ESPN College Football

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Big East media day isn't the newsiest event in the world, and even if news does break it's hard to follow it all since eight coaches are talking at once.

But there were a few interesting items discussed by the coaches on Tuesday, and here's a brief recap:

• Rutgers coach Greg Schiano announced that wide receiver Eddie Poole and tight end Tony Trahan are transferring, while freshmen Tejay Johnson, Kenneth Kirksey and Djwany Mera will attend prep school instead of enrolling.
  
  Rutgers also announced several other departures, including receiver Julian Hayes and offensive lineman Rob Forst, younger brother of starting offensive lineman Art Forst.
  
  Many of the transfers resulted from playing time issues, while the three 2010 signees are expected to enroll in January. Schiano said Fabian Ruiz will move from defensive line to tight end to help offset the loss of Trahan.
  
  Also, backup quarterback Steve Shimko has a shoulder problem which may slow him in camp. Tom Savage had better stay healthy.

• Could South Florida get receivers A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin back in time for conference play?
  
  Coach Skip Holtz said the best-case scenario for both wideouts is that they'd be back after missing four-to-five games. Love tore his ACL in the spring game, while Griffin broke his ankle in summer workouts.
  
  Both are needed since the Bulls don't have much experience or depth at receiver. Getting them back in the fold is one thing, though; having both guys being confident enough in their healed wheels in order to contribute at a high level is another story.

• Louisville's two highly-publicized summer additions still aren't with the team.
  
  USC transfer Jordan Campbell has yet to arrive on campus, and head coach Charlie Strong told The Courier-Journal that the linebacker has "to get some things worked out where he is."
  
  Meanwhile, former Michigan signee Demar Dorsey's status remains up in the air. The Courier-Journal's Eric Crawford reports that Louisville officials are saying the odds Dorsey plays for the Cardinals are 50-50. The defensive back was denied enrollment at Michigan and has had some arrests in his past.
  
  Strong also said that 6-foot-8 receiver Josh Chichester has been working out at tight end, but he said Chichester would be moving around until the coaches found the most effective way to use him.

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)

Spring practice is just around the corner, and that means it's time to start looking at two-deeps and position battles. While some players know what their roles will be in the fall, others will begin heated competitions for playing time during spring drills in hopes of impressing their coaches. Here are a few position battles worth watching this spring in the Big East:

• Pittsburgh quarterback: Pitt may well be the preseason Big East favorite, but the Panthers have to figure out their quarterback situation first. Sophomore Tino Sunseri came close to winning the job in a heated three-way battle last year and settled in as Bill Stull's backup. Pat Bostick, however, has improved his mechanics and has won big games in the past. This should be a good competition that might not be settled until the fall.

• Louisville quarterback: Three players -- Justin Burke, Adam Froman and Will Stein -- all started games under center for the Cardinals, and none of the trio distinguished himself as heads and shoulders above the rest. Whoever wins the job in the spring might not necessarily be the guy in the fall, as new coach Charlie Strong is bringing in some promising freshmen quarterbacks as well.

• South Florida running back: Skip Holtz has suggested he'd like to have a real No. 1 tailback, something the Bulls haven't had in a long time. Mike Ford had a huge game against Northern Illinois in the International Bowl and may finally be ready to assume that go-to-guy role as a senior. Last year's starter, Mo Plancher, is trying to get a sixth year of eligibility. Sophomore Lindsey Lamar will push for the job, as well as possibly Jamar Taylor and several newcomers.

• Rutgers receiver and cornerback: Like last year, the Scarlet Knights go into the spring with one proven wideout (this time, Mohamed Sanu) and a bunch of question marks. It's time that someone from the group including Julian Hayes, Tim Wright, Keith Stroud and Marcus Cooper separate himself. At corner, Rutgers needs a replacement for Devin McCourty. Will a guy like Brandon Bing step forward, or will one of two redshirt freshmen -- Darrell Givens and Logan Ryan -- make a move in the spring?

• Cincinnati's defensive front seven: With a new coaching staff and probably a change back to a 4-3 scheme, the Cincinnati players have basically been told they're back to square one this spring. Add to that fact that both defensive ends and two starting linebackers were seniors this past season, and there are a lot of jobs up for grabs. The constants appear to be defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, linebacker JK Schaffer and Walter Stewart, who could either play linebacker or on the line. After that, it's one big competition.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

For the past two seasons, Rutgers has had the most feared receiving duo in the Big East.

Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood each went over 1,000 yards in 2007 and combined for 1,850 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

With both of those stars now waiting on their NFL futures, the only fear surrounding the Scarlet Knights wideouts is whether the team can find a way to replace their production.

It's a green group that took another couple of hits over the weekend. Redshirt freshman Marcus Cooper suffered what coach Greg Schiano called a "freak cooking accident" and will likely not practice again this spring. Fellow freshman Eddie Poole left Saturday's scrimmage with an ankle injury and is probably done until the fall as well.

"Like I said the other day, if we lose another one it'll get interesting," Schiano told reporters after the scrimmage. "And now we're deep into 'interesting.'"

Rutgers isn't completely without experience. Senior Tim Brown, who was the team's third option the past two seasons, is back after leading the Scarlet Knights in yards per catch (20.9) and scoring six touchdowns in '08. Schiano has hope that Brown will emerge as a main target this year, though his 5-foot-8, 165-pound body doesn't match the prototype of a No. 1 receiver.

After Brown, the next leading returning receiver is junior Julian Hayes, who played in 11 games last season but made only one catch. He's currently listed as one of two starters at the position.

"Any experience is good experience," the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Hayes said. "Strength-wise, I'm a big target and a hard worker. I try to run crisp routes and get in and out of my breaks well. The thing I need to work on is consistency."

The need for bodies at the position led Schiano to move running back Mason Robinson to wideout this spring. Robinson has played tailback his whole career, but the Scarlet Knights have a logjam at that spot with Kordell Young, Joe Martinek and Jourdan Brooks all angling for carries. Robinson caught 12 passes out of the backfield last season and is a former state high school 100-meter champion.

Robinson didn't get a lot of time this winter to work on the switch, since he was told just a couple of days before spring ball began.

"I'm just trying to get some playing time," he said. "I guess it's a good move. Either position is going to be a battle, and I have to work hard no matter what position I play.

"I keep picking things up day by day. It's going to be a learning process all throughout the spring and fall."

Other candidates for the job include senior Andrew DePaola and freshmen Keith Stroud and Tim Wright. The newbies haven't exactly wowed anybody this spring, as dropped balls have been a near-constant issue.

Complicating matters is the fact that Rutgers has a new offensive coordinator and no established quarterback yet. It's hard for the wideouts to develop rapport with any one signal-caller as Dom Natale, D.C. Jefferson and Steve Shimko split reps in the spring. Tom Savage and Jabu Lovelace will enter the competition this summer.

"At some point, whoever is out there is out there," Hayes said. "You can't really focus on building chemistry with just one person."

The Scarlet Knights just hope enough receivers figure things out to become productive this season, even if the unit won't be nearly as feared as it was the past two seasons.

"We're just trying to be the best we can be," Robinson said. "We can't try to match the past. We just have to do our no matter which receiver is in there."

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Not a lot of football chatter in the Big East media this morning. That's what happens when your league has three No. 1 seeds in the Big Dance. But here are a few odds and ends and leftovers:

• Former Miami quarterback Robert Marve has South Florida among his final six choices as he looks to transfer, Brett McMurphy blogs in the Tampa Tribune.

• Julian Hayes hasn't done much in his Rutgers career thus far. But the fourth-year junior is listed as a starting wide receiver to start spring ball and is hoping to make an impact, Tom Luicci writes in The Star-Ledger.

• Very nice read on incoming Big East commissioner John Marinatto last week by the New York Times' Pete Thamel.

• Doug Marrone hired a former Orange player as director of player development, Donnie Webb notes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.

• The Hartford Courant's Desmond Conner has some football tidbits in his blog, including the Big East's interest in adding Champs, Liberty, Music City and/or EagleBank bowls to its postseason lineup.