospects are set to gather beginning Feb. 22, to be tested, interviewed, evaluated and graded in the lead up to the NFL draft in April.

Here are the Big East representatives:

Chas Alecxih, DE, Pitt

Justin Francis, DE, Rutgers

Najee Goode, LB, West Virginia

John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Brandon Lindsey, DE, Pitt

Kashif Moore, WR, UConn

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Darrell Scott, RB, USF

Dave Teggart, K, UConn

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

Breakdown by school:

Pitt: 4

Syracuse: 4

Cincinnati: 3

UConn: 3

Rutgers: 3

West Virginia: 2

USF: 1

Last week, we took a look at the up-and-coming freshmen in the Big East. Now it is time to take a look at all of the departing senior talent. There is a ton across every team in this league. Sixteen of the 29 players honored on the All-Big East first team are seniors. There are still five bowl games left to be played, but it is worth taking a look at how many seniors are departing.

I will take a closer look at some of these "super seniors" in a future post.

Cincinnati

• Seniors: 21
• Starters: 12
• Key losses: Zach Collaros, Isaiah Pead, Randy Martinez, D.J. Woods, Evan Davis, John Hughes, Wes Richardson, Alex Hoffman, JK Schaffer, Adrien Robinson, Tom DeTemple, Derek Wolfe.

UConn

• Seniors: 13
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Mike Ryan, Moe Petrus, Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore, Dave Teggart, Twyon Martin, Kendall Reyes.

Louisville

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Victor Anderson, Josh Bellamy, Josh Chichester, Ryan Kessling, Dexter Heyman, William Savoy, Greg Scruggs, Chris Philpott.

Pitt

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Lucas Nix, Greg Gaskins, Jordan Gibbs, Antwuan Reed, Max Gruder, Greg Williams, Brandon Lindsey, Chas Alecxih, Myles Caragein.

Rutgers

• Seniors: 16
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Desmond Wynn, Caleb Ruch, Art Forst, Joe Martinek, Justin Francis, Manny Abreu, David Rowe, San San Te.

USF

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 6
• Key losses: Jeremiah Warren, Chaz Hine, Quenton Washington, Jerrell Young, Patrick Hampton, Keith McCaskill.

Syracuse

• Seniors: 18
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Van Chew, Andrew Tiller, Michael Hay, Antwon Bailey, Kevyn Scott, Mikhail Marinovich, Nick Provo.

West Virginia

• Seniors: 22
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Don Barclay, Julian Miller, Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode, Keith Tandy, Eain Smith.

Cincinnati survived a serious second-half scare from UConn to hold on for a 35-27 win and clinch a share of the Big East title -- a season removed from a losing season.

Cincinnati, Louisville and West Virginia all finish as Big East co-champions. The BCS representative will be determined by the final BCS standings -- where it is almost certain West Virginia will finish as the highest-ranked team. We won't know officially until the standings are unveiled Sunday night, but No. 23 West Virginia is the only Big East team currently ranked in the Top 25.

The Bearcats jumped out to a 28-6 halftime lead but there was fight left in the Huskies in the second half. UConn quarterback Johnny McEntee played much better, and was able to find some holes in the Cincinnati secondary as he led the Huskies on a comeback. McEntee threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes -- to Mark Hinkley and Ryan Griffin. That 25-yard touchdown pass to Griffin came one play following an interception by Munchie Legaux.

Cincinnati got the ball with 5:46 remaining. All UConn needed was one stop to try and complete its comeback bid. But the Bearcats made two third-and-short conversions with runs, and they were able to ice the game despite being outscored 21-7 in the second half. Dave Teggart ended up with four field goals on the day for the Huskies, who had to play the majority of the game without backup quarterback Scott McCummings (concussion).

Legaux threw three touchdown passes, but also had two interceptions. The Bearcats were not as effective using Jordan Luallen as they were last week, as he had four catches for no yards. It was the defense that really made the difference in this game. Walter Stewart scored a touchdown after snatching the ball from McEntee in the end zone, and Drew Frey had an interception return for a touchdown.

The Bearcats had six sacks in the game, and John Hughes and Derek Wolfe were absolute terrors behind the line of scrimmage. Now Cincinnati can look forward to getting back to a bowl game, most likely the Liberty Bowl. UConn ends the season without a bowl berth, a year after representing the Big East in the BCS.

2010 overall record: 4-8
2010 conference record: 2-5, seventh in Big East

Returning starters:

Offense: 5. Defense: 11. Punter/kicker: 1.

Top returners:

QB Zach Collaros, RB Isaiah Pead, WR D.J. Woods, OT Alex Hoffman, DT Derek Wolfe, DE Walter Stewart, LB JK Schaffer

Key losses:

WR Armon Binns, C Jason Kelce

2010 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Isaiah Pead* (1,029 yards)
Passing: Zach Collaros* (2,902 yards)
Receiving: Armon Binns (1,101 yards)
Tackles: JK Schaffer* (111 tackles)
Sacks: Brandon Mills* (six sacks)
Interceptions: Drew Frey* and Wes Richardson* (2 interceptions)

Spring answers

1. Better up front: The Bearcats' defense was bad last season, with lots of holes all over. One of the problems stemmed from the lack of a consistent pass rush on a thin defensive line. Players like Derek Wolfe and Brandon Mills played far too many snaps along that defensive front. Head coach Butch Jones feels better about the depth this season, with the addition of young players like Camaron Beard and Brad Harrah, plus the continued development of veterans like Dan Giordano and John Hughes. Moving Walter Stewart from linebacker to full-time defensive end should help with speed off the edge, and Wolfe should be one of the best interior tackles in the league. It's not an all-world line, but it should be a lot better.

2. Locked and loaded: Cincinnati led the Big East in scoring a year ago, and even with the loss of the league's top receiver in Armon Binns, the offense has the weapons to be very dangerous again. Quarterback Zach Collaros is a senior who's now fully in charge of the offense, and running back Isaiah Pead is the league's leading returning rusher after producing a 1,000-yard season in 2010. Junior-college transfer Kenbrell Thompkins emerged as a potential No. 1 wideout, and Anthony McClung and O.J. Woodard made strides. Add in explosive slot man D.J. Woods and incoming players Dyjuan Lewis and Jameel Poteat, and the Bearcats should be hard for defenses to handle in 2011.

3. Early start successes: Cincinnati had five recruits from its 2011 class enroll early, and Jones said the team went 5-for-5 in getting good players and future contributors from that group. Look for receiver Shaq Washington and defensive back Malcolm Murray to push for major playing time. If nothing else, the early enrollees help build depth for a team that didn't have much of a bench a year ago.

Fall questions

1. The back seven on 'D': While the defensive front figures to be improved, there still are questions on the rest of the defense. JK Schaffer is a rock at linebacker, but the Bearcats don't have much depth elsewhere at that position. All the defensive backs return from last season, but they did not play well in 2010 and had some struggles this spring. They need to become better tacklers and more aggressive on balls in the air. The defense showed some improvement in the spring but still has a long way to go.

2. Kicker questions: Jake Rogers was as reliable a placekicker as there was in the Big East the past few years. Tony Miliano, Danny Milligan and punter Pat O'Donnell battled to replace him this spring, but none of them clinched the job. Jones has said he'll probably wait until the week before the season opener to name his field-goal specialist.

3. Zach's backup: Collaros is completely entrenched as the starter and as valuable as any Big East player. But who would the Bearcats turn to if something happened to him? Chazz Anderson, who backed up Collaros last season and started the Syracuse game, decided to transfer after spring practice. The options include Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Luallen, oft-injured junior Brendon Kay, sophomore Munchie Legaux and early enrollee Stephen Weatherford. The No. 2 spot will likely remain up for grabs into fall practice.

Cincinnati coach Butch Jones will kick off his second spring practice with the Bearcats on Tuesday, looking to improve upon a disappointing 4-8 debut campaign. I caught up with Jones to preview the spring, and here's Part I of our conversation.

After the rough year in 2010, how are the players' attitudes heading into the spring?

Butch Jones: I've been very pleased. I think we've had a very, very productive offseason. I've liked our leadership, and that's the biggest thing -- teaching our players about leadership and team unity. We've talked about each day is a different challenge. Each day you've got to win the day. We've talked about how before you can even be in contention to win a championship, your team has to be comprised of individual champions. Yesterday our winter quarter grades came out, and we have 83 players, scholarship and non-scholarship. We had a 2.9 GPA, which is very impressive. So they've answered that challenge, and they've answered the challenge in the strength and conditioning area. And now we need to answer the challenge for spring football.

It's the second year for your system now, and your entire coaching staff returns. How much positive impact will that have?

BJ: You win with continuity. At Central Michigan, we were very fortunate to keep our coaching staff intact. This year was extremely challenging, because we had four staff members be offered other BCS, high-caliber, high-profile jobs. And all four stayed. I think that speaks volumes about how they feel about the direction of our program and our players, loyalty, all that stuff. You look at what our defensive players have gone through, with three defensive coordinators in three years, and I'm just a firm believer you win with continuity. Everyone knows what's expected. That's been a huge benefit this offseason.

Looking at your defense, you have all 11 starters back. But the defense obviously struggled last year. So do you look at it as a good thing that every starter is back, or that there needs to be some major change there?

BJ: The key there is, we can't just be older; we must get better. We have to take major, major strides on that side of the ball. It comes first and foremost with a physicality and presence, and we've got to get much more tougher, much more physical. When I say tougher, it's both mental and physical. It's being able to handle sudden changes, it's creating turnovers, it's third down and getting off the field. So there's so much that goes into improving the defense and making us a better tackling team. This spring is going to be very, very physical. We're going to challenge them as we did in our winter conditioning.

(Read full post)

CINCINNATI -- Dave Lawson gathered the Cincinnati defensive players together at the end of their hour-long conditioning session Thursday morning. He announced he had one final exercise for them.

The players nervously looked on, dreading the possibility of more squats or chin-ups or some other devilish torture their head strength coach had devised. What they got instead was a drinking game.

Lawson assembled a group team leaders to compete in a nutrition-drink chugging contest. As shouts of encouragements and taunts filled the Bearcats' weight room, 300-pound lineman John Hughes emerged victorious with a seven-second cleanup of his Gatorade can.

"You've got to do some things to make it fun," Lawson said afterward, "because this is hard work."

This time of year might as well be called the dog days of winter for Cincinnati players. Spring practice remains three weeks away. Their 2010 season is (thankfully) a distant memory, and the 2011 campaign still seems miles away. All that's going on is the drudgery of twice-a-week morning weight-lifting sessions and agility drills in which no footballs can be present because of NCAA rules.

There's no time to loaf, though. Not when the team is looking to atone for last season's disappointing 4-8 record. And not the way Lawson runs his workouts. Like the Gatorade-guzzling game that ended Thursday's hour, these sessions are defined by their speed.

When you picture football players lifting weights, you might think of beefy guys hoisting as much steel on their backs as they can, then resting to catch their breath or check out their muscles in the mirror. But Lawson's workout barely pauses. Players dash from circuit to circuit in a hurry, interrupted only by the sounds of Lawson blowing his whistle or barking out new assigned sets. "Controlled chaos" is how offensive lineman Alex Hoffman describes it.

This chaos serves a purpose. Cincinnati operates a no-huddle offense under head coach Butch Jones, who wants to play a tempo as fast as anybody in the country. To that end, signs around the Bearcats' football facility read "6-3." The six represents the number of seconds in the average play in football. The three is for first, second and third down.

"We pride ourselves on playing hard for six seconds and giving three great efforts," Jones said. "So what we do in the weight room has to match what we do on the field."

Lawson, who followed Jones from Central Michigan to Cincinnati, has tailored his program according to the team's style of play and the evolution of the sport. Gone are the massive 350-pound offensive linemen he used to train as an assistant strength coach under Don Nehlen at West Virginia. In are players who can sprint to the line of scrimmage over and over again while being in good enough shape to maintain their mental focus. Old-school strength methods like squats and dead lifts remain. But it also means heavy concentration on core muscles and flexibility.

"The spread system has really changed the way we condition," he said. "Everybody talks about sport-specific [programs]; we're training an energy-system specific in the weight room. People think conditioning is just running but ... instead of going out and pounding our legs with gassers after practice, we can get it in here with our lifting. I think that separates what we do from other places."

Players work out by position groups and are given 75 to 90 seconds to complete each circuit, which is designed to work the entire body and decrease injury risk. Most exercises include about six seconds of lifting or stretching, followed by about 20 to 30 seconds of recovery time, just like a football play. The defense and offense work out separately but follow the same routines, since the defense must play at the same pace as the no-huddle offenses it faces.

"It's all quick stuff, and we get a lot of reps, just like in our offense," Hoffman said. "It translates to what we do on the field."

The Bearcats approached their winter workouts with a renewed sense of urgency. They missed a bowl last season after winning two straight Big East titles, including a 12-0 regular season in 2009. Lawson said there was some natural resistance to a new way of doing things last winter when Jones replaced highly-successful coach Brian Kelly.

Cincinnati also did almost no agility or football-specific drills from January to March last year, because the program lacked a place to do it when bad weather made it impossible to go outside. The team's conditioning level fell behind as a result. This winter, the Bearcats have used their new bubble at the Jefferson Avenue Sports Complex, and Jones said the difference in player development is immeasurable.

Though the team struggled on the field last year, Lawson has made believers of his work in the weight room. Owing to a lack of depth in 2010, several Bearcats logged extraordinary minutes; defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, for example, played an average of about 85 plays per game while not missing a game.

"Derek Wolfe played the equivalent of two seasons last year," Jones said. "He would tell you exactly what [Lawson's] program has meant to him."

Lawson also snaps frequent before-and-after photos to show players how far they've come. Offensive lineman Andre Cureton has gone from 364 pounds last year to 301 now. Receiver Kenbrell Thompkins came in at a soft 182 pounds last summer as a junior-college transfer and is now a solid 195.

Will this offseason program help Cincinnati win more games in 2011? That question won't be answered until the fall. Meanwhile, the players are hoping this winter conditioning goes like that sports-drink contest: fast and fulfilling at the same time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CINCINNATI -- This spring is full of changes for the Cincinnati defense. There's a new coordinator, a different scheme and several new starters.

In other words, what else is new?

The Bearcats famously replaced 10 starters and switched to a 3-4 under Bob Diaco last season, and though the defense sprung leaks at the end of the season, it was good enough to help the team go 12-0 in the regular season.

This year, it's Tim Banks' turn to prepare a side of the ball that is often overshadowed by the Cincinnati offense. Gone are key starters like defensive linemen Ricardo Matthews and Alex Daniels, linebackers Andre Revels and Walter Young and safety Aaron Webster. The defense is transitioning back to a 4-3, which isn't too much of an adjustment after only a year in the 3-4.

"But we were pretty multiple, too [at Central Michigan]," Banks said. "Our base will be the 4-3 but we can give some different looks."

Banks' biggest concern may be finding enough guys capable of playing with their hands on the ground. The Bearcats aren't particularly big or deep up front.

"We need [tackle Derek] Wolfe to come through and become a dominant player for us, and I'm excited about the opportunity he has," Banks said. "Big John [Hughes] has to come through for us. We have some guys up front who've played a little bit for us. We really just have to solidify ourselves on the edges and develop pass rushers. That's a point of emphasis for us."

At linebacker, Banks knows he can count on JK Schaffer, one of the more underrated players in the Big East. Former Tennessee transfer Dorian Davis is getting a look as a starter this spring. And Walter Stewart, who played the hybrid position in the 3-4 a lot last year as a true freshman, could be a big key to the defense.

"He'll really have to be a jack of all trades," Banks said. "He'll have to play on the edge as a SAM [strong side linebacker] and he'll also have to put his hand down in some situational football. We'll definitely ask him to be doing a lot of different things, and the more he can do, the more we'll give him.

"I'm excited about him. I'm not sure he knows how good he can be."

The secondary lost two starters in Webster and cornerback Brad Jones and was last seen getting firebombed by Tim Tebow & Co. Still, there are a lot of young players back there who are getting fresh starts with the new staff, like Reuben Johnson and Pat Lambert. Cincinnati seemed happy to just not give up big passing plays at times last year. Banks said the philosophy will be different for the defensive backs this season.

"We want to be aggressive without being reckless," he said. "We'll ask them to challenge a little bit more than they did in past. We believe in a little bit more aggression."

Banks said he's focusing more on making sure the players give good effort this spring rather than requiring complete knowledge of the scheme. Right now, he said, they're taking "baby steps" as they learn the new terminology and how the new coaches like to do things.

It's an adjustment, for sure, but by now the Cincinnati defense ought to be used to making changes.

CINCINNATI -- Some thoughts and observations from today's Cincinnati Bearcats practice:

• The one word I would use to describe a Butch Jones practice is: Fast. Now, I've seen some up-tempo practices in my time. Bobby Petrino used to run his guys hard at Louisville. Heck, Brian Kelly's practices were up-tempo, so much so that Notre Dame is having to adjust to the new pace.
  
  Still, I'm not sure I've seen a practice move as quickly, especially in the spring, as the one I saw today. The team took only one short break for water during the nearly 2 1/2 hour workout which covered 24 periods. When the offense was doing pass skeleton drills, the players had to absolutely sprint to the line of scrimmage after each throw. It's also a loud practice, as several coaches are yelling throughout. Usually, there's one or two extremely vocal, super-intense assistants on the field. At Nippert Stadium today, you would see several coaches sprinting and screaming all over the field.
  
  At one point when a receiver failed to keep running down the field after a catch, Mike Bajakian chased him back to the huddle and then made him sprint with him for yards.
  
  "Get the mentality!" Bajakian yelled.
  
  So that was interesting.

• Some other differences included music over the loudspeakers at the start of practice, though it was turned off after assistant Kerry Coombs voiced his displeasure with Metallica's "One." Team managers wore referee shirts so players would know where to throw the ball after a drill. The team just bought six-foot screens on wheels that stood in for the pass rush on pass drills, as managers would push the screens toward the quarterbacks. And the players line up and shake hands like a postgame hockey scene once practice ends.

• Today was the first day in pads for the Bearcats, but they mostly avoided contact. So it was hard to draw large conclusions about the team as a whole. I would definitely say the receivers are impressive; the starting trio of Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton and D.J. Woods all look great and it has to be the best group in the Big East. Jamar Howard looks bigger, and Kenbrell Thompkins looked like he could contribute down the line. Marcus Barnett, who has changed his number to 89, made some nice catches as well today.

• I thought Zach Collaros and Chazz Anderson looked sharp. Collaros is going to be the starter, of course, but this team can win with Anderson as well.

• Here was the starting unit on defense when the team went to 11-on-11 drills: Dan Giordano, Derek Wolfe, Brandon Mills and John Hughes up front, JK Schaffer, Dorian Davis and Walter Stewart at linebacker and Camerron Cheatham, Drew Frey, Wesley Richardson and Dominique Battle at defensive back. Cheatham made some nice plays, including an interception. Depth on the defensive line is a concern.

• The starting offensive line was C.J. Cobb, Sam Griffin, Alex Hoffman, Evan Davis and Jason Kelce.

• Jones has devised an interesting way to deal with Cincinnati's lack of practice space (Nippert Stadium is the team's only field). While at most other places punters do their thing on another field somewhere, they stood on the sidelines near the end zone Tuesday and punted the ball into the bleachers as a manager retrieved the balls.

Our look at where each Big East team is strongest and weakest concludes with Cincinnati, which coincidentally opens spring practice today.

Strongest position: Wide receiver

Key returnees: Armon Binns (61 catches, 888 yards, 11 touchdowns), D.J. Woods (51 catches, 640 yards, four touchdowns), Marcus Barnett (10 catches, 95 yards, touchdown).

Key departures: Mardy Gilyard

The skinny: Even without the incredibly productive Gilyard, the Bearcats are still loaded at wideout. Not only are Binns and Woods top-flight starting receivers, but the team now blends in USC transfer Vidal Hazelton, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder who could become the new No. 1 target. First-year coach Butch Jones may also find a way to get more out of Barnett, who was a star his freshman year before falling into the shadows the last two years, and/or Jamar Howard, who disappointed after transferring in from junior college last year. Zach Collaros should have plenty of options in the passing game this spring.

Weakest position: Defensive line

Key returnees: DT Derek Wolfe (20 tackles, five sacks), DT Brandon Mills (25 tackles, 3.5 sacks), DE John Hughes (23 tackles, two sacks), OLB/DE Walter Stewart (59 tackles, 4.5 sacks, interception), DE Dan Giordano (42 tackles, two sacks).

Key departures: DE Ricardo Mathews, DE Alex Daniels, DE/OLB Curtis Young.

The skinny: As the end of last season showed, Cincinnati's defensive line could be overpowered by strong offenses. Now the Bearcats must make do without three of their top pass-rushers in Mathews, Daniels and Young. And the defense will need more linemen as it transitions back to a 4-3 scheme. Wolfe is solid at nose tackle, and Stewart could be a good speed rusher if he's moved to the end (though he was listed at just 226 pounds last season). Cincinnati will need guys like Hughes and Giordano to raise their game, and more depth must be found this spring to make this a championship-caliber D-line.

This is the second part of my interview with new Cincinnati coach Butch Jones. You can read Part I here.

The conventional wisdom says a championship-level team will take a step back right after a coaching transition. What would you say to that idea?

Butch Jones: Each situation is different in its own regards. I'm excited about our players, and we have tremendous support here. I don't expect us to take a step back. It's pretty hard to build off a 12-0 season but ... I think there's a lot of hunger there. We haven't reached anywhere close to our potential here with this football program. I think the Sugar Bowl loss left kind of a bitter taste in our players' mouths, and I think it's been kind of a rallying theme all offseason. I think they were very disappointed in their performance and expected much more out of it. I think that's helped us have a great offseason in our strength and conditioning program.

You've worked in this conference before. Does having some familiarity with the Big East help you?

BJ: No question. I spent two years at West Virginia and also spent two years at Rutgers. I was actually part of the first Big East conference game ever when it was Rutgers-Boston College in 1991, and we won 20-13. I remember that like it was yesterday. I think having been in this conference and competed in this conference will be beneficial as well.

How exciting is it for you now to be a head coach in this league?

BJ: It's very exciting. I enjoyed my time at West Virginia, I enjoyed this conference and the bowl opportunities it presented. To be a part of this conference again is obviously very exciting, and over the years I've gotten a chance to know most of the coaches in this conference. I have great respect for it.

You must be pretty happy about the amount of talent you bring back on offense.

BJ: Yeah, you know I think the big thing for us in spring practice is going to be developing depth. We still need to find a couple receivers out on the perimeter. You just don't go and replace a Mardy Gilyard and what he was able to do, but I think the addition of Vidal Hazelton will help ease that process a little bit. But from a kick return, punt return standpoint, and even up front with the offensive line and also at the running back position, there's some individuals who need to step up. And then defensively, obviously it's going to stem from up front with the defensive line, and the to the second level with our linebacking corps.

You will be going back to the 4-3, right?

BJ: Our base will return to a four-man front, but we'll be real multiple within our scheme. We'll be able to maintain the same principles with a three-down front as well, but our base will be a four-down front.

It looks like it will be a young defense after losing several seniors. How much of a concern is that for you?

BJ: It will be a young defense, but I'm excited because we have some very strong personalities and strong leaders up front when you look at Dan Giordano or John Hughes, a Brandon Mills and Walter Stewart. I'm really excited about Derek Wolfe, and we've got some good leaders in JK Schaffer and Drew Frey. They've done a great job. But I think the theme all over the place is building depth. That's going to be our whole key.

How difficult was it watching that Sugar Bowl and not being able to do anything about it?

BJ: It was tough because I pride myself on being a hands-on coach. I was sitting up with Mike Thomas in the AD box, and finally I said, "Let's walk down to the field." And when it ends, now you're thinking this finally your team. And a million thoughts start racing through your mind.

Is everybody healthy and ready to go? Any position changes on the horizon?

BJ: We're pretty healthy. We'll start spring practice March 17, then we'll break for spring break. The first two practices will be geared toward evaluating personnel and making sure we have players in the right places to succeed and help us win. Those first two practices will be beneficial for us because we'll be able to step back as a staff and collect our thoughts and make any adjustments that we have. And I think it will be beneficial to our players, too, because they'll have two practices to understand our standards and expectations in a practice setting. Then they go to spring break, and when they come back they'll understand more of what's expected of them.