ESPN College Football

• The Big East has shown a lack of resolve, Mitch Vingle writes.
• South Florida's game against Florida that was postponed twice and then set for 2015 has again been pushed back -- this time with no year attached. Florida transfer Mike Blakely won't play for the Bulls.
• Greg Schiano has Rutgers firmly positioned among the best nationally in academic performance, and he wants the Scarlet Knights to rank just as high on the field.
• Todd Graham isn't shying away from big expectations early in his reign at Pitt.
• Former Cincinnati star Mardy Gilyard had his jersey retired by his high school and got a little choked up about it.
• West Virginia checks in at No. 20 in Sports Illustrated's post-spring Top 25, while Louisville, surprisingly, makes the Top 30.

• Pittsburgh landed a commitment from defensive lineman Marquise Wright, whom ESPN's Scouts Inc. ranks as the 31st-best player at his position.
• Syracuse also added a defensive end commitment
• West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith is still recovering.
• Mardy Gilyard signed with the St. Louis Rams. And so did George Selvie.
• Chris Henry's case may help others in the future.
• Memphis needs to get better on the field if it wants to join the Big East.

• Injured South Florida receiver A.J. Love still hopes to play this season, Scott Carter writes in the Tampa Tribune.
• Former Cincinnati star Mardy Gilyard was robbed at gunpoint near campus, Jennifer Baker writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• A few freshmen, including quarterback Barry Brunetti, have arrived at West Virginia, Mike Casazza writes in the Charleston Daily Mail.
• Syracuse recruiting coordinator Greg Adkins talks about his process to the Syracuse Post-Standard's Nolan Weidner.
• Former UConn tailback Andre Dixon is trying out for Hartford's UFL team, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez experienced expansion before and says the Big East teams are well positioned to compete in a supersized Big Ten, Dave Birkett writes for AnnArbor.com.

The NFL's fortnight of drafting -- what, it was only three days? Really? -- came to an end this weekend. I already touched on the first-round results on Friday. Here's a look at where Big East players went the rest of the draft, with some quick comments on each pick:

Second round

No. 37: Nate Allen, S, South Florida, to Philadelphia: No surprise here, as Allen was mentioned as a possible first-rounder at various points.

Third round

No. 65: Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida to St. Louis: Here is proof that college production isn't always the most important thing to NFL scouts. Murphy struggled against some of the Big East's better receivers, but he has great physical tools and hopefully will find his niche in the pros.

Fourth round

No. 99: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati, to St. Louis: If you watched any Bearcats games the past two years, you know that the Rams got an absolute steal. Think Sam Bradford will like having Gilyard around?

No. 101: Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse, to Tampa Bay: He was a first-round talent who was lucky to get picked this high given his off-the-field issues.

No. 107: Marcus Easley, WR, UConn, to Buffalo: Easley had great workouts, and though some thought he would go higher than this, it's still a great story for a guy who was a walk-on this time a year ago.

Fifth round

No. 157: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse, to Baltimore: Jones was talked about as a possible first-rounder earlier in his career. This is a great value pick for a player who will always give maximum effort.

Sixth round

No. 177: Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida, to Cleveland: Mitchell looked impressive in his workouts, but falling to the sixth round makes you question if he made the right choice in skipping his senior year.

No. 182: Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh, to San Francisco: The best blocking tight end in the Big East during his career.

No. 204: Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati, to Carolina: Pike has to be disappointed that he fell this low and that he was drafted by the same team that took Jimmy Clausen a couple rounds earlier.

Seventh round

No. 226: George Selvie, DE, South Florida, to St. Louis: How much would you have bet against the notion that Selvie would be a seventh-round pick at this time last year? Selvie's production dropped after his breakout sophomore year, and now he'll have to prove himself again.

No. 227: Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh, to Houston: Surprised to see Dickerson go this low after his great Combine performance. He's a tweener who needs the right team to showcase his skills.

No. 231: Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia, to Washington: Capers has a lot of talent and potential.

No. 237: Ryan D'Imperio, LB/FB, Rutgers, to Minnesota: The Scarlet Knights' linebacker was drafted as a fullback although he never played it in college.

No. 238: Ricardo Mathews, DT, Cincinnati, to Indianapolis: Mathews didn't get as much attention on the Bearcats' defense as some other players but had a nice senior season.

No. 249: Robert McClain, CB, UConn, to Carolina: McClain had four interceptions last year and also served as the team's punt returner.

Here's a handy-dandy list of NFL Draft picks per Big East school:

South Florida: 5

Rutgers: 3

Cincinnati: 3

Connecticut: 2

Pitt: 2

Syracuse: 2

West Virginia: 1

Louisville: 0

And, finally, some notable players who weren't drafted (I'll have more later on those who signed free-agent contracts): Andre Dixon and Lindsey Witten from UConn; Aaron Webster and Alex Daniels from Cincinnati; Scott Long from Louisville; and Jarrett Brown from West Virginia.

• Latwan Anderson's decision to go to Miami based on image may be somewhat troubling for West Virginia, but it's no big surprise, Bob Hertzel writes in the Times West Virginian.
• Mardy Gilyard and Tony Pike had nice performances at Cincinnati's pro day, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer. And here's some video from the event.
• The Home News Tribune's Keith Sargeant has more on Tim Brown's rocky pro day at Rutgers.
• In their latest mock drafts, Mel Kiper has Jason Pierre-Paul seventh, while Todd McShay lists him 17th. Anthony Davis is 18th in Kiper's draft and 23rd in McShay's. And Devin McCourty is 30th in Kiper's.

Cincinnati held its pro day this morning, and while Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard are the highest-profile prospects, others did their best to impress the scouts as well.

Gilyard and Pike didn't do every drill because they did most of the same stuff at the NFL combine. But Gilyard did run the 40 and posted a time of 4.47 seconds, best of those who participated today.

Defensive lineman Alex Daniels pulled a muscle during his 40 but had some other impressive numbers. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 31 times, tying Curtis Young for best on the team. Daniels also showed off a 36.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, nine-inch broad jump. Not bad for a 265-pounder.

Defensive back Brad Jones ran the 40 in 4.56 seconds, second-fastest behind Gilyard. Jones also had a 39-inch vertical. Safety Aaron Webster ran a 4.66 in the 40.

Linebacker Marcus Waugh, known as a workout warrior, benched 225 pounds 29 times.

Brian Bennett looks at the wide receivers who will be the Big East’s top deep threats in 2010.

• Marcus Easley talks about his standout NFL combine performance in the Hartford Courant.
• Jason Pierre-Paul showed why he's such a hot prospect by running a 4.64 in the 40, Greg Auman notes in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Louisville's Scott Long is climbing up the draft boards after a great combine, C.Ray Hall says in The Courier-Journal. (See, there was a reason I had Long ranked so high in the preseason Top 30 list).
• Mardy Gilyard continued to tell his story to anyone who would listen, Joe Redy writes in the CIncinnati Enquirer.

• West Virginia's governor hopes he's not needed but is ready to step in to make sure the West Virginia-Marshall series continues, Mitch Vingle writes in the Charleston Gazette.
• Whoever joins an expanded Big Ten might not be in for a full slice of the pie.
• Randy Edsall talks spring practice in the Connecticut Post.
• It was a so-so NFL combine weekend for Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Matt Grothe is hoping to be ready for South Florida's pro day, Greg Auman writes in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Anthony Davis was happy with his combine weekend, Keith Sargeant writes in the Home News Tribune.

Offensive players had their turn at the all-important NFL combine over the weekend. Defensive players get started today in Indianapolis. Here's a look at how some of the Big East's offensive invitees performed:

Offensive line: The guy with the most eyeballs on him was Rutgers tackle Anthony Davis, who has been projected as potential top 5 pick. There was good and bad in Davis' performance. His 5.38 time in the 40-yard dash was disappointing, and his 21 reps on the 225-pound bench press was pedestrian. But he showed off a 33-foot vertical leap, fourth best among all offensive linemen, proving his athleticism.

Tight ends: Pitt's Dorin Dickerson turned in an eye-popping 4.40 in the 40. Of course, Big East fans are well aware of Dickerson's top-end speed and athleticism. The question for him remains whether he'll be big enough to be a blocking tight end.

Teammate Nate Byham served that role for the Panthers, and while he posted just a 5.09 time in the 40, his best trait is his physicality in the run game.

Quarterbacks: Some of the bigger-name quarterback prospects didn't throw this weekend, but Cincinnati's Tony Pike and West Virginia's Jarrett Brown did. Here is what Scouts Inc. analyst Todd McShay had to say about them:

"Pike is the third quarterback in the class to adjust his delivery and Pike showed a release that got the ball out of his hand more quickly. He was a little inconsistent with his accuracy, but there is surely an adjustment period after tweaking his delivery and the long-term benefits should outweigh the short-term inconsistency."

"[Brown's] 4.54 in the 40 was best among quarterbacks and he posted a 34.4 vertical jump, showing that he also has the athleticism to move to another position if necessary."

Here is ESPN.com's John Clayton's take:

"The highlight of the day was watching the 6-6 Pike go against the 6-3 [Zac] Robinson. Each has a tight overhand delivery in which the ball zips from the right of his ear and moves with velocity. Even though Pike will probably go ahead of Robinson, I thought Robinson won the day. His passes on comeback routes were crisp and he surprised many by throwing a better 35-yard post corner route than Pike. For whatever reason, I thought Pike's balls wobbled a little too much when he threw outside the numbers."

Receivers: UConn's Marcus Easley ran a 4.46 in the 40, seventh best among wideouts and tops among Big East receivers.

"Easley showed good explosiveness with a 10-3 broad jump and there is a lot to like about the way he tracks deep passes," McShay writes. "Easley is a former walk-on with limited game experience, but he clearly has the raw tools to warrant midround consideration as a developmental project."

Louisville's Scott Long ran a 4.46 and South Florida's Carlton Mitchell posted a 4.49. Both measured in at 6-foot-2 and helped themselves by showing a combination of size and speed. Long also had the best vertical jump among receivers at 41.5 inches and topped all wideouts in the 3-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle.

West Virginia's Alric Arnett finishing third in the receiving group with a 40-inch vertical. Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard registered a 39-inch leap.

• Rutgers stars Anthony Davis and Devin McCourty took different paths to the NFL combine, which starts today, Tara Sullivan writes for the Bergen Record.
• Mardy Gilyard has been getting ready, as he details in this Q&A with his hometown paper.
• The Syracuse Post-Standard's Bud Poliquin is no fan of the combine and its silliness.
• Lots of good South Florida info here in Greg Auman's St. Petersburg Times notebook. He also reports that an NC State receiver is looking to transfer to USF.
• SI.com's Kris Dyer attended a New Jersey recruiting event and has information about some potential prospects for Rutgers, West Virginia and Pitt.
• The Times West Virginian's Bob Hertzel wonders what Rich Rodriguez was in a hurry to shred when he left West Virginia for Michigan.

As promised, it's time to get to your reactions to my postseason Big East Top 30 players list. There were a few main objections echoed by many people. These questions reflect the majority of the e-mails I received regarding the list. Remember that reasonable minds can disagree, to steal a line from another ESPN guy, and that a list like this is always going to be subjective and open to debate.

Greg from Cincinnati writes: Brian, I normally really enjoy your material. However, I have to ask if I missed Pitt winning the Big East this year. How does the No. 2 team end up with five of the top 10, while the champions from Cincinnati get two?

Bob from New Brunswick, N.J., writes: Your top 30 has seven Pitt players, but only three Cincinnati players. Even among those who just missed, you mention five Panthers and only two Bearcats. Yet Cincy was better over the course of the season. Is this perhaps a reflection on a difference in coaching, or is there another explanation?

Brian Bennett: Yes, this was the most frequently e-mailed comment/complaint. Where were all the Cincinnati players? Look, there's no denying that the Bearcats had the best team, as evidenced by their 12-0 record. But this is a top 30 list of individual players. Cincinnati was extremely well-coached and executed its system to near perfection offensively, and if this were, say, a Top 50 list, its players would be all over the list.

I just didn't think that Cincinnati necessarily had the best individual talent. I've explained that Zach Collaros just didn't play enough games for me to put him on the postseason list. Five Bearcats players made the All-Big East first team; the only two I didn't include were Aaron Webster and Chris Jurek. Webster was an extremely close call, but with the way the defense played down the stretch, he missed the cut for me. Jurek was a terrific college player, but I'm not sure how much future potential he has.

Perhaps I'll look stupid in a few years when a boatload of players from the '09 Bearcats are starring in the NFL. But to me it seemed like Brian Kelly had a few superstars and a whole bunch of really, really good players who did everything right.

Of course, there's one guy from that team whom many people thought I misfired on ...

Jesuit Educated from North Bend, Ohio, writes: To exclude Armon Binns from your 2009 Big East Top 30 players by suggesting Cincinnati's offense inflates receivers' statistics is bemusing at best and stupid at worst. By your logic, albeit flawed, Dion Lewis's statistics are inflated given he had 68 percent of Pitt's rushing attempts. Mr. Binns's receptions accounted for less than 20 percent of Cincinnati's total receptions of 311. He also scored every 5.5 times he touched the ball compared to Mr. Lewis's 19-to-1 ratio.While I am not at all suggesting Mr. Binns should be the Big East's top player, I am suggesting your credibility as as a football reporter/pundit/talent judge is suspicious when Mr. Binns is excluded from your Top 30 while the two wide receivers from Rutgers and the wide receiver from Connecticut are included.

Brian Bennett: Well, first of all I don't really buy your comparative stats since by nature a receiver touches the ball far fewer times than a running back. Did Binns have the numbers to make this list? Yeah. He had 888 receiving yards and, most impressively, 11 touchdown grabs. So why did he just miss?

Three things went into my reasoning. First, it's clear that Binns was the No. 2 receiver on that team behind Mardy Gilyard and got a lot of open looks because of that. Secondly, though he had a great season, he wasn't dominant. He had only three games in which he had more than 100 yards receiving. And finally, though you may disagree, Cincinnati's offense does inflate statistics -- the Bearcats passed the ball 57 percent of the time in 2009, which was a far higher percentage than any other team in the Big East.

For an example of how Kelly's offense can inflate receiver numbers I present this example: Marcus Barnett. He had a freshman year that was arguably better than Binns, catching a school record 13 touchdown passes and 862 yards overall. Yet, he has barely been heard from in the two years since as he fell out of favor with Kelly.

I don't mean this to sound critical of Binns, because he's a terrific talent who's got a world of potential. I will agree that perhaps he should have been in the Top 30 somewhere, and I can assure you he'll be there in the preseason list. But I don't see him as the slam-dunk postseason pick like many of you do.

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Robert G. from Louisville writes: After analyzing your Top 30 Big East players list I can only draw one conclusion: Fire Dave Wannstedt. There is no excuse for having that many top players in your conference and continue to fall short of conference championships and BCS bowl participation.

Brian Bennett: Well, I assume you're being facetious here, Robert. After all, Wannstedt's Panthers have won 19 games in the last two years combined, so it's not like they're wildly underachieving. But there is a kernel of truth in there. It's hard to argue that Pitt has had as many, if not the most, talented players in the Big East of late, thanks to great recruiting efforts. It's time for the program to capitalize on that ability and win a Big East title. And with Nos. 1, 4, 5, 14 and 28 from my list returning to Pitt, 2010 looks like as good a time as any.

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Jeff K. from Cincinnati writes: Arthur Jones rated below Greg Romeus and Mick Williams from Pitt? I understand Pitt was solid defensively for the most part all year (other than NC State and the meltdown against my beloved Cats) but Arthur Jones will WOW those at the combine, much more so than either of the Pitt DT/DE's. Wait and see!

Brian Bennett: This goes back to the whole production vs. potential criteria. As I said at the beginning, I judged production to be more important. Thus, while Mick Williams may or may not have a ton of pro potential, he was arguably the most productive defensive player in the Big East in 2010. Jones had injury issues and didn't put up his usual numbers, though he did receive a lot of attention from offensive lines. And while I agree that Jones should impress at the combine, if he's healthy, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Romeus. A 6-foot-6, 270-pounder who can run like he can doesn't come along every day.

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Casto from Arlington, Va., writes: I am confused as to why you would rank Dion Lewis above Noel Devine? Devine averaged more yards per carry, more yards per catch and most importantly, Devine won the Backyard Brawl for WVU with his 88-yard TD against Pitt. On average, if Devine would have gotten the 325 carries that Lewis did, he would have had 1,976 yards!

Brian Bennett: In some ways, Casto, you could have put my top three in just about any order and make a strong case for it. But let's look at Devine vs. Lewis for a moment, because it is an interesting debate.

First, we'll throw out the Backyard Brawl from your argument, because Lewis actually outgained Devine in that game (158 yards to 134, with most of Devine's yardage coming on that one spectacular run). Yes, Devine averaged more yards per carry (6.1 to 5.5) and had 84 fewer rushing attempts. Some of that was because he injured his ankle late in the year.

But I think we also have to give credit to Lewis for being a workhorse back. Devine has never been a 25- to 30-carry guy in his career, whether that's because of his stature or simply because of West Virginia's philosophy. Lewis is about the same size but proved he could carry a heavy load on his shoulders. And the fact that he was just a freshman makes it all the more impressive and earns him more points in the potential category.

Are the two far apart? No. In fact, watching them both pursue the Big East rushing title in 2010 is going to be one of the highlights of the season.

A postseason ranking of the Big East's top 30 players ...

No. 2

Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati, Sr.

Preseason rank: 5

Why him here: What more could Mardy Gilyard have done for Cincinnati?

He led the Big East in both catches (87, or 15 more than the nearest receiver) and receiving yards (1,191) while tying with teammate Armon Binns for the lead in touchdown catches with 11. He also led the league in kickoff returns at 30.5 yards per attempt, while scoring two touchdowns. And he tied for the league lead in punt return average (12.6) while scoring another touchdown there.

For the second straight season, he was named the Big East special teams player of the year. He almost singlehandedly brought his team back from the brink in the Pitt game with the Big East title on the line. He finished his career as the Big East's second all-time leading receiver.

In short, he did just about everything a team could ask in his college career.

What's the future hold? Gilyard should be a high-round draft pick, with the only question being his size (a slender 185 pounds on his 6-foot-1 frame) and his ability to get separation at the line of scrimmage. I've got to believe he'll be a productive player at the next level.

You could make a strong case for Gilyard as the Big East's best player in 2009, and you'd get no argument from me. But my choice for No. 1 -- not like it's a surprise at this point -- will be revealed later today.

Previous:

No. 3: Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
No. 4: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
No. 5: Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 6: Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
No. 7: Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
No. 8: Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
No. 9: Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh
No. 10: Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
No. 11: Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
No. 12: Robert Sands, S, West Virginia
No. 13: B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida
No. 14: Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
No. 15: Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers
No. 16: Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut
No. 17: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
No. 18: Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
No. 19: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
No. 20: Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
No. 21: Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 22: Nate Allen, S, South Florida
No. 23: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
No. 24: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
No. 25: Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
No. 26: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
No. 27: Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
No. 28: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 29: Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut
No. 30: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati

No lunchtime links today, because there aren't any. It's a slow time, though Rutgers is expected to name two new assistant coaches this afternoon. So instead, I thought I'd give you the full list of Big East players who have been invited to the NFL combine, which begins Feb. 24 in Indianapolis:

• Nate Allen, S, South Florida
• Alric Arnett, WR, West Virginia
• Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
• Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh
• Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
• Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
• Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
• Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
• Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
• Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati
• Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
• Scott Long, WR, Louisville
• Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
• Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida
• Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida
• Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
• Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
• George Selvie, DE, South Florida
• Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse
• Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
• Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut

A year ago at this time, the Big East was dealing with the loss of a plethora of stars, including some of the best players in league history. Guys like Pat White, Donald Brown, Kenny Britt, LeSean McCoy and Scott McKillop seemed difficult, if not impossible, to replace. The league fared just fine in 2009 without those stars, and the good news for 2010 is that many of its top performers will be back. But that's not to say there aren't still some key losses that teams will have to adjust to this spring. Here's a look at the biggest shoes to fill this season in the Big East:

• Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: The Bearcats aren't exactly hurting at wide receiver with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and USC transfer Vidal Hazelton around. Still, someone must replace Gilyard's leadership and knack for making the big play at crucial times. What might be even more difficult to replace is Gilyard's production on special teams. The two-time Big East special teams player of the year was always a threat to score on kickoffs and punt returns. And hopefully someone will step in Gilyard's role as the best quote in the entire conference.
• Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers: Brown may not have received a ton of attention nationally, but he was vitally important to the Scarlet Knights. The speedster averaged 20.9 yards per catch and amassed 1,150 receiving yards and nine touchdowns as the team's only true deep threat. With a still very young receiving corps surrounding Tom Savage, Rutgers will need to find someone who can stretch the field the way Brown did.
• Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh: The 2009 co-defensive player of the year in the conference, Williams was a wildly disruptive force in the middle of that Panthers defensive line, as well as an inspirational leader. With fellow senior tackle Gus Mustakas also gone, Pitt needs more production from backups Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih, among others.
• Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers: McCourty was an underappreciated gem for the Scarlet Knights, a lockdown cornerback who also was seemingly everywhere on special teams. He was the leader of the secondary. Guys with his skills don't come around that often.
• Reed Williams, LB, West Virginia: The Mountaineers had to deal with Williams' absence for most of 2008 and at times this past season because of various injuries. But it was clear that they were a different team whenever Williams was healthy. A smart player (he's the 2009 Big East football scholar-athlete of the year ) who anchored the defense at middle linebacker, Williams was like a coach on the field.
• George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Say what you will about Selvie's dwindling production, but opposing offense still always had to account for him. And Pierre-Paul ascended to star status in his one year on campus. Combined, the two produced 26 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2009. The Bulls now need the next wave of pass-rushers to emerge, with former stud recruit Ryne Giddins one possible candidate.