Big East: John Malecki
Big East players and NFL free-agent deals
Cincinnati
Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Indianapolis
Aaron Webster, S, Houston
Mike Windt, LS, Cincinnati
Connecticut
Lindsey Witten, DE, Pittsburgh
Louisville
Joe Tronzo, FB, Cincinnati
Scott Long, WR, San Francisco
UPDATE: Trent Guy, WR, Oakland
Pittsburgh
Bill Stull, QB, Kansas City
John Malecki, OG, Tennessee
Mick Williams, DT, New York Jets
Aaron Berry, CB, Detroit
Rutgers
Kevin Haslam, OT, Jacksonville
Jack Corcoran, FB, Houston
UPDATE: Tim Brown, WR, New York Giants
South Florida
Kion Wilson, LB, San Diego
Delbert Alvarado, K, Dallas
West Virginia
Jarrett Brown, QB, San Francisco
Alric Arnett, WR, Denver
So what about those who just missed the cut? Making a list of just 30 players across an eight-team league means some really good players have to be left off. Let's start with a look at those on my preseason list who failed to duplicate the honor in the postseason:
No. 3: Matt Grothe: A terrific career, obviously, but the South Florida quarterback's season was cut down by a knee injury before it ever really got going, and his pro potential is questionable at best.
No. 7: Victor Anderson: Another guy who's season was hampered by injury. Anderson posted only 473 rushing yards for Louisville, though he remains capable of big things in the next two years.
No. 10: Reed Williams: The West Virginia linebacker could have easily made this list, as he's not only an excellent player but a terrific leader. Just missed because he, too, was limited at times because of injuries.
No. 11: Ryan D'Imperio: The Rutgers linebacker wasn't nearly as productive as he had been, with his tackles dipping down to 76. But he wasn't fully healthy either.
No. 12: Scott Lutrus: Starting to sound like a broken record here. The Huskies linebacker missed huge chunks of time with various injuries and was surpassed on this list by teammate Lawrence Wilson. But he'll be a prominent preseason candidate for top 30 designation.
No. 15: Aaron Berry: The Pitt corner had a solid but not spectacular season.
No. 16: Robert Vaughn: The UConn safety dropped because of a poor overall performance by the Huskies' secondary.
No. 17: Scooter Berry: The West Virginia tackle missed significant time with injuries and a suspension.
No 19: Scott Long: My most controversial preseason pick had the misfortune of playing for a bad offense. But the Louisville receiver did get an NFL combine invite.
No. 21: Jessie Hester: The South Florida wideout struggled with injuries for much of 2009 and never regained his '08 form.
No. 22: Ryan Blaszczyk: The Rutgers offensive line disappointed, dragging its center's ranking down with it.
No. 24: Brandon Hogan: Improved as season went on; could easily make the preseason list this summer.
No. 25: Mike Williams: Was arguably the league's top receiver for half the year. But you don't quit your team midseason and expect to make a list of the league's best.
No. 27: Jock Sanders: A tough, tough omission from the list, especially considering he had 72 catches for West Virginia. What decided it for me was that he averaged fewer than 10 yards per catch and had only three touchdowns, and his production took a nosedive late in the season.
No. 28: Nate Byham: Still a terrific blocking tight end, but his pass-catching opportunities instead went to Dorin Dickerson, and I didn't want to put two Pitt tight ends on the list.
No. 29: Jon Dempsey: Had a fine year (107 tackles), but it was hard to tell by the end of the season whether he or Chris Campa was Louisville's best linebacker. No Cardinals made the postseason top 30, which gives you an idea of the challenge facing Charlie Strong.
No. 30: Moe Petrus: The UConn center was part of a terrific line, but Chris Jurek and Sampson Genus edged him out for the first- and second-team All-Big East center positions as voted by the coaches.
OK, now that we've exposed how far off my preseason list was, here are a few other players who barely missed the postseason cut:
Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati: An interesting decision here. He was outstanding in less than half a season's worth of work, including a record-breaking performance against UConn. And his potential is off the charts. Probably should have included him, but I just felt he didn't play enough in 2009. He'll definitely be on the preseason list, and probably awfully high.
Zach Hurd, UConn, and John Malecki, Pitt: Two of the best guards in the league, a position which sadly wasn't represented on this list. Guards are like the Rodney Dangerfield of football.
J.T. Thomas, West Virginia, and Adam Gunn, Pitt: Excellent linebackers in a league that's stacked at that position.
Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: He was at times the Bearcats' best weapon when defenses concentrated on Mardy Gilyard. You wonder how much the system inflates the stats of receivers. Binns, though, will surely appear on the summer list.
Chris Neild, NT, West Virginia: I thought he was one of the top two or three interior linemen in the league. Just missed.
I'm sure I'm failing to mention other worthy candidates, but I've already gone on and on long enough. Sound off on other players you think should have made it, or why I'm crazy for not including some of these on the list.
West Virginia's Williams tops Big East all-academic team
Williams, a three-year-starter and second team All-Big East performer this past season, will receive a $2,000 scholarship which may be applied to graduate or professional studies. He was one of 16 national finalists for the this year's William V. Campbell Trophy, which is presented to the national scholar-athlete of the year. Already a graduate student with a degree in finance, Williams was named to West Virginia’s dean’s list in each of his five academic years and is a four-time Big East All-Academic selection.
He is the headliner of 106 players who were chosen to the league's All-Academic team. To be nominated, a player must have a cumulative grade-point index of at least 3.0 and have completed a minimum of two semesters of academic work.
UConn placed the most members on the All-Academic team with 16, while Rutgers was second with 15. Notable players who made the list while performing at an all-conference level on the field include Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Aaron Webster, UConn's Marcus Easley, Pitt's Jonathan Baldwin, John Malecki and Adam Gunn, Rutgers' Devin McCourty, South Florida's Nate Allen and Syracuse's Derrell Smith.
The entire list can be viewed here.
Offense
QB Tom Savage, Rutgers
There weren't a lot of big numbers for Big East quarterbacks in the postseason. The Scarlet Knights' true freshman completed 14 of 27 for 294 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, in a win over Central Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
RB Mike Ford, South Florida
Ford exploded for 207 yards on 20 carries -- almost all of them in the second half -- to help the Bulls beat Northern Illinois in the International Bowl.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images Dion Lewis had 159 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries in Pittsburgh's win over North Carolina. The sensational freshman had 159 yards on 28 carries and a score against North Carolina's tough run defense in the Meineke Car Care Bowl
RB Noel Devine, West Virginia
The Mountaineers' star ran for 168 yards on 16 carries in just three quarters against Florida State in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers
Yet another freshman standout, Sanu had four catches for 97 yards and a score and also ran the ball 13 times for 41 yards and two more touchdowns.
WR Mike Shanahan, Pitt
Shanahan had five catches for 83 yards, many of them in traffic and in key spots, against North Carolina. And he's a freshman, too.
OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
The future NFL first-rounder had his ups and downs this season. But he held off Central Florida's impressive pass rusher in a strong performance during his final college game.
OT Jason Pinkston, Pitt
North Carolina came into the Meineke game with the nation's No. 6 defense, but Pinkston helped the Pitt line move the chains and get the win.
C Moe Petrus, UConn
Petrus was part of a group that helped pave the way for 146 rushing yards against South Carolina in the Papajohns.com Bowl.
OG John Malecki, Pitt
OG Zach Hurd, UConn
Defense
DE Lindsey Witten, UConn
The senior was part of a defensive line that overwhelmed the South Carolina offensive front.
DT Kendall Reyes, UConn
He had a one sack and put lots of pressure on Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia.
DT Mick Williams, Pitt
The Big East co-defensive player of the year registered a pair of sacks against North Carolina.
DE Alex Daniels, Cincinnati
One of the few Bearcats who had a good night in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Daniels had a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss against Florida.
LB Max Gruder, Pitt
Playing in his hometown, Gruder recorded 11 tackles and forced a fumble against North Carolina.
LB Scott Lutrus, UConn
The junior had nine tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery against South Carolina.
LB Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers
Another freshman, Beauharnais had seven tackles and a pair of sacks against Central Florida.
CB Billy Anderson, Rutgers
The little-known reserve returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown near the end of the first half in a key play.
CB Jerome Murphy, South Florida
He had an interception, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups in the International Bowl.
S Robert Sands, West Virginia
Sands was just about everywhere in the Gator Bowl, recording 13 tackles, two of them for loss.
S Robert Vaughn, UConn
Vaughn had an interception and two pass breakups in the Papajohns.com Bowl.
Specialists
K Dan Hutchins, Pitt
Hutchins hit four field goals, including the game-winning 33-yarder, against North Carolina.
P Jake Rogers, Cincinnati
Rogers punted more than he has in a game all season, but he put half his six punts inside the Florida 20.
KR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
He sure had plenty of opportunities, but he piled up a Sugar Bowl-record 207 return yards on eight attempts.
Pitt tries to move past disappointment, on to bowl
When the team first got to the practice field, some high school boosters had signs with Gruder's number and picture waiting to greet them. Gruder's teammates gave him some grief about that, and when he boarded the post-practice bus, a sign and balloons were waiting in his seat.
Gruder's family has since moved to Tampa, but he still needs about 60 tickets for Saturday's game. He's thrilled to be in Charlotte and to see old friends.
"It's great to be back here," he said.
The question is, are the rest of the Panthers as excited as Gruder to be there? Pittsburgh, after all, was ranked in the Top 10 with two weeks left in the season. It had a 31-10 lead against Cincinnati in the regular-season finale with a BCS bid on the line.
But the Panthers (9-3) ended the year on a two-game losing streak. Instead of the Sugar Bowl or Orange Bowl, they find themselves playing the day after Christmas against an 8-4 ACC team. The players insisted this week, though, that they're not down in the dumps.
"We were all very disappointed knowing that we had an opportunity to go to a BCS game and experience that," offensive guard John Malecki said. "But you can't dwell on the past. We're pretty much past all those negative feelings, and everybody is having a good time down here this week."
Dreams of a Big East title and BCS game slipped away. But Pitt still has the chance to finish with 10 wins, something the program hasn't done since 1981.
"Our only goal now is to get 10 wins," Gruder said. "That would be a great accomplishment. If we did that, you couldn't call this year a disappointment in any way."
To get there, Pitt will have to win a game that might feel a bit like an intrasquad scrimmage.
The Panthers' Dave Wannstedt and North Carolina head man Butch Davis coached together for 11 seasons at various college and NFL stops, and they work from mostly the same blueprint. Each runs a 4-3 defense predicated on the defensive line getting pressure on its own, and a pro-style offense. Pitt has had more dynamic offensive playmakers this season, while the Tar Heels have one of the best defenses in the country, statistically speaking.
"The similarities help a little bit when you're preparing, when you compare some of their players to our guys," Malecki said. "But you still have to go into the film room and try to pick up as many little tendencies as you can."
One similarity Pitt doesn't want to see is anything resembling last year's bowl game. In their first postseason appearance under Wannstedt, the Panthers produced a stink bomb while losing 3-0 to Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.
"That stuck with us all offseason," Gruder said. "We cannot do that again."
So Pitt does have some reasons to be motivated for this game. Perhaps some more balloons on the pre-game bus ride could help some, too.
Offense
QB: Tony Pike, Cincinnati
RB: Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh
RB: Noel Devine, West Virginia
WR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
WR: Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh
TE: Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
OT: Jeff Linkenbach, Cincinnati
C: Moe Petrus, Connecticut
OG: John Malecki, Pittsburgh
OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut
Defense
DE: Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
DE: Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
DT: Mick Williams, Pittsburgh
DT: Chris Neild, West Virginia
LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut
LB: Kion Wilson, South Florida
LB: Derrell Smith, Syracuse
CB: Devin McCourty, Rutgers
CB: Aaron Berry, Pittsburgh
S: Aaron Webster, Cincinnati
S: Nate Allen, South Florida
Specialists
K: Tyler Bitancurt, West Virginia
P: Scott Kozlowski, West Virginia
KR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
PR: Robert McClain, Connecticut
An early look at All-Big East team candidates
The end of the season also means it's time to start thinking about who will make the All-Big East team. Here's an early look at who I think should and should not make the team at each position:
Quarterback
Raise your hand if you thought Pitt's Bill Stull would be the Big East's first-team quarterback this year. Heck, most people thought he'd lose his job. But he's leading the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency -- all by a large margin. Had Tony Pike stayed healthy or Zach Collaros played a full year, we might be talking about them here. But they didn't, so it's an easy choice.
Running back
Dion Lewis is a shoo-in. The second running back spot on the team will likely belong to Noel Devine. But he's been slowed lately, mostly due to injuries. If that continues, there's a chance that UConn's Jordan Todman or Andre Dixon could slip onto the first team. Combine the two Huskies, and they've produced exactly 1,800 rushing yards.
Receiver
Mardy Gilyard and Tim Brown are the choices here for now, though you could make a strong argument for Jonathan Baldwin. If Baldwin has a big two final games, perhaps he'll earn a spot on the first team. Jock Sanders has had a great year as well. Mike Williams looked like a lock before he quit Syracuse.
Tight end
No doubt about it, Pitt's Dorin Dickerson -- a Mackey Award finalist -- gets the nod. His teammate, Nate Byham, might be the second-team tight end.
Offensive line
This is always the most difficult position to single out players, because offensive line play is not easy to evaluate from the outside. My two tackles at this point would be Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Pitt's Jason Pinkston. Rutgers left tackle Anthony Davis is the best pro prospect, but he's been far too inconsistent. Pitt's John Malecki is another lock at guard. The other two spots are less obvious. Perhaps Zach Hurd from UConn at guard and Chris Jurek from Cincinnati or UConn's Moe Petrus at center. This is one where I'll have to pick some coaches' brains to decipher.
Defensive line
You might be shocked at the one guy who's not on my list here: South Florida's George Selvie. I think his opposite end, Jason Pierre-Paul, has had the better year. I'd put Greg Romeus at the other end, along with his Pitt teammate Mick Williams at one defensive tackle. The other defensive tackle is up for grabs; I think I'd vote for West Virginia's Chris Neild in a tight one over Syracuse's Arthur Jones.
Linebacker
A lot of players have strong cases here. My three, at this point, would have to be USF's Kion Wilson, UConn's Lawrence Wilson and Louisville's Jon Dempsey. That's leaving off a lot of really good players, including Pitt's Adam Gunn and Syracuse's Derrell Smith.
Secondary
Cincinnati's Aaron Webster and USF's Nate Allen are my safeties, hands down. Devin McCourty is clearly a first-team cornerback. The other cornerback spot is debatable; right now, I'd probably pick Pitt's Aaron Berry, who's coming on strong at the end of the year.
Specialists
The clubhouse leaders are Pitt's Dan Hutchins at place-kicker, West Virginia's Scott Kozlowski at punter, Gilyard as punt returner and Louisville's Trent Guy as kick returner.
This early ballot leaves off several players I had ticketed for first-team honors in the preseason, including Selvie, Jones, West Virginia's Reed Williams, Rutgers' Ryan D'Imperio and others. But there's still time for performances to sway my picks, and I plan on getting a lot of input on my choices before picking a final team.
Now I want your input. Agree or disagree with these selections? Let's hear it.
- The Hartford Courant's Jeff Jacobs thinks it's unlikely that Randy Edsall will leave for the Kansas job.
- It would be nice if Brian Kelly simply said "I'm staying," Paul Daugherty writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- John Malecki was a hidden gem on the recruiting trail for Pitt, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Jarrett Brown reflects on his career in advance of Senior Day to the Times West Virginian's Bob Hertzel.
- Averin Collier had the biggest run of the season for Syracuse and maybe the most important against Rutgers, Donnie Webb says in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
- Two Bulls freshmen -- Sam Barrington and Kayvon Webster -- chose South Florida over Miami, Greg Auman writes in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
- Trent Guy has had some great returns for Louisville, but he rues one that got away, C.L. Brown says in The Courier-Journal.
- Rutgers figures Tom Savage will get blitzed a ton on Friday, Keith Sargeant writes in the Home News Tribune.
- Tony Pike talks to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Bill Koch in his first interview since the injury in the South Florida game. He says he's almost all the way back and has no problems with Zach Collaros starting this Friday.
- Bill Stewart says the Mountaineers are relatively healthy going into Cincinnati, including Noel Devine, Colin Dunlap writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- The depletion of the roster at Syracuse means the Orange have changed the way they practice, Donnie Webb writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
- Will San San Te be the latest Rutgers kicker to find glory on a Thursday night? Tom Luicci asks that question in The Star-Ledger.
- John Malecki has been an anchor for the Pitt offensive line, Ralph N. Paulk says in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- Doug Beaumont has caught everything but a touchdown in his Louisville career, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal.
- There are no heroes in the Jasper Howard story, Jeff Jacobs says in the Hartford Courant.
Star-studded defensive lines collide in Pitt-USF game
One of the most interesting debates you could have in the preseason about the Big East was trying to figure out which team had the better defensive line between Pittsburgh and South Florida.
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| George Gojkovich/Getty Images | |
| Greg Romeus (91) and Mick Williams (95) have led a stout Pitt defensive line. |
The debate could be settled this Saturday, when South Florida takes on the Panthers in Heinz Field. Fans will be treated to two defensive lines stacked with pass-rushing menaces and future pros.
"I think there are a lot of similarities," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. "One is the scheme, because we're both 4-3 teams. And we both turn our D-linemen loose, if you will. We play aggressively with those guys up front."
Both lines feature top candidates for the Big East defensive player of the year award, including South Florida defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul (8.5 tackles for loss) and George Selvie (three sacks) and Pitt defensive end Greg Romeus (seven sacks) and tackle Mick Williams (11.5 tackles for loss). Jabaal Sheard, Romeus' counterpart at the other end spot, continues to be one of the more underrated players in the league.
While both lines have some big guys -- Bulls tackle Terrell McClain is 6-foot-3, 306 pounds, and Williams and fellow Pitt tackle Gus Mustakas are strong as oxen -- both lines share preferences for speed over size. Selvie, for example, was a high school center who has worked most of his career to put on weight, while Romeus was a slender high school basketball player who has bulked up to 270 pounds.
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| Cliff Welch/Icon SMI | |
| South Florida's Jason Pierre-Paul has 8.5 tackles for loss this season. |
One major key to the game will be how both offensive lines hold up under the massive pressure. Pitt has allowed only six sacks in seven games, ranking 13th in the FBS in that statistic. But its O-line has not seen a D-line as fearsome as South Florida's yet.
The Bulls have given up 11 sacks in six games, but Cincinnati had four in last week 34-17 win in Tampa. B.J. Daniels' scrambling ability probably has saved at least a half-dozen or more additional sacks. Still, this unit came into the year as the team's biggest question mark.
"We were supposed to be the weakest link of the team," center Sampson Genus said, "and so far, we're doing pretty well."
I asked Romeus if he and his teammates were looking at this week as a chance to prove they have the Big East's best defensive line. He chuckled.
"We went into the season wanting to be the best in the conference and the country," he said. "That's something we're trying to accomplish every week, regardless of who we're playing."
Yet there's no getting around the fact that Saturday's game will provide a feast for those who like watching the trenches.
"I think it's going to be a defensive game, and obviously it starts up front," Romeus said. "Whichever D-line comes up big will have a big sway in who ends up winning the game."
Frosh phenom Lewis surpassing all expectations at Pitt
From the moment Dion Lewis enrolled early in January, Pittsburgh's coaches have been impressed with the true freshman running back.
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| Kevin Hoffman/US Presswire | |
| Dion Lewis is on pace for more than 1,570 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. |
Lewis performed well in practice during the spring and in training camp, leading the Panthers to believe that he could make up for some of what they lost when star tailback LeSean McCoy bolted for the NFL after his sophomore season.
But Lewis has even done the unthinkable: he's been better than McCoy so far.
Check out this comparison between Lewis this season and McCoy through the first seven games of 2008:
McCoy: 161 carries for 835 yards, 5.2 yards per carry, 14 touchdowns.
Lewis: 162 carries for 918 yards, 5.7 yards per carry, nine touchdowns.
McCoy scored more touchdowns, but Pitt has more options in the red zone this season in the passing game.
"We did expect him to be a productive player," Pitt running backs coach David Walker said of Lewis. "But to be honest, I'd be lying if I said I thought he'd be this good or productive right off the bat."
Not bad for a guy who's only other major scholarship offers were from Tulane and Miami of Ohio. But Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt was sold quickly on the 5-foot-8, 195-pounder after seeing his high school tapes.
"I think I watched four plays and then turned the projector off, and we offered him a scholarship," Wannstedt said.
His recruitment, of course, wasn't that simple. But the Panthers needed a running back with McCoy leaving and LaRod Stephens-Howling graduating. Lewis averaged 14.1 yards per carry at Blair Academy in New Jersey.
"We look for guys who show a certain skill set, and it didn't take long to see [with Lewis]," Walker said. "We look for quickness and body control, change of direction, toughness and the ability to make people miss. He kept showing that over and over again."
Unlike a lot of young backs, Lewis doesn't try to improvise too much. He hits the hole and runs north and south as much as possible. What may be most impressive about him is how he's able to shed tacklers and break free after the first contact despite his short stature. Which shouldn't be confused with small.
"Pound for pound, he's probably one of the strongest players on our team," Wannstedt said. "His bench press is up in the 300s. And that's just his upper body. He's legs are very strong, too. He has speed, yes, but to break tackles, in his particular case, it's because he has great strength in his hips and legs."
Lewis will be a big key for the No. 20 Panthers (6-1, 3-0 Big East) on Saturday against South Florida (5-1, 1-1). Pitt will need to run the ball to slow down the Bulls pass rush and, as always, make the play-action passing game work for Bill Stull.
Lewis is on pace for more than 1,570 yards and 15 touchdowns. At that rate, he will challenge Tony Dorsett's school record for most rushing yards by a freshman (1,686). Heck, no Pitt sophomore has ever run for 1,500 yards. By now, though, it's clear that all previous expectations need to be raised when it comes to Dion Lewis.
"He no longer surprises us," offensive guard John Malecki said. "He goes out there and does unbelievable things every week."
ESPN.com's preseason All-Big East team
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
The Big East doesn't put out an official preseason all-conference team. But I do. Below are my picks for the best in the league for 2009. Pittsburgh leads the way with six selections.
Offense
QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
RB Noel Devine, West Virginia
RB Victor Anderson, Louisville
WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
WR Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh
OT: Anthony Davis, Rutgers
OG: John Malecki, Pittsburgh
C: Ryan Blaszczyk Rutgers
OG: Art Forst, Rutgers
OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
TE: Nate Byham, Pittsburgh
Defense
DE: George Selvie, South Florida
DT: Arthur Jones, Syracuse
DT: Scooter Berry, West Virginia
DE: Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
LB: Ryan D'Imperio, Rutgers
LB: Scott Lutrus, Connecticut
LB: Reed Williams, West Virginia
CB: Aaron Berry, Pittsburgh
CB: Brandon Hogan, West Virginia
S: Nate Allen, South Florida
S: Robert Vaughn, Connecticut
Specialists
P: Rob Long, Syracuse
PK: Jake Rogers, Cincinnati
KR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
PR: Jasper Howard, Connecticut
Looking back at the '06 Big East recruiting classes
My colleague Ted Miller out in the wild, wild west of the Pac-10 had a really fun post earlier this week. He looked back on that conference's 2006 recruiting class. Players who signed that year should be seniors or redshirt juniors now, so it's a perfect time to judge the class on actual results, not promise.
And so, I figure that's a good idea to steal and apply to the Big East. Pittsburgh had the 16th-best recruiting class in the nation that season, according to our Scouts Inc. experts, while Louisville ranked 21st. No other Big East team cracked the top 25.
Let's take a look back and see how things have turned out, shall we?
Cincinnati
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- LB John Goebel, LB Robby Armstrong, CB Marcus Barnett, TE Ben Guidugli, DL Ricardo Matthews, RB Jacob Ramsey, S Aaron Webster
Misses: DT Oren Wilson
Verdict: Mark Dantonio's final full class contained some players who have already contributed, like Ramsey, Guidugli, Barnett and Webster, and some who should assume bigger roles this year, like Armstrong and Matthews. But overall, this lacked the quality of the deep '05 bunch that formed the core of last year's Orange Bowl squad. Receiver Jamar Howard, who was part of the '06 class but didn't qualify in 2006, is back this year after a stint in junior college.
Connecticut
Class: 24
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Brad Kanuch, S Robert Vaughn, K Desi Cullen, OL Zach Hurd, LB Scott Lutrus, CB Robert McClain, LB Lawrence Wilson, DE Lindsey Witten, OL Mathieu Olivier, DT Alex Polito, DE Mike Cox
Misses: CB Jamie Nixon
Verdict: As usual, Randy Edsall's '06 class didn't draw much attention nationally. But he found a whole bunch of players who exceeded their star rankings and became key pieces for the Huskies. Lutrus is one of the best linebackers in the Big East, while Vaughn is a top safety and Witten has NFL potential. UConn could use a breakthrough from the oft-injured Kanuch.
Louisville
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- DE Rodney Gnat, DT L.T. Walker, LB Brandon Heath, WR Josh Chichester, CB Johnny Patrick, WR Troy Pascley, OT Jeff Adams
Misses: DT Aundre Henderson, DT Kareem Crowell, QB Emmanuel Francis
Verdict: Bobby Petrino's final class at Louisville looked great on paper but was hit hard by attrition and misevaluations, which is part of the reason why the Cardinals have been so thin the past two years. Some problems were unforeseen; promising defensive end Peanut Whitehead had his career ended after just a season by a back injury. Henderson decided he didn't like football and quit. Running back Anthony Allen transferred. Several others were dismissed for disciplinary reasons or never panned out.
Pittsburgh
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Nate Byham, OT Jason Pinkston, CB Aaron Berry, OL John Malecki, CB Jovani Chappel, OL Joe Thomas, S Elijah Fields, DE Greg Romeus, CB Ricky Gary
Misses: QB Kevan Smith, CB Aaron Smith, DT Scott Corson
Verdict: Overall, this was a deep, solid class that will form the backbone of this year's team. Add in the fact that star left tackle Jeff Otah was part of this group as a junior college transfer, and it becomes all the more impressive. Byham, Pinkston, Berry and Romeus are All-Big East-caliber players with pro futures. Pitt hasn't seemed able to figure out what to do yet with once highly-rated prospect Dorin Dickerson. Running back Kevin Collier could contribute this year.
Rutgers
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- RB Kordell Young, WR Tim Brown, LB Antonio Lowery, DT Blair Bines, LB Ryan D'Imperio, DB Zaire Kitchen, TE Shamar Graves, FB Jack Corcoran, DT Charlie Noonan
Misses: TE Jeff Minemeyer, LB Sorie Bayoh
Verdict: The best player from this class, Kenny Britt, was a first-round NFL draft pick in April. Combine that with a high number of contributors, and Greg Schiano had a pretty good batting average with this class.
South Florida
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Carlton Mitchell, OL Zach Hermann, S Nate Allen, DB Jerrell Young, OL Jeremiah Warren, LB Sabbath Joseph, DL Aaron Harris, DL Craig Marshall, K Delbert Alvarado, WR Ed Alcin, OL Kevin McCaskill
Misses: DT Leslie Stirrups, WR Jason Sherman, DE Joseph Jackson
Verdict: Surprisingly, some of the Bulls' highest-rated recruits in the 2006 class are the ones who didn't pan out, while the lesser-regarded names have gained regular playing time. The best player so far of this group is Allen, who should have an NFL future. This is a good class that just needs a little more star power.
Syracuse
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Andrew Robinson, RB Delone Carter, OL Jim McKenzie, OL Ryan Bartholomew, OL Tucker Baumbach, OL Jonathan Meldrum, DE Jared Kimmel, LB Derrell Smith, WR Mike Williams
Misses: WR Andrey Baskin, S Derek Hrinya
Verdict: Several players from the '06 batch will start this year, including nearly all of Syracuse's offensive line. But this class, like most of Greg Robinson's efforts, is short on all-conference caliber players. Baskin was the Orange's biggest recruit, but he failed to qualify and never made it to campus. Robinson was the starting quarterback two years ago before switching to tight end this spring.
West Virginia
Class: 16
Expected major contributors in 2009: 6 -- DT Chris Neild, WR Wes Lyons, LB Anthony Leonard, C Eric Jobe, S Franchot "Boogie" Allen, LB J.T. Thomas
Misses: S John Maddox, CB Robert Williams, OL Eric Rodemoyer, CB Greg Davis
Verdict: The Mountaineers had a small class in '06, and they could have handed out half the scholarships and gotten the same results. Only eight 2006 signees are on the current roster. Several from that class are expected to take a step up this year, including Neild, Lyons and Allen. Still, only getting six major contributors from any class is a hard pill to swallow.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Here's a look at what players will be attending the Big East's media days on Aug. 3-4 in Newport, R.I.:
• Cincinnati: Tony Pike and Aaron Webster
• Connecticut: Desi Cullen, Scott Lutrus, Robert McClain and Anthony Sherman
• Louisville: Jon Dempsey and Scott Long
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
• Pitt's John Malecki, who moved from defensive line to offensive guard last year, is now being tried at backup center, Kevin Gorman writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• Speaking of backup centers, Joey Madsen is a name to watch on the West Virginia O-line, Mitch Vingle write in the Charleston Gazette.
• Freshman receiver Daniel Bryant got a look at cornerback during South Florida's practice, Greg Auman notes in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Rutgers' Alex Silvestro is getting comfortable at defensive end after moving from tackle, Keith Sargeant says in the Home News Tribune.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
