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There was some news stories around the Big East this weekend, so I figured they deserved mention in a blog post before they got swept away in the lunchtime links.

-- Syracuse has had quite a few weeks with off-the-field incidents. While we were away, backup quarterback Jonny Miller was charged with suspicion of robbery and assault. Coach Doug Marrone said both Miller and receiver Marcus Sales have been suspended indefinitely. Sales was arrested on drug charges. Meanwhile, running back Prince-Tyson Gulley is back in Syracuse but has yet to practice after getting stabbed during a fight at an on-campus party. He should be able to resume practice in the next week. At media day last week, Marrone said, "When things happen around you with negative situations, you have to turn them into an educational experience for everyone else. I’ve tried to do that. We have to learn from situations like this and also have to understand that we need all of our focus and attention on our football team for what we do out here on the football field."

Another backup running back, Steve Rene, is out for a week to 10 days while he heals from an infection in his right arm.

-- An interesting development out of USF. Transfer running back Dontae Aycock has decided to quit football. Coach Skip Holtz told local reporters that Aycock was having trouble with his weight and felt his heart wasn't in it anymore. Aycock transferred to USF from Auburn and was expected to contribute this season with another transfer, Darrell Scott from Colorado. Aycock will remain in school to get his degree. The Bulls will have to rely on Scott, Demetris Murray, Marcus Shaw and Bradley Battles. Perhaps this opens the door for true freshman Willie Davis to contribute.

-- West Virginia freshman quarterback Brian Athey has left the team and transferred to Illinois State, leaving the Mountaineers with just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. Two. When it became clear Paul Millard would be the backup, Athey decided to leave in pursuit of playing time elsewhere.

-- Even though highly touted 2010 prospect Latwan Anderson tweeted that he would be joining Cincinnati, Anderson is not enrolled in school and not on the roster for fall practice. Anderson, who left the University of Miami after the 2010 season, has some academic issues to work through. Freshman receiver Rodriguez Coleman also isn't on the roster. Neither is linebacker Demetrius Alston.

-- Rutgers running back Jawan Jamison hurt his hamstring and is out for seven to 10 days, essentially leaving Jeremy Deering, De'Antwan Williams and Savon Huggins as the main competitors in the race to become the starter. Local media reports out of New Jersey say Huggins and Deering have emerged as the top two candidates for the job, though it is early in camp.

Here is the second part of my pre-spring conversation with Syracuse coach Doug Marrone. You can read Part I here.

We talked about Marcus Sales, so let's talk about the other receivers. How much can Van Chew and Alec Lemon improve?


Doug Marrone: Both players got hurt at the end of last year. I do like Van. I told everyone that last spring and no one really jumped on that. I guess they figured I didn't know what I was talking about. He had a good year for us and he's healthy, he'll be ready to go. Alec had a real good end of the year his freshman year, and last year he was a little inconsistent. He's faster right now than he's ever been, which is exciting. He's really worked hard, and there's more competition there. When you create a lot of competition at each position, you'll get better play.

Ryan Nassib started all 13 games for you at quarterback. Is he the no-doubt leader there again this spring?


DM: That's the way we feel now, but we have to go out there and make sure everything is set. He had 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions and completed about 56 percent. We try to get our quarterbacks up to 65 completion percentage. Does he have the lead going in? Absolutely, because he has the experience. But Charley Loeb has done some nice things. John Kinder had a great bowl practice for us -- he really, really did a nice job, so where does he go now? Jonny Miller is coming off shoulder injury, so it's going to be interesting to see him because he's a very good athlete. Does someone have to play extremely well to beat out Ryan Nassib? Yes. But Ryan Nassib has some pretty good competition behind him too.

Any redshirt guys or others who didn't play last year who you're expecting to make a move this spring?


DM: Well, we didn't redshirt many guys. But I think Deon Goggins, on the inside for our defense, is one. We've moved Marquis Spruill to middle linebacker. He played well for us last year as a true freshman [at outside linebacker], but there's still going to be a learning curve for the kid. At corner, Ri'shard Anderson was going to play for us, probably be our corner when went to nickel, until he got hurt last year and he's healthy now. Keondrick Lyn, I think, is a very, very good player there as well. So it will be interesting to see them and Kevyn Scott battle. Then there's Jeremi Wilkes, too. Micah Robinson and Max Beaulieu are two defensive linemen to watch, and Ollie Haney is coming off an injury. He had a pretty good spring last year.

You moved some coaches around this offseason. Was that just to prioritize some positions that need extra coaching this year?

DM: It was. You look at it now, and we have two coaches on the D-line, so coach [Jimmy] Brumbaugh can now spend that time coaching those young inside players. We have to do that to be successful. Our ends are returning, and I really think they'll do a heck of a job, all of them. Then with our linebackers, coach [John] Anselmo is down there now with with coach [Dan] Conley. With so many spread offenses, basically one of the linebackers will have to come out of the box, and coach Anselmo knows that stuff from being a defensive backs coach. So we wanted to strategically put coaches in areas where we need to play well in order to be successful.

You also promoted Nathaniel Hackett to offensive coordinator. Was that really much of a change, since he was calling plays last year anyway?


DM: It's really not. I know I can call plays, that's not a problem. Then when coach Hackett came in the spring, he'd call a segment of practice and I would call a segment. At the end of the day, we come from the same background, and our thoughts are going the same way. my philosophy is I want to be able to manage the game, know when to call timeouts, when to punt, when to do everything. So it's very simple for me to say, 'You know what, go ahead and call the plays, and at the end of the year we'll make sure you have the title because you deserve it.' But every play goes through me, on offense, defense and special teams.

Last year, you publicly stated your goal was to get to a bowl game. What's next?


DM: We're going to go through spring and create this goal for ourselves when we start this preseason. I think it's very important to do things together with the players. Obviously, we won eight games last year and have a challenging schedule this year. What that goal actually is will be verbally communicated when we get closer to the beginning of season. We've still got a lot of time to get ourselves ready and a lot of work to do.

I've said before that the toughest thing to do is turn around a college football program. I think the second toughest thing to do is maintain it. That's the key. So we have a lot of hard work in front of us.

You definitely turned things around, and I know you had a very detailed plan when you took over. Winning eight games and a bowl your second year, how did that match up with your plan?


DM: In the beginning, every coach comes in thinking they're going to win and go to a bowl game. Those were our thoughts coming in. I let other people say where they think we are. I thought we should have been in a bowl game that first year, but we fell short in a couple games. Last year we were in a position where we could have won more football games but we didn't.

So how do we get ourselves playing at the highest level every single week, and still do all the other things that's expected of us as student-athletes -- going to class, getting high GPAs and being leaders on campus? We expect a lot of our players. So we'll sit down and break down these goals, because we have to take it to the next level.

It's hard to win in college football without a good, experienced quarterback. So perhaps it should have been no surprise that several Big East teams struggled on offense at times in 2010.

Remember last offseason, when we talked about how South Florida's B.J. Daniels and Rutgers' Tom Savage were the most experienced league quarterbacks in terms of starts despite coming off their freshman seasons? Even that wasn't a great indicator of success, as Daniels had to adjust to a new system and Savage got hurt, benched and eventually decided to transfer.

The good news for the Big East is that there will be many more experienced signal-callers ready to open the 2011 season. First, let's take a look at which quarterbacks will have the most career starts under their belts when next season rolls around:

1. Daniels, South Florida, junior: 22 career starts

2. Zach Collaros, Cincinnati, senior: 15

T-3. Ryan Nassib, Syracuse, junior: 13

T-3. Geno Smith, West Virginia, junior: 13

T-3. Tino Sunseri, Pittsburgh, junior: 13

6. Chas Dodd, Rutgers, sophomore: 8

7. Will Stein, Louisville, senior: 2

8. Michael Box, Connecticut, sophomore: 1

Daniels will be the graybeard as a third-year starter, but Collaros, Nassib and Smith all saw significant time in the 2009 season. Smith, Sunseri, Dodd and whoever Connecticut's starting quarterback is will all be playing for a new offensive coordinator this season.

Now let's look at the likelihood of potential quarterback battles this spring at each school:

Cincinnati -- Chance of competition: slim to none. Collaros is the established guy and a great leader who shouldn't have to worry about job security.

Connecticut -- Chance of competition: high. Box made only one start and it was a disastrous one against Louisville. With new coach Paul Pasqualoni coming in, recruit Michael Nebrich enrolled and several other candidates on the roster, this one looks wide open.

Louisville -- Chance of competition: guaranteed. Stein, a former walk-on who's under 5-foot-10, has a ton of moxie. But he'll have to hold off highly-touted early enrollee Teddy Bridgewater for the gig.

Pittsburgh -- Chance of competition: medium to high. Sunseri started every game last year and improved during the season, but new coach Todd Graham brings an entirely new offensive system. Don't be surprised if redshirt freshmen Mark Myers and Anthony Gonzalez get a serious look this spring.

Rutgers -- Chance of competition: slim. At least for the spring, Dodd should be safe. His only real competition will come from a pair of incoming freshmen this summer.

South Florida -- Chance of competition: good. Daniels may have more starts than anybody, but Skip Holtz is at least going to let Bobby Eveld push him in the spring. And don't forget about redshirt freshman Jamius Gunsby.

Syracuse -- Chance of competition: possible. Nassib started every game in 2010 and had an excellent bowl performance. But Syracuse has a lot of quarterbacks on the roster, including once-hyped recruit Jonny Miller. Nassib has the definite edge but can't get complacent.

West Virginia -- Chance of competition: tiny. Smith is the man in Morgantown, and his two freshman backups in 2010 transferred. The only concern is his foot injury that may hold him out of spring practice drills as Dana Holgorsen installs his new offense. But only a monumental upset or further injury would prevent Smith from starting the opener in 2011.

Spring is over. Players have shown what they're capable of doing and what they still need to work on. So it's time to start breaking down each position in the Big East to see who is the strongest.

This is a ranking of the entire position group, so while having frontline talent helps, depth matters too. Let's start with the position that everybody always looks to first: quarterback.

1. Cincinnati: Zach Collaros will enter the season with probably the highest expectations of any Big East signal-caller, given his spectacular four-game starting stint in 2009 and the offense he'll play in for Butch Jones. Chazz Anderson also had a strong spring and could easily win games if something happens to Collaros.

2. Connecticut: Surprised? Don't be. Zach Frazer looked sharp this spring after ending the 2009 season strong, and his backup, Cody Endres, has already proved he can win games in the Big East. Michael Box is a promising prospect, Johnny McEntee does some things well and Leon Kinnard is a lightning bug who could help out in certain packages. This may be the deepest team in the league at QB.

3. Pittsburgh: No, Tino Sunseri has never started a game. But Pat Bostick has, and he's won some big ones. Sunseri is skilled and has a lot to work with, while Pitt can feel comfortable with one of the more experienced backups in the league. Remember, depth matters.

4. Rutgers: Though only a true sophomore, Tom Savage has more career starts than any returning starting quarterback in the league, amazingly enough. But the situation is perilous behind him, with only Steve Shimko there now. Can incoming freshman Chas Dodd help out this summer?

5. South Florida: Talk about your dangerous backup situations. B.J. Daniels is an electric player, but right now he only has walk-ons behind him. Incoming true frosh Jamius Gunsby will serve as his backup, but the Bulls don't want to have to go down that road this year.

6. West Virginia: This is one of those rankings that will look silly in time. I think Geno Smith will develop into one of the league's better quarterbacks. But since he was limited in the spring by a foot injury, the jury has to remain out on the sophomore until he's healthy. Coley White stood out this spring when given a bunch of snaps, but he'll likely move to receiver this fall as the Mountaineers see what they have in true freshmen Barry Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson.

7. Louisville: Depth is not a problem for the Cardinals, who are still deciding between Adam Froman and Justin Burke, with former starter Will Stein in the wings. Freshman Dominique Brown will be given a look this summer as well. The problem, instead, is the lack of an elite player at the position.

8. Syracuse: The Orange enter the season as one of only two Big East teams to not return a quarterback with starting experience. Ryan Nassib did play a lot this year, and redshirt freshman Charley Loeb pushed him this spring. Highly-touted recruit Jonny Miller arrives this summer.

2009 overall record: 4-8

2009 conference record: 1-6, T-7th in Big East

Returning starters
Offense: 4. Defense: 6. Punter/kicker: 2

Top returners
RB Delone Carter, LB Derrell Smith, LB Doug Hogue, C Ryan Bartholomew, RB Antwon Bailey, DE Chandler Jones, S Mike Holmes, QB Ryan Nassib

Key losses
QB Greg Paulus, DT Arthur Jones, OL Jim McKenzie, TE Mike Owen

2009 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Delone Carter* (1,021 yards)
Passing: Greg Paulus (2,024 yards)
Receiving: Mike Williams (746 yards)
Tackles: Derrell Smith* (82)
Sacks: Doug Hogue* (9.5)
Interceptions: Mike Holmes* (3)

Spring answers

1. New-look offense: Head coach Doug Marrone took over as his own offensive coordinator in the offseason, and this spring offered a glimpse of what a Marrone-controlled attack might look like. In the spring game, the Orange looked to throw the ball downfield a lot more than they did last year under coordinator Rob Spence, who favored short passes and screens. Also gone is the no-huddle and spread, replaced by multiple formations and two-back, two-tight end sets, even some option. The goal is to create more big plays, something Syracuse lacked in '09.

2. Improved depth: Syracuse still didn't have enough players to stage a full spring game. But the Orange are in much better shape than they were last year, when attrition through injuries and other issues meant they could have taken a short bus to away games. There's depth at running back, linebacker and in the secondary, while the numbers are improving along the lines.

3. Defensive aggression: Getting Derrell Smith back healthy and having him alongside returning sacks leader Doug Hogue gives the Orange a stellar 1-2 punch at linebacker. Shamarko Thomas and Philip Thomas played well at corner, and Marrone likes the pass rush off the edge with Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich. Scott Shafer's Syracuse defense surprised some people in 2009 and could be better in '10.

Fall questions

1. Quarterback competition: Ryan Nassib entered the spring as the presumed starter after serving as Greg Paulus' apprentice last season. But Charley Loeb pushed him in practice and had a strong spring game. While Nassib probably holds the edge, Loeb or incoming freshman Jonny Miller could make things interesting in fall camp.

2. Go-to who? Since Mike Williams left the team in the middle of last year, Syracuse hasn't really had a go-to wide receiver. Marcus Sales had a big spring game, while Alec Lemon and Van Chew had their moments as well. Perhaps this will be a spread-the-wealth offense, because Syracuse does have three versatile tailbacks. But the emergence of a true No. 1 receiver would sure help.

3. Whither Delone: Star tailback Delone Carter's arrest and subsequent suspension from school at the end of spring practice creates some questions for the fall. While Carter's lawyer said the senior can return to school in time for the season, he'll miss all of the team workouts this summer and possibly fall practice. It remains to be seen if Marrone will issue further punishment as well.

Ryan Nassib takes a philosophical view of what spring position battles really mean.

"Spring is when you earn your job, and the fall is when you win," he says. "Nothing really matters until you've got a place at the table at the beginning of the first game."

Nassib learned that lesson firsthand last year. Early on in the spring, he was named Syracuse's starting quarterback even though he was just a redshirt freshman with no experience. After spring ball ended, however, Greg Paulus transferred in from Duke and was named the starter during fall camp. Nassib did nothing to lose the job, really, but Paulus was the veteran, even if he hadn't played football in four years.

But Nassib didn't just ride the pine. He played in 10 games and got plenty of snaps in several of them as the Orange began to groom him for the future. He also came in on special packages, sometimes even lining up at receiver. Against West Virginia, after Paulus struggled, he completed 7-of-16 passes for 120 yards and two scores.

"I didn't have the typical role of a second-string quarterback," Nassib said. "I got a chance to get in and experience real-life game time. I had some success and some failures. I learned a lot from it."

He completed 52.9 percent of his throws for 422 yards and three touchdowns, plus an interception. Doug Marrone said Nassib learned lessons that were just as valuable simply by watching how Paulus went about his preparations.

"He was great to look up to," Nassib said. "He was a veteran college athlete. He taught me some great things, not only on the field but in locker room with the team and how to handle yourself."

Nassib entered this spring with the upper hand on the quarterback job, but Marrone hasn't anointed him as the starter. Freshman Charley Loeb is pushing him in practice, and highly-regarded recruit Jonny Miller will arrive this summer. Nassib knows that nothing is certain.

But he's in a much better frame of mind this spring than he was this time a year ago.

"I have a better understanding of what college football is and what it takes to compete at this level," he said. "Last spring, I was like a freshman, not knowing much. Now that I've got a whole year under my belt and have experienced a lot of things, I feel a lot more confident out on the field."

Nassib hopes he's on the field as the starter come September. He's not taking anything for granted this time around, though.

Spring football in the Big East kicks off March 16. Here's a breakdown of three issues facing each program heading into the spring:

CINCINNATI
Spring practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 24
What to watch:

• Building depth: New coach Butch Jones said this is the biggest key for the spring. The Bearcats have a lot of top-flight players with starting experience back, like Zach Collaros, Armon Binns, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer. But there's a lot of youth and inexperience in potential backup roles, especially at positions like offensive line, linebacker and receiver. All slates are clean with the new coaching staff, and the spring will be a time when new names can emerge in key roles.

• Defensive line retooling: Jones will switch back to the 4-3 after a year in the 3-4 scheme. Both starting defensive ends from last year are gone, but the smallish line was overpowered at times near the end of the season anyway. Derek Wolfe should be a fixture inside, Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and John Hughes step into more prominent roles. Jones will have to decide whether to make Walter Stewart a defensive end or keep him at outside linebacker. The Bearcats could use a little more strength and bulk up front against the bigger Big East offensive lines.

• Vidal's arrival: USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is eligible after sitting out last year. He reputedly dominated practices last season, and now he'll get to go full time with the first string. A lot of people will be watching closely to see how he and Collaros connect during the spring. A big year by Hazelton will lessen the loss of star wideout Mardy Gilyard and could keep Cincinnati as the Big East's best offense.

CONNECTICUT
Spring practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 17
What to watch:

• Secondary matters: UConn returns a truckload of starters and looks rock solid in most areas. But the defensive backfield will be an area of emphasis starting in the spring. Gone are stalwarts Robert McClain and Robert Vaughn from a secondary that got picked apart much of the season by opposing passing games. Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson showed progress by the end of their redshirt freshmen seasons and should be the starting corners. The Huskies need someone to replace Vaughn at safety and overall better performance from the unit.

• Frazer vs. Endres: Zach Frazer and Cody Endres have been splitting starts since the second half of the 2008 season at quarterback. Endres took over early last year and played well until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Frazer picked things up late after a slow start. The competition should be back on this spring, with Frazer probably holding the edge given his late-season improvement.

• Catch as catch can: Receiver was a major question for UConn going into last spring, when walk-on senior Marcus Easley surprised everybody with his giant leap forward. He became the go-to guy in 2009, but now he's gone, along with starter Brad Kanuch. So the Huskies are basically back in the same position as this time a year ago, needing to find some reliable pass catchers. Kashif Moore may be the next to break out after some good, late-year performances. And perhaps former highly-touted recruit Dwayne Difton will emerge. UConn hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again like it did with Easley.

LOUISVILLE
Spring practice starts: March 24
Spring game: April 16
What to watch:

• Switching to Strong: The Cardinals will have their first practices under new coach Charlie Strong, who promises to bring a much different style than former coach Steve Kragthorpe. Strong is known as being an intense guy on the field, and as a former top-flight defensive coordinator, he will likely be particularly demanding of players on that side of the ball. There will be new terminology to learn, new assistants and new standards to which the Cardinals must adjust in a hurry.

• The quarterback shuffle: Louisville had three quarterbacks -- Adam Froman, Justin Burke and Will Stein -- start games last year. All three will be given the chance to win the job in the spring, and mid-year enrollee Luke Woodley might see some snaps as well. Don't be surprised if this competition goes into the fall and if other newcomers like Dominique Brown get a look. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford wants to run a Florida-style spread offense, which might favor the more mobile Froman if he chooses to go with a veteran under center.

• Line play: The trenches have not been a particularly strong suit for Louisville the past couple of seasons, one of the reasons why the program has fallen out of annual postseason play. The Cardinals have gotten very little pass rush from the defensive line and not enough of a consistent push from the offensive line. Strong asked the offensive linemen to rework their bodies to prepare for the spread, and he'll need replacements for two senior defensive tackles. Junior-college imports Randy Salmon and Tyler Harrell will have a chance to impress on the defensive line. If the holdovers don't step up, we could see more newcomers in key spots by the summer.

(Read full post)

Analyzing the 2010 Big East signing classes ...

Syracuse

View class here.

Signees: 31

Heavy on: Linebackers (six), receivers (five)

Geographic trend: New York, Pennsylvania and Florida are heavily represented.

Headliners: QB Jonny Miller (three stars); CB Jeremi Wilkes (three stars).

Sleeper: Take your pick: 16 players earned only two stars or lower.

Best potential for immediate impact: Don't be surprised if Miller makes a serious run for the starting quarterback job as a true freshman.

Needs met: Syracuse needed bodies to fill out the roster and got that with a huge class, seven of whom enrolled in January and will count against last year's class. The Orange also needed playmakers at wideout and more linebackers, and those positions made up a large chunk of this otherwise balanced and diverse group.

Analysis: There aren't a lot of showstopper names in this bunch, but second-year coach Doug Marrone is still working to get Syracuse back in the forefront of recruits' minds. What he has done is get the program back to its traditional recruiting roots in New York, Florida and elsewhere. And he's now got a lot of players to work with, unlike his first season. It's up to Marrone to develop these guys and prove the recruiting rankings wrong.

What Marrone said: “The one thing that I can say about this class as a general topic is that everyone in this class can run. Everyone who is involved with football knows that you have to bring players in who can run. That's an important part of what we're doing here to develop our football team. ... We're starting with players who already have a good frame on them who will keep developing and maturing their body. ... Linebacker, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, defensive back -- they are areas that we're looking to fulfill. The only area that our numbers are not ideal would be at the corner position."

Scouts Inc. grade: C-minus

This is the sprint portion of recruiting.

There's just a week left for coaches to convince high school stars to come to their campus and to make sure those who committed stay put. So as we enter the final week, it's time to look at how each Big East school stands at the moment (information and rankings come from ESPN's Scouts Inc.)

Cincinnati

Commitments: 16

Three-star and above players: 8

The buzz: This is a small class, but the Bearcats didn't lose a ton of seniors off the 2009 team. Holding onto receiver Dyjuan Lewis was big for new coach Butch Jones, who lost defensive lineman Jibreel Black and who may lose quarterback Luke Massa from the class.

Connecticut

Commitments: 21

Three-star and above players: 5

The buzz: Randy Edsall has never cared about star rankings, but he is bringing in more highly-regarded talent these days. UConn's recruiting map is expanding, with prospects in this class hailing from Florida, Georgia and Virginia, among others.

Louisville

Commitments: 28

Three-star and above players: 18

The buzz: New coach Charlie Strong has accomplished two major goals: adding bodies and upgrading talent. He switched a four star defensive end (B.J. Butler) from Georgia to the Cardinals as well as plucked well-regarded prospects like offensive guard Torrian Wilson and receiver Michalee Harris out of Florida. It's a promising start.

Pittsburgh

Commitments: 24

Three-star and above players: 19

The buzz: It looks like another terrific recruiting haul for Dave Wannstedt, who's been one of the best -- if not the best -- Big East recruiters in recent years. One of the highest rated players in the class, athlete Anthony Gonzalez, recently tore his meniscus playing basketball but should be back by fall camp.

Rutgers

Commitments: 17

Three-star and above players: 6

The buzz: On paper, this doesn't look like one of Greg Schiano's more impressive classes, but it features a lot of players who fill needs for the Scarlet Knights. The highest-rated commitment is safety Lorenzo Waters.

South Florida

Commitments: 18

Three-star and above players: 8

The buzz: Jim Leavitt was assembling a strong class before he was fired, and now Skip Holtz is hoping to hold onto players like ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Todd Chandler and quarterback Brion Carnes. This class has my favorite name among Big East recruits: offensive line prospect Jose Jose.

Syracuse

Commitments: 26

Three-star and above players: 8

The buzz: There aren't a lot of big names in the class, but Doug Marrone is restocking the roster. Jonny Miller looks like the quarterback of the future for the Orange.

West Virginia

Commitments: 18

Three-star and above players: 12

The buzz: The Mountaineers lost a few prospects when Doc Holliday took the Marshall job, but they hung on to quarterback Barry Brunetti this week. It still looks like a solid class, loaded with athletes like receiver Deon Long.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Syracuse got a commitment from Colorado quarterback Jonny Miller, who picked the Orange over offers from Wisconsin, Illinois and others, Donnie Webb writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Here's the take from ESPN's Tom Luginbill:

"This is a very interesting pick up and a possible steal for the Orange. Miller is a kid we feel has a real chance to be an excellent prospect at the next level and if he were taller would likely have received much more national attention than he has gotten. He is a fundamentally sound prospect in terms of footwork, ball handling and delivery mechanics and he can make all the necessary throws. He is a player we feel could come in and have a chance to contribute early for Syracuse."

• West Virginia offensive lineman Matt Timmerman tells the Wheeling News-Register that doubters have given the line plenty of motivation.

"We [the offensive line] feel like we have a lot to prove. A lot of people have been questioning whether we will be as good as last year's group and that has really fired some of the guys up this summer."

• Piscataway High School in Rutgers' backyard has become a pipeline for Division I talent, Matthew Stanmyre writes in The Star-Ledger.

• South Florida might have the talent to finally turn the corner this year, Jack Bogaczyk writes in the Charleston Daily Mail.