ESPN College Football

R.I.P., Li'l Sebastian.

• Todd Graham is not concerned with the lack of early commitments for Pitt so far, saying he likes to take his time. There's also word that Kolby Gray, a quarterback turned defensive back, is leaving the program. Henry Hynoski is still waiting for his NFL break.
• Inside the mind of Dana Holgorsen.
• A report card on the Syracuse tight ends.
• Cincinnati announced a kickoff time for its opener.

Once again, circumstances have forced me to move the regular Tuesday mailbag to Wednesday. But better late than never, right?

Mike from Somerville, N.J., writes: To add or respond to your comments last week regarding the security of Greg Schiano, one point that you didn't make is the public perception of the kids in the program being generally good kids, and their outstanding academic acheivement. Now, 4-8 with the powder-puffs on their schedule dilutes a lot of the good will, but a consistent competitive team, with bowl victories, and continued academic performance has him very secure at Rutgers. Toss in a Big East championship, and he could publically support the teachers' union in NJ and still be the favored son of NJ!

Brian Bennett: You raise a good point about Schiano's academic achievements, including Rutgers' APR crown. We saw how a slew of arrests hurt Dave Wannstedt last year. Still, if a coach wins big, then nobody talks about poor academics. If he doesn't win enough, nobody cares about high graduation rates. It's ultimately all about the won-loss record, and while Schiano is safe for now, no coach is immune to pressure if the losses mount.

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Greg from New Jersey writes: Schiano apparently tried Mohamed Sanu out at punter during practice, and on his first kick he hit out a 55-yarder. Last year he had a rushing TD, a passing TD, and a receiving TD, not to mention an interception on the one play he was put at safety (in limited time mind you). My question is have you ever seen a player more versatile?

Brian Bennett: Paul Hornung, maybe? Having Sanu punt would sure open up lots of opportunities for fakes -- and create some nervous opposing coaches on fourth down.

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Doug C. from Morgantown writes: Can we get an early oddsmakers on Big East Offensive Player of the year in 2011? Geno Smith has to be up there...who else?

Brian Bennett: I'd put it like this right now ...

Geno Smith: 3 to 1
Zach Collaros: 4 to 1
Ray Graham: 6 to 1
Isaiah Pead: 8 to 1
B.J. Daniels: 10 to 1
The field: 15 to 1

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Casey H. from Charleston, W.Va., writes: Who do you feel will pick up the start at tailback for WVU next season, and do you think he will be a large component of the offensive production?

Brian Bennett: My hunch is it will be Shawne Alston. I just think he has the best combination of skills, and he was impressive in some spot duty last year. Ryan Clarke will also be used a lot. We'll have to wait and see on the incoming freshmen. Remember that Kendall Hunter ran for more than 1,500 yards last year for Dana Holgorsen at Oklahoma State.

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Ed from Morgantown writes: Agree with WVU's spring superlatives, but don't underestimate the depth at WR. Beyond Tavon Austin and Bradley Starks, Stedman Bailey is going to break out this year, and we all have high hopes for OchoChinco's cousin Ivan McCartney (not to mention JD Woods & Coley White).

Brian Bennett: I mentioned receiver as a source of strength, but no less of an expert than Holgorsen himself has said the position needs more depth. He'd like to have eight dependable receivers, at least, for his system. Right now, I'd say West Virginia has about five or six.

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Brad B. from Bethel Park, Pa., writes: Is Pitt's Kolby Gray the best country singer in college football?

Brian Bennett: Not my type of music, but that's pretty impressive. Pitt will have to hope he's equally good at safety, where he's moved back after a short spring stint at quarterback. This also reminds me: Is B.J. Daniels the best romance suspense novelist in college football?

Whoa. Look at all these links:

• Tino Sunseri and the Pittsburgh offense are starting to make some progress in the new system. Pitt safety Andrew Taglianetti is looking beyond football to a business career. (There's also word in that story that Kolby Gray has moved back to safety after just a few days at quarterback.)
• Fiery new defensive coordinator Don Brown wants UConn to go on the attack. Some UConn practice notes.
• Tempers flared at Syracuse practice. Maybe the players were arguing over who had the better spring break. A tight end left school. The Orange got a commitment from a Long Island offensive lineman.
• Some questions surround West Virginia this spring.
• Rutgers has outsourced its ticket sales in an effort to fill up the stands.
• New facilities are giving a "big-time feel" to South Florida sports.
• Louisville will be thinned out by injuries this spring.

The Pittsburgh Panthers open up spring practice Tuesday under first-year head coach Todd Graham. I had a chance to catch up with Graham recently to preview the spring. Here is Part I of our conversation:

When we last spoke, you had just been hired and I'm sure it was a hectic time. Have you settled in since then, and what kinds of things have you been doing?


Todd Graham: Basically, we got to recruit for two weeks there. That was fast and furious, but I felt good about what we did. We were able to meet some needs. With the amount of time we had, we were able to put together a very adequate group.

Since then, we've been evaluating and putting in our system and how we do everything that we do. I've been very impressed with the young men we have, and they've embraced our way of doing things. We've evaluated the last two years of film, and so we think we have a pretty good idea of where we're at. I can't wait to get out there and see exactly how they're throwing the ball, catching the ball, how we're executing, how well we run. Our training has completely changed. We want to be faster, that's the big thing. And just seeing their understanding of our system and adapting to the scheme.

Have the players been watching a lot Tulsa film?


TG: We've got them looking at a lot of our Tulsa stuff and some of the Michigan stuff. Naturally, it will be a blend. But we'll mostly be adapting to the players that we have.

The thing I feel good about after really assessing it in detail is, I feel like we've got pretty good offensive and defensive line talent. I feel really good about their toughness, and I think that's a great foundation for being successful. I feel like we've got three guys at quarterback who are diverse in their talent. And then Ray Graham, I think he can be one of the best tailbacks in the country, and I feel really good about the receiver corps. We don't have very many receivers -- we only have seven on scholarship -- because it was a different system. But the ones we have can really run, and I feel like they give us the speed we need to get this system going.

So has this time been kind of like recruiting for you, where you're mostly evaluating on film?

TG: It is like recruiting. I'm big into analyzing. The key for us is to get the right people in right places, get the right people on the field and then adapt to their skills.

Offensively, I feel really good that we've got some playmakers. Ray Graham, in our system, can be as good as we've ever had. He's got all the tools -- he's fast, explosive, can take it to the house, is a great inside runner, great outside runner. His buy-in to how we're doing things is really good. He can do a lot of things catching the football, too.

So we feel really strongly that we have a good playmaker there in Ray, and we'll have some young guys behind him -- we only have one scholarship tailback this spring. So depth is a major issue, the main issue for us. Then at receiver, we feel like [Mike] Shanahan can be special in our system. We think [Devin] Street is going to be special. Now Cam Saddler, the speed guy, he reminds me lot of Damaris Johnson who we had at Tulsa -- a smaller guy, a speed guy now playing in this system. You know, they're used to lining up with two receivers, and now we'll have three, four and even five sometimes. So with only seven on scholarship, we've got to get them in shape. And we've got guys coming in this summer.

Let's talk about the quarterback position. How much of an edge does Tino Sunseri have after starting all of last year?


TG: Of course, going into the spring, he started last year, so he's the guy to beat out. But we feel really good about [Mark] Myers. The guy can really throw the football, is a true passer, a drop-back pro-style type quarterback. Tino is more in the manner of what G.J. Kinne was at Tulsa -- he can throw the ball and run the ball. He has a good balance and is very efficient, completing 65 percent of his passes last year. And then the [Anthony] Gonzalez kid is an athlete. The guy can run and was big time playmaker, and we're excited to see him because we have no film on him other than high school.

We're excited about what we've seen with all three guys. Then Kolby Gray, who played defensive back last year after a shoulder injury, we put him there to have a fourth guy. And that's where his heart is, and we've been impressed with him. So we've got four guys there we feel good about. Tino, I feel really good about how he'll adjust to his system.

You've said you want to run a three-man defensive front. How does Brandon Lindsey fit into that? Will he be the hybrid, linebacker/defensive end guy?

TG: In our system, the 3-4, he'll be what we call the Panther outside linebacker, the rush linebacker. And boy, standing him up, he's a guy we think can be special. He really impressed us last year with his speed. We'll move him around, move him all over. He'll be a guy we think can be a really big impact rushing the quarterback.

We're a multiple front, but we're a three-man system, and we feel really good about him.. It will be much like what the Steelers do with [James] Harrison, that's kind of what our system is. Sometimes it will look like a 4-3, but the difference is our end on the three technique side is standing up. So there will be three guys with their hand on the ground and the rest of the guys will be standing up.

It's about getting more speed on the field, and Lindsey is excited about standing up. He moved down from defensive end to linebacker, and looks really impressive on film. Of course, he will not able to go through spring because of a [shoulder], but there's no reason to push him because we know what he can do.

With him out, who do you see taking that role this spring?

TG: Right now, we're looking at different guys and kind of toying around with that. We'll know more in the spring. Greg Williams, who played linebacker last year, is a guy who could possibly be there. Then we've got just some young kids. Bryan Murphy is another kid who played defensive end who could do it and will line up there in the spring. But nothing is definitive there yet.

We also have some guys coming in this summer, LaQuentin Smith and Nicholas Grigsby, and we think either one of those guys could fit in the Panther role as well. I think those guys will be impact players.

Spring practice is just around the corner -- South Florida will be on its new practice fields next week, while other Big East teams will follow suit shortly after.

So here's a look at what to expect from each league team this spring.

Cincinnati

Spring practice starts: March 29
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Fixing the defense: There's little doubt that improving the defense is the first order of business in Clifton. The Bearcats ranked last in the Big East last season while giving up 28 points per game. The good news is that all 11 starters on that side of the ball are back. The bad news is those are the same guys who couldn't get it done a season ago. An extra year of maturity should help, and Butch Jones expects more depth and competition on defense, including the arrival of junior-college import Malcolm Murray at safety.

• Restocking the Binns: Cincinnati should still be strong on offense with the return of senior quarterback Zach Collaros and senior Isaiah Pead, the leading returning rusher in the Big East. Yet the loss of the league's most productive receiver in 2010, Armon Binns, means the Bearcats need to find a few more guys to make plays at receiver. D.J. Woods is an obvious choice as the new go-to guy, but he'll have to solve his fumble problems. Transfer Kenbrell Thompkins, who couldn't get eligible last season, will look to step forward. Another sidelined receiver, freshman Dyjuan Lewis, won't be cleared to join in team activities until the summer.

• Looking for leaders: One of the problems during the 2010 4-8 season, as voiced by departing senior Jason Kelce and implied by Jones, was a lack of leadership on the team. Hey, it happens sometimes when your program has been to back-to-back BCS games and young players feel an undeserved sense of entitlement. Jones has been trying to change that, and we should be able to tell during the spring whether some new leaders have emerged.

Connecticut

Spring practice starts: March 15
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Back to the future: For the first time since the end of 1990s, and for the first time ever as an FBS-level program, the Huskies will have someone other than Randy Edsall leading them through practice in March. Former longtime Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni took over when Edsall left for Maryland, and Pasqualoni hired new coordinators (George DeLeone on offense and Don Brown on defense) to mix in with the holdovers from Edsall's staff. UConn has been doing things the same way for a long time, and with pretty strong results. How will the team react to Pasqualoni's new-look, old-school ways?

• Backfield in motion: Quarterback Zach Frazer is gone. Star tailback Jordan Todman left early for the NFL. Fullback Anthony Sherman graduated. Everything behind center is new. The quarterback position looks pretty wide open, with sophomore Michael Box perhaps having the edge after making one (very unsuccessful) start in 2010. Early enrollee Michael Nebrich is one to watch. How will the Huskies replace Todman? Good question. Robbie Frey decided to concentrate on graduate school, leaving USC transfer D.J. Shoemate as the only experienced ballcarrier. Freshman Lyle McCombs' status is unclear for spring after his offseason arrest, and the two running backs in the signing class won't arrive until summer. Right now, it's anybody's guess as to who might carry on the UConn running back tradition.

• Reloading at linebacker: The Connecticut defense brings a lot back, but one position that needs refilling is linebacker. Lawrence Wilson, who led the Big East in tackles the past two seasons, and Scott Lutrus, a four-year starter and solid leader, both exhausted their eligibility. Sio Moore looks like a rising star and had some huge games in 2010, but the other two positions have large shoes to fill.

Louisville

Spring practice starts: March 23
Spring game: April 15

What to watch:

• Smooth sailing for Bridegwater?: The Cardinals' most pressing issue is at quarterback, where senior co-starters Justin Burke and Adam Froman are gone. Highly-touted recruit Teddy Bridgewater will participate in the spring, and how quickly he picks up the college game and coordinator Mike Sanford's system could go a long way to determining what happens this fall. If he needs more time, senior Will Stein will happily take the reins.

• Rebuilding the O-line: The key to Louisville's offensive success was its senior-laden line, which proved to be the best in the Big East a year ago. But now four new starters must be found to go along with center Mario Benavides. The new guys must get up to speed and develop chemistry quickly for the running game and presumed new starter Jeremy Wright to duplicate last season's progress.

• Last line of defense: Louisville's defense was most vulnerable at its back end at times last season, and now the Cardinals must replace both starting cornerbacks (including All-Big East first team performer Johnny Patrick), no to mention two senior linebackers. An obvious candidate to take over some leadership is safety Hakeem Smith, who was the Big East rookie of the year. The plus side is that Charlie Strong and coordinator Vance Bedford will have more young talent to work with.

Pittsburgh

Spring practice starts: March 15
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Golden Graham?: There will be no more drastic change in the Big East this spring than the offense at Pittsburgh, which will go from a run-based pro-style attack to Graham's no-huddle, wide-open, points-per-minute machine. Can the Panthers get this new offense up and running this spring? Does Graham have the players to make it work? And how will his offense, so successful in Conference USA, translate into the more rugged Big East? All those questions will be fascinating to follow.

• Quarterback competition: Junior Tino Sunseri started every game in his first year at the controls in 2010, and he played well at times. But a new style and new coaching staff means that he might have an edge, but not necessarily an insurmountable one, in this spring's competition. Redshirt freshman Mark Myers is multi-talented and will be given a look, along with classmate Anthony Gonzalez and Kolby Gray. The current staff has no loyalty to Sunseri, so he'll need to perform at a high level this spring to keep his job.

• Shoring up the 'D': It's no secret that Pitt struggled in defending the pass last season. Graham's offense may be more explosive, but he doesn't want to have to get into shootouts all the time. He and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson have experience running 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 formations and may go to more of those kinds of looks to counter the increasing spread offenses throughout the league. First Pitt will have to get better play from its secondary and linebackers in pass coverage, and that starts this spring.

Rutgers

Spring practice starts: March 29
Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

• Line change: The first thing to focus on this spring for the Scarlet Knights is the front five on offense. The offensive line has been a mess for the past two years and was an utter disaster a year ago. Head coach Greg Schiano is counting on junior-college center Dallas Hendrickson to provide some immediate help, and that another year will lead to better things for the returnees. Rutgers needs answers at right tackle, especially, and if the line can't block its own defense in spring practice, you'll know there's trouble.

• A Frank re-assessment: Former Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti takes over the Scarlet Knights' playcalling duties this spring, and his pro-style background seems like a perfect match for what Schiano likes to do. Look for Cignetti to try to establish a stronger running game this spring (while waiting for mega-recruit Savon Huggins to arrive this summer) and abandon the Wildcat formation and other gimmicks that Rutgers desperately turned to the past two years. His work with sophomore starter Chas Dodd will also be critical, since there are no other experienced quarterbacks on campus.

• Recharging the defense: You always expect a Schiano-led defense to be rock solid, but that defense wore down last season and ended up allowing more points in conference play than anybody. Three of the starting four defensive linemen are gone, as well as the team's leading tackler -- linebacker Antonio Lowery -- and safety Joe Lefeged. Schiano has recruited well and has lots of young players ready to step into bigger roles. Spring will be the time we start to learn who's ready to handle increased responsibilities.

South Florida

Spring practice starts: March 3
Spring game: April 2

What to watch:

• Transfers accepted: Running backs Darrell Scott and Dontae Aycock have strong credentials; Scott was one of the more sought-after recruits in the country before disappointing at Colorado, while Aycock was set to play for Auburn. Both become eligible this year and will show their stuff this spring. The two big-bodied ballcarriers could add some power and explosiveness to the Bulls offense. Notre Dame transfer Spencer Boyd should bring depth, at the very least, to the secondary.

• B.J. still the main Bull?: Junior B.J. Daniels seemed to reassert himself as the starter with a big performance in the Meineke Car Care Bowl win over Clemson. But before that, there were serious questions about whether sophomore Bobby Eveld might unseat him. Daniels goes into the spring with an obvious edge, but he'll be pushed by Eveld and redshirt freshman Jamius Gunsby. He'll need to perform at a consistent level to stiff-arm questions about his job security.

• Receiver reconstitution: No doubt, receiver was the position that needed the largest upgrade a year ago. The bad news is, the Bulls lost leading pass-catcher Dontavia Bogan, who was nearly a one-man show at wideout in 2010. On the flip side, A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin return from injury. And Skip Holtz hopes getting thrown into the fire last season sped the development of guys like Evan Landi, Joel Miller and Lindsey Lamar. At the very least, the position has a lot more experience and depth than it did a year ago at this time.

Syracuse

Spring practice starts: March 8
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Displacing Delone: Senior Delone Carter brought the thunder to the Syracuse running game the last two years, and he may have been the least favorite ballcarrier for opposing tacklers to bring down. With him gone, it remains to be seen whether the smaller Antwon Bailey can be an every-down back, or if youngsters like Prince-Tyson Gulley and Jerome Smith are ready for an increased role in the offense.

• Linebacker makeover: It would be hard for any team to lose a more productive linebacker tandem than the Orange did with seniors Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith. They were both crucial to what defensive coordinator Scott Shafer liked to do. The lone returning starter is Marquis Spruill, who played as a true freshman last year. Could a newcomer like junior-college transfer Siriki Diabate be ready to help immediately?

• Wideout wonders: Marcus Sales helped rescue an ailing passing game with his breakout performance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Is Sales ready to play like that all the time now, or was he a one-game wonder? Will Van Chew continue the improvement he showed last season before getting injured? Can the Orange get more out of Alec Lemon? What new faces might help at receiver? The answers to these questions will be key to the attack under Nathaniel Hackett, who was promoted to offensive coordinator this offseason.

West Virginia

Spring practice starts: March 28
Spring game: April 29

What to watch:

• Dana days: Mountaineer Nation is salivating at the thought of what Dana Holgorsen will do to revive the offense. Holgorsen has had an immediate and incredible impact at the last two places where he called plays, and some solid work in the spring is required to do the same in Morgantown. A couple of things are for sure: the Mountaineers will be throwing it around a whole bunch during practice, and fans will breathlessly gobble up every small detail. Another thing to watch will be the chemistry between Holgorsen's hand-picked offensive staff and Bill Stewart, the man he'll replace at the end of the season. That relationship will also be dissected relentlessly.

• Defense reload or rebuild?: Most people assume West Virginia will continue to field an excellent defense because of coordinator Jeff Casteel. That may be true, but no team lost more defensive talent than the Mountaineers, who must replace frontline players like tackle Chris Neild, linebacker J.T. Thomas, safety Robert Sands and cornerback Brandon Hogan, among others. There's still a lot to like here, including ends Julian Miller and Bruce Irvin and corner Keith Tandy, but for Casteel must find new contributors to keep his 3-3-5 humming along.

• Who's in the backfield?: It's not yet know just how much quarterback Geno Smith will be able to do during spring practice after his offseason foot surgery. Obviously, the more reps he can take, the better he'll be able to get Holgorsen's system down. And there's no experience behind him. West Virginia will be cautious with Smith, though, because the fall is way more important. With Noel Devine gone and Tavon Austin seemingly making his move to receiver permanent, there will be competition for the starting running back spot. Shawne Alston and Ryan Clarke are bulldozers who could add an interesting wrinkle to Holgorsen's spread if they get the job done.

Quarterback Pat Bostick has decided to concentrate on graduate studies instead of using his final year of eligibility, Pittsburgh announced on Tuesday.

Bostick was pressed into starting duty as a true freshman season in 2007, which memorably ended with a 13-9 upset at West Virginia. His only other start after that season came in 2008 at Notre Dame, which Pitt won in four overtimes. Bostick redshirted in 2009.

He was a highly-decorated recruit but never produced big numbers on the field. Teammates and coaches, however, praised his leadership off the field.

Pitt still has plenty of candidates for the quarterback spot this year. Starter Tino Sunseri is back, and Mark Myers and Anthony Gonzalez are redshirt freshman. Kolby Gray, recruited as a quarterback but moved to safety last year, will move back to quarterback this spring.

Instant analysis of the BBVA Compass Bowl, which Pittsburgh won 27-10 against Kentucky:

How the game was won: Despite the coaching turmoil swirling around the team for the past month, Pittsburgh came out focused and determined to play well in its final game. The Panthers were able to overpower the Kentucky defensive line with their running game, and their defense hung tough every time the Wildcats threatened. Kentucky, which suspended starting quarterback Mike Hartline for this game, was unable to generate many big plays behind sophomore signal caller Morgan Newton. Pitt, missing two key defensive starters and three coaches off its staff, showed plenty of mental and physical toughness in its best nonconference win of the season.

Turning point: Late in the second quarter, Andrew Taglianetti blocked a punt from Kentucky's Ryan Tydlacka that Kolby Gray recovered at the Wildcats' 10. Three plays later, the Panthers scored the game's first touchdown and took a 13-3 lead into halftime.

Player(s) of the game: Dion Lewis and Ray Graham. Playing in probably his final college game -- the draft-eligible sophomore is expected to go pro -- Lewis finished strong with 22 carries for 105 yards and a score. His backfield mate, Graham, had 90 yards on 17 carries.

Stat of the game: Pitt ran for 262 yards on 46 carries while passing for only 96 yards. The 262 yards was the third-highest rushing total by the Panthers this season. Kentucky had only 104 rushing yards on 32 attempts.

Unsung hero: Brandon Lindsey. The defensive end forced a fumble from Newton in the first half, made a fourth-down tackle for loss in the second half and helped Pitt make up for the loss of defensive player of the year Jabaal Sheard.

What it means: The victory brings a little bit of optimism to a program that hasn't had much reason to smile for the past nine days, and sends out the current staff -- especially defensive coordinator/interim head coach Phil Bennett -- on a high note. Pittsburgh (8-5) still has to hire a new head coach, and that will be more important than anything that happened on the field Saturday. But at least the team showed it has talent and potential to do good things with the right coach in place. The Big East, despite losing its top two bowl games, finished a very respectable 4-2 in the postseason and has now beaten an SEC team in Birmingham for the second straight year.

PITTSBURGH -- At times during Pittsburgh's practice on Tuesday, the safeties included a former punter, a former quarterback and a walk-on converted cornerback.

It's safe to say the secondary is a work in progress for the Panthers. Injuries, graduation and a dismissal have turned the spring into a scramble to find bodies in the defensive backfield. But there have been some success stories as well.

Start at cornerback, where Pitt is replacing senior starters Aaron Berry and Jovani Chappel from a year ago. Junior Antwuan Reed has emerged as a worthy successor. On Tuesday, he had an interception and played excellent coverage against All-Big East receiver Jonathan Baldwin.

"I go against him every day, and it helps me a lot because he's one of the better receivers in the country," Reed said.

Reed was a backup and a special teams player his first two years. He showed some toughness by defending Notre Dame's Michael Floyd on a deep ball after being thrust into the game against the Irish last year because of injuries. He's been so good this spring that head coach Dave Wannstedt said, "when I look back on it, I probably should have played him more."

Junior college import Saheed Imoru is getting a long look at the other corner spot. Coaches describe him as a strong, physical player who can cover and tackle. But he's still learning the system, as is to be expected. Former starter Ricky Gary and Buddy Jackson will also battle for playing time this fall.

Safety has been a patchwork position because injuries kept Dom DeCicco and Andrew Taglianetti from practicing this spring, and Elijah Fields was dismissed earlier this year. But the situation has helped sophomore Jarred Holley, defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley said.

"Last year, Jarred played in every game and he would look over at Dom or look over at Tags for instruction," Hafley said. "Now, he's the only one with any experience, and that's forced him to become a leader and make all the calls. He won't need to look over at Dom or Tags any more because he's got confidence and got the defense down, which is huge."

DeCicco and Taglianetti are expected to back for fall camp, which should create a pretty good competition for starting jobs. For now, Hafley is filling in with that converted punter (Pat Costello), an ex-quarterback (Kolby Gray) and a walk-on (Todd Gilchrist), among others. Hafley said he told them at the beginning of spring that expectations wouldn't be lessened despite their inexperience.

"This is going to make us a better team, because it's going to create depth," Hafley said. "You've got to look at the positive side."

It was just a couple of years ago when people wondered if Dave Wannstedt was the right guy to lead Pittsburgh back to prominence. You don't hear that much anymore now that Wannstedt guided Pitt to 19 wins in the past two years, including the school's first 10-win season in more than a quarter century in 2009. Wannstedt and his staff have turned recruiting into a well-oiled machine and could be favored to win the Big East in 2010.

That doesn't mean the team doesn't have question marks going into spring. I addressed some of these with Wannstedt late last week. Here is the first part of my conversation with the sixth-year coach. Check back Tuesday for Part II.

Before we get to looking ahead, let's look back for a second. What are your reflections on the 2009 season, when you won 10 games and came up just short of a Big East title?

Dave Wannstedt: We were [11] points away from being unbeaten and four points and 30 seconds or whatever it was away from being undefeated in the Big East. I think that our guys had a little bit of a meltdown at NC State, but for the rest of the season, our players and coaches did a great job of maintaining their focus and being ready to play each week. Even the two conference games we lost, West Virginia down there and obviously Cincinnati, we were in position to win both games.

Obviously, we've taken our expectations from a talk standpoint to another level. Our players now expect to win and expect to compete for the Big East championship. Three years ago, maybe four years ago as a head coach, you're standing up there trying to convince them of that. Now I don't think anybody needs to be convinced. They understand and they want it. We obviously accomplished a few things last year that we haven't done in a while, but we still have a long way to go and a lot of things to accomplish.

How big of a boost was it when Greg Romeus decided to come back for his senior year?

DW: Greg's a great player, and he and I had a lot of discussions. We did our homework, no different than we did with LeSean McCoy and Darrelle Revis. We went through the NFL evaluation process. I probably called 10 NFL head coaches and general managers and friends of mine around the league. And I think, after getting all the evaluations in and talking with Greg and his parents, he really believes -- and I agree -- that he can better his position. That he's going to have a great senior year, he's going to graduate, receive more recognition on a national level, and I think it's going to help his draft status a year from now.

Let's talk about the quarterback situation, which is always a big deal. Where does that stand going into the spring?

DW: We're better off than we've been in the past for a couple reasons. From a depth standpoint, we have Pat Bostick coming back, and I think the redshirt year has done wonders for him knowledge-wise, from a physical and mental standpoint. And the interesting thing with Tino Sunseri is, if you go back to last spring we opened up the competition between Billy Stull, Pat Bostick and Tino. So all three quarterbacks got equal reps throughout the spring. Then we got to training camp and made the decision to redshirt Pat. And Tino was alternating between first group/second group all through camp with Billy.

So, really we came out of camp where Billy was a little bit ahead of him, but Tino had gotten so much work with the first group on offense, as I look back on it, it was one of the better things we did to help his development. So he's ready to play now. He's a redshirt sophomore. He understands the offense and we've got a good feel for his abilities and what he can do. So we'll see what he can do. It's going to be a competition.

Then we have two really good freshmen coming in, and obviously you're not counting on them. But we like Anthony Gonzalez from Liberty (Penn.) and Mark Myers from (Cleveland) St. Ignatius. Here's kind of an interesting tidbit: They were both picked to play in the Big 33 game; one will be playing for Ohio and one for Pennsylvania. So at some point in the game, both quarterbacks in the Big 33 game could both be going to Pitt. That's probably never happened before.

Will you keep Gonzalez at quarterback? He's a versatile all-around athlete.

DW: We'll see. That's the plan right now and we'll just have to see how it unfolds.

So going into spring, is Sunseri No. 1 on the depth chart, or is it officially even between him and Bostick?

DW: We have a walk-on kid, Andrew Janocko, who's been here three years. All three of them will get work. We'll split the work early with Tino and Bostick, but I think they'll both have to go and show what they can do, and we'll give them each a chance to go out and prove themselves.

Do you anticipate the competition going into fall camp like last year?

DW: I don't think so. I think it will be cleared up pretty good this spring. But you never know. I'm anticipating that it will.

You don't have a ton of question marks heading into 2010, but one of them appears to be cornerback. How is that position shaping up?

DW: We signed a kid out of junior college named Saheed Imoru. He was a qualifier out of high school from Houston and he had an appointment to the Air Force Academy, but he wanted to get an opportunity to play Division I football at a little bit higher level. So he went to junior college and he's been here now since January. I watched him play -- his team went to the national championship game -- and I think this kid has a chance to really be a good player.

We have Ricky Gary coming back from last year. Antwuan Reed is a junior who played as a freshman a little bit and is from the same high school as LaRod Stephens-Howling. He's got a lot of ability. Then we moved Aundre Wright from receiver to corner. Jarred Holley was recruited here to play corner, and we moved him to safety when Andrew Taglianetti got hurt. He ended up being really good at safety. We'll keep him at safety to start off, but we could move him to corner if we had to.

Will Taglianetti be ready for spring?

DW: He'll be back for spring, but he'll be limited. We've got Taglianetti, a redshirt freshman named Jason Hendricks from New Jersey who we really like. Kolby Gray has moved from quarterback to safety. Then we've got Dom DeCicco back, too.

I had a chance to talk to Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt this afternoon as he battled through another snowstorm in the Northeast.

Look for the full conversation with Wannstedt next week in the blog. But to tide you over for the weekend, here's a little of what Wannstedt had to say about probably the most intriguing question facing the 2010 Panthers: Who'll play quarterback?

Wannstedt said it will be a competition this spring between Pat Bostick and Tino Sunseri. Bostick redshirted a year ago, and Wannstedt said he really learned a lot and showed great improvement in practice. Wannstedt also had high praise for Sunseri, the redshirt sophomore who was Bill Stull's backup a year ago.

"He's ready to play now," Wannstedt said. "It's his time. He understands the offense, and we've got a good feel for his abilities and what he can do."

This spring, Wannstedt said, Bostick and Sunseri will split the reps evenly early on in practice, with Andrew Janocko serving as the third-stringer. But unlike last year, Wannstedt doesn't expect the competition to linger into fall camp.

"I think it will be cleared up pretty good this spring," he said. "You never know, but I'm anticipating that it will."

Wannstedt also mentioned Pitt's two highly-regarded quarterback recruits, Anthony Gonzalez and Mark Myers, will get a look this fall. But he said, "obviously, you're not counting on them this year."

In other interesting tidbits, Wannstedt said receiver Aundre Wright has been moved to cornerback to help shore up that position. And as expected, former quarterback recruit Kolby Gray is making the switch to safety this spring.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Dave Wannstedt has done a terrific job of recruiting at Pitt, but the one spot where he hasn't been able to attract elite talent is at quarterback. Perhaps that is about to change.

The Panthers have received a verbal commitment from highly-regarded high school signalcaller Anthony Gonzalez of Bethlehem, Pa., the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Gonzalez was Pennsylvania's Class AAAA player of the year last season after running for 1,697 yards and throwing for 1,570 yards. He also had offers from Penn State, Florida State, Illinois, Missouri, Oregon, West Virginia and many others.

ESPN's Scouts Inc. ranks Gonzales as the 17th-best quarterback in the Class of 2010. Here's the analysis from scout Billy Tucker:

"He is a bit raw mechanically but is a big, strong kid with the potential to make most all the college throws down the road with refinement. He will surprise you with his underneath touch and accuracy as well. Very dangerous with the ball in hands and will bring a different element to Pitt's offense with his ability to make plays outside the pocket. Our No. 17-rated athlete can make defenders miss or simply run through initial contact with his large frame."

"It will be interesting to see how Pitt employs his skills and adjusts its scheme to Gonzalez's strengths. He's ultra-competitive, savvy and should make the transition to quarterback regardless. If not, he's one heck of an athlete to add to its roster."

It's interesting that Gonzalez doesn't seem to be a true pro-style pocket passer like the ones Wannstedt likes to employ. For that matter, neither was Kolby Gray, who committed in last year's class. Does this signal that Pitt is looking for some changes in its offense, or are the Panthers simply stockpiling good players and will figure out how to use them later?

It's never a good idea to get overly excited about a high school recruit. Pat Bostick, if you'll recall, was a very high-rated quarterback in high school but has had many ups and downs in college. He's looking at a possible redshirt season this year as a junior.

But this commitment shows that top-flight quarterbacks aren't afraid to come to Pitt and play for Wannstedt. And, to borrow an NFL term, maybe Gonzalez is the franchise quarterback he's been looking for.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Pittsburgh freshman quarterback Kolby Gray will undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder, head coach Dave Wannstedt told reporters today.

Gray will most likely miss the season and use this as his redshirt year. He was not expected to play this year anyway since Pitt has three quarterbacks ahead of him in Bill Stull, Pat Bostick and Tino Sunseri.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Will from Brooklyn writes: It looks like the Big East as a whole is having its best recruiting year in sometime. Is this a sign that at least in the player ranks, the Big East has earned back some or all of the prestige it lost after the defections?

Brian Bennett: Right now, Rutgers, South Florida and West Virginia are all enjoying what look to be like their best signing classes ever. Cincinnati is compiling a large, impressive class and Pitt is doing another solid job. Is this a sign of the league as a whole gaining momentum? I'm not sure I'd go that far. I think it's more that Greg Schiano has been building his program, South Florida is growing, Bill Stewart smartly hired great recruiters and Cincinnati is at its all-time peak. What the Big East needs is for these hyped recruits to pan out, because as I've noted, the conference just lost some of the most accomplished players in its history.

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Ken from Philadelphia writes: Hey, Brian, when do you think UConn will start to move up the recruiting rankings? They had a great season last year and a decent one this season and two bowl appearances. They had the leading rusher in the nation, and seem set to have four players drafted this year after two last year. Seems like they should be doing better on the recruiting trail than they actually are.

Brian Bennett: Connecticut doesn't have too many advantages in recruiting since it lacks a natural base. Rutgers has New Jersey, Cincinnati has Ohio, Pittsburgh has western Pennsylvania and South Florida has the obvious local hotbeds. So UConn has to work a little harder and draw kids from the Northeast, who are never going to be rated as highly by the recruiting services as those from Florida, Texas and California. I think Randy Edsall has done a tremendous job of finding talent and then developing players once they get in school. I do think, however, that the Huskies need to find a way to break into Florida or another speed area to land some elite skill players, especially at wide receiver. That's really the last hurdle for this program.

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Brandon from Pittsburgh writes: Brian, I just have a few thoughts on the recruiting needs for Pitt. You brought up a need to get a kicker, but don't you think Kevin Harper will be good enough to carry the load? He set the Ohio record by making a 63-yard field goal at Mentor. At running back, as you noted, Pitt has some talented kids coming in. The most talented of which, in my opinion, is Raymond Graham. After seeing his tape, he appears to be the back closest to Shady's talents. Do you think he could be the leader for the starting spot even as a true freshman? Also, at quarterback, you mentioned Bill Stull's poor play down the stretch. As a fan, I could not agree more. But, do you think that Kolby Gray has a chance of getting the job over Stull, Bostick, and Sunseri?

Brian Bennett: It's hard to predict how a kicker is going to perform under pressure; that role is as much about what goes on between the ears as it is leg strength. And kicking at Heinz Field when that wind starts to swirl can be a real challenge. That's why it's never a bad idea to have several kickers on board, even if they're not on scholarship. As for the running back position, I wouldn't be surprised if Graham gets some immediate playing time. Running back is one of the easier positions for a freshman to come in and play. McCoy did it, after all. On the flip side, I don't see Dave Wannstedt entrusting the quarterback position to a true freshman. It's a hard adjustment for anyone to make -- just ask Pat Bostick -- and Wannstedt clearly values experience there.

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Chris from Cincinnati writes: When you posted that Transitive Calculator the other day, I took the liberty to write the creator an email suggesting that he added another drop down list so you could pick your team versus a rival for smack talk with a friend. Here's the link.

Brian Bennett: Very nice. For those in need of smack fodder, check it out.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

West Virginia announced today that defensive lineman Chris Palmer has enrolled in school and will be available for spring practice.

Palmer, a 6-foot-4, 290-pounder from Philadelphia, originally signed with the Mountaineers last February but delayed his enrollment because of a shoulder injury. He played both offense and defense in high school but is projected as a defensive tackle for West Virginia. He was rated as the 73rd-best defensive tackle in the 2008 class by Scouts, Inc.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh landed two high school commitments on Sunday in dual-threat quarterback Kolby Gray from Houston and New Jersey defensive back Jason Hendricks. Gray is rated as the No. 51 quarterback by Scouts, Inc.

The 6-foot-1, 167-pound Hendricks fits Dave Wannstedt's mold of athletic, fast players who are a little undersized.