ESPN College Football

2011 overall record: 9-4
2011 conference record: 4-3 (T-4)
Returning starters: Offense 6; Defense 8; Kicker/punter: 1.

Key returners

LB Khaseem Greene, NT Scott Vallone, CB Logan Ryan, S Duron Harmon, WR Mark Harrison, RB Jawan Jamison, OT Kaleb Johnson

Key losses

WR Mohamed Sanu, S David Rowe, K San San Te, LG Desmond Wynn, RG Art Forst, DT Justin Francis

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Jawan Jamison* (897 yards)
Passing: Chas Dodd* (139-of-245 for 1,574 yards, 10 TDs, 7 INTs)
Receiving: Sanu (1,206 yards)
Tackles: Khaseem Greene* (141)
Sacks: Justin Francis (6.5)
Interceptions: Duron Harmon* (five)

Spring answers

1. Flood in control. One of the biggest story lines in the Big East headed into the spring was how coach Kyle Flood would manage a team ready to compete for a Big East title. It appears he has everything under control. There is a more relaxed mood around the facility, Flood has proven to be more of a delegator, and he isn't screaming at players every two seconds. He seems to know how he wants to lead this team, and used the spring to get comfortable as the man in charge.

2. Waters emerges. The Rutgers defense returns nearly everybody, but among the biggest shoes to fill is at strong safety, with David Rowe departing. Lorenzo Waters went into the spring penciled in as the starter, and did nothing to change that view during practices. He could be a force this year.

3. New kicker. It appears freshman Kyle Federico has emerged as the leader at kicker, to replace San San Te. Federico enrolled early and took advantage of being in the spring game, performing consistently well. Now we'll see how he does when the pressure is on Saturdays in the fall.

Fall questions

1. Quarterback. Chas Dodd and Gary Nova battled for the starting quarterback job, and neither was consistent enough to win it after spring practice. So the two go into the offseason, continuing their competition. Dodd started eight games last season; Nova 5. Flood says he wants to make a decision at least a week before the season opener against Tulane.

2. Offensive line. Though Flood has a better idea about who can be his main contributors on the line, injuries really set back the group in terms of building chemistry. Tackle Kaleb Johnson was out; Betim Bujari missed time with an injured ankle but has moved from guard to center. In fact, four of the five starting linemen have been changed on the post-spring depth chart.

3. Running back. Jamison and Savon Huggins are sure to split the reps this year, as Flood has basically said he wants to use both as much as he can. But it remains to be seen who is tabbed as the starter, and how Rutgers is going to try and divide up the reps. Huggins came into Rutgers as the most highly touted prospect in school history. Now he gets another chance to live up to his advance billing.

Rutgers is the final Big East team to play it spring game. Here is a quick primer on what to watch:

Quarterback competition. Neither Chas Dodd nor Gary Nova have separated themselves in their competition to win the starting quarterback job. The truth is, neither has played consistently. In a scrimmage last week, both struggled. Coach Kyle Flood said he was pleased that they played better during the final practice before the spring game Thursday, but there is no doubt the competition will continue into the summer. It would certainly help if one of them, or both of them, left spring with a strong statement performance.

Receivers. Brandon Coleman has had a really nice spring so far. Of course, he had a really nice spring last season and then Mohamed Sanu stole the show. Watching Coleman in practice makes you believe he can truly be an unstoppable force because of his size and speed. He rarely, if ever, gets tackled from behind. He could have another big day. Flood also has praised Miles Shuler, who has had a nice spring as well.

Kicker. Freshman Kyle Federico appears to be the front-runner to replace San San Te. Federico is an early year enrollee out of Ponte Vedra, Fla., and has had a pretty good spring, going 7-of-9 on field goal attempts in the two scrimmages Rutgers has played. He has taken the majority of the reps with the first-team field goal unit.

Of note: Rutgers is missing many of its key players because of injuries, including several contributors on the offensive and defensive lines. So the team you see Saturday will not be the one that lines up for the season opener. Flood wants the spring game to be much more of an exhibition than an actual game. He also plans on issuing a revised depth chart in the next several weeks.

Andrea Adelson talks with the receiver about becoming the team's go-to guy.

We continue our spring series looking at some of the key positions that have to be filled for each team across the league.

Up today: Rutgers.

OUT: Mohamed Sanu. Anybody who watched Rutgers last season knows how valuable Sanu was to his team a year ago. It felt as if he made every single critical catch for the Scarlet Knights. He was the go-to receiver to get a first down, or to make a big play and that showed as he set a school and Big East record with 115 receptions. Nobody else on his team even came close to him. It was refreshing to see such terrific play out of him, after his injury-plagued 2010 -- which also featured him playing out of position. Sanu was the most reliable receiver for Rutgers -- and in the Big East a year ago. That is what the Scarlet Knights will absolutely miss most of all.

IN: Brandon Coleman. Sanu was the only consistent player in the receiving corps last year. Mark Harrison struggled through some drops. Coleman never really emerged after a terrific spring. In fact, at this time one year ago, it was Coleman who received so many of the headlines. Now it is his time to put everything together, as he is penciled in to take Sanu's starting spot. He has terrific size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds to create some major matchup problems. And the good news is he showed plenty of capability, particularly in his six-catch, 223-yard game against UConn. But he has to show up every week, and he has to earn the starting job this spring.

Andrea Adelson takes a look at the receiver position across the Big East and incoming players with the potential to step up this spring.

The best receivers from the Big East last season are gone. Mohamed Sanu, to the NFL. Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin, to the Big 12.

Much like the quarterback position, the title of best receiver in the Big East is there for the taking in 2012.

Here is a quick glance at who returns as the most productive wideout in the league:

Alec Lemon, Syracuse. If you saw my earlier post, then you also know Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib returns as the most productive at his position as well.

Lemon had a career year in 2011, with 68 receptions for 834 yards and six touchdowns. All three stats are tops among returning receivers in the league. Who else returns among the top 10 statistical receivers in 2011?

• Devin Street, Pitt, 53 catches, 754 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Anthony McClung, Cincinnati, 49 catches, 683 yards, six touchdowns

Yes, that means only three of the top 10 receivers in the league return to their respective teams.

This is among the most wide-open positions headed into spring practice. Not because there is inexperience. In fact, a lot of veteran players return, guys such as Mike Shanahan, Sterling Griffin, Michaelee Harris. Marcus Sales is back for the Orange as well.

But as noted above, many of these players now have the opportunity to become the best in the league. Players we have waited on to blossom perhaps have opportunities now -- players such as Mark Harrison and Brandon Coleman at Rutgers, for example.

I will have more on the receivers as a whole in my spring video series looking at positions across the Big East later week, including players I believe have a great opportunity to emerge this season.

The final ranking of the Big East Top 25 players for 2011 is complete. So it's time for a little breakdown.

By school

West Virginia: 7

Cincinnati: 4

Rutgers: 4

UConn: 3

Syracuse: 2

Louisville: 2

Pitt: 2

USF: 1

By unit

Offense: 9

Defense: 16

By position

Defensive line: 8

Running back: 4

Linebacker: 4

Defensive back: 4

Wide receiver: 3

Quarterback: 2

Now for what many of you have asked to see -- the players ranked in my preseason list who went unranked on the final list.

No. 2 Brandon Lindsey, DL/LB, Pitt. There are many Panthers fans who are upset that Lindsey did not make the final Top 25 list. Lindsey had 8.5 sacks, down from the 10 he had a year ago, while he transitioned to a new hybrid defensive end/linebacker position. I think being caught in no-man's land at times this season really took a toll. Pitt never really decided how they wanted to use him, and while he had the stats, overall I didn't think he was as effective as he was a year ago. In fact, I think he was probably misused in the new 3-4 scheme.

No. 10 Sio Moore, LB, UConn. Moore did have a good season for the Huskies, but I thought he was inconsistent on the whole at a position that had some pretty strong players. Moore did not make either Big East conference team, an award voted on by the coaches, but I do expect him to have a much better season in 2012.

No. 12 Moe Petrus, C, UConn. Offensive line was an area of weakness across the Big East, and UConn was no exception. Petrus was the first-team Big East center, but the Huskies had big problems on the line this past season, and I didn't think any lineman was worthy of recognition.

No. 13 Mark Harrison, WR, Rutgers. Totally misjudged the receiver position at Rutgers, where Mohamed Sanu dominated. Still, I wasn't the only one who had high expectations for Harrison in 2011, so I think it is safe to say he disappointed.

No. 15 Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, UConn. Wreh-Wilson hurt his knee and missed a good chunk of the season, leaving the Huskies' secondary to fend without him. The result was a mess.

No. 16 D.J. Woods, WR, Cincinnati. Woods never really became the go-to receiver for the Bearcats, finishing with just 444 yards and two touchdowns. His production was down by more than half compared to the 2010 season, when he had 898 yards and eight touchdown receptions.

No. 19 Jarred Holley, S, Pitt. Holley did make the Big East first-team, but he didn't make as many big plays this season as he did during the 2010 season at a position that was relatively week across the league.

No. 22 Victor Anderson, RB, Louisville. Anderson got his chance as a starter, and never really made a big impact. He struggled to play through a sprained ankle, and ended up splitting reps with Jeremy Wright and Dominique Brown, finishing with 539 yards and three touchdown runs.

No. 23 Tino Sunseri, QB, Pitt. Do I need to go into how I badly miscalculated here?

No. 24 B.J. Daniels, QB, USF. Daniels had more yards passing, more touchdown passes and cut down on the interceptions from the 2010 season. But he wasn't an elite quarterback in the league, and ended up making critical mistakes in several key games this past season.

No. 25 Dave Teggart, PK, UConn. Teggart's field goal percentage was down from the 2010 season, and he also missed the first extra point attempt of his career. Nobody in the kicking/punting game really merited a mention in the Top 25.

Spring practice is right around the corner. Let's look at some quick snapshots of each team.

CINCINNATI

Spring practice start date: March 1

Spring game: April 14

What to watch:

• Replacing Pead. The biggest position battle looming might be at running back, where Isaiah Pead is gone, leaving a big hole in the offense. Pead won Big East Offensive Player of the Year honors and was the MVP of the Bearcats this past season. Pead and quarterback Zach Collaros combined for 64 percent of the carries and 64 percent of the rushing yards. Cincinnati might go with much more of a rotation this year. George Winn, Jameel Poteat, Ralph David Abernathy IV and a promising group of freshmen all figure to be in the mix.
• Quarterbacks. Collaros is gone, but at least Munchie Legaux and Jordan Luallen have game experience. Coach Butch Jones says the competition is wide-open in the spring, but you can bet that getting timing down with receivers has to be at the top of the agenda for all the quarterbacks. That was really lacking this past season.
• Man in the middle. Linebacker J.K. Schaffer has been the heart of this defense for the past three seasons, getting more than 100 tackles in each of those three campaigns. So who fills his shoes? That is one of the biggest position battles to watch for the Bearcats. Dwight Jackson, Greg Blair, Solomon Tentman and Kevin Hyland are all in the mix this spring.

UCONN

Spring practice start date: March 20

Spring game: April 21

What to watch:

• Quarterbacks. We finally get to see how highly touted freshman Casey Cochran looks when he takes his first snaps under center for the Huskies. He is the man many are tabbing as the starter for 2012, so his development beginning in the spring will be huge for the team's prospects in the fall.
• Offensive line. The Huskies have to replace Moe Petrus, who started the past three seasons at center, and Mike Ryan, who's as solid as they come at tackle. Coach Paul Pasqualoni decided to shift coaching responsibilities for the line to offensive coordinator George DeLeone in order to boost this unit. DeLeone's background is primarily in coaching the offensive line, so this move could pay off nicely for the Huskies.
• Improving pass defense. Perhaps more than finding a replacement for Kendall Reyes, improving the pass defense has to be priority No. 1 this spring. The Huskies are losing starting safety Jerome Junior, but there are young players capable of taking over. Having Blidi Wreh-Wilson healthy is obviously huge, but I am guessing that technique, fundamentals and coverages will be emphasized this spring.

LOUISVILLE

Spring practice start date: March 21

Spring game: April 14

What to watch:

• Growing up. Gaining maturity has been a big theme since the season ended. It is only spring practice, but I think coach Charlie Strong wants to get a good sense from his players about their focus. How committed are they to getting to a BCS bowl game? To starting the season as a preseason Top 25 team? To going undefeated? All coaches say championships are won starting in January.
• Young linebackers. Louisville has to find a replacement for Dexter Heyman and gain some depth at the position. So it will be intriguing to see how early-enrollee linebackers Keith Brown and James Burgess do during spring practice and whether they can emerge to be contributors in 2012.
• Kicker/punter. With Chris Philpott gone, there isn’t anyone on the roster with game experience at punter or kicker, so expect a wide-open competition in the spring. Redshirt freshman kicker John Wallace may have an edge, if only because he is on scholarship. Walk-ons Andrew Fletcher and Matthew Nakatani also will get long looks. Ryan Johnson is probably the leader at punter. Incoming freshman Joshua Appleby is talented and will compete when he arrives on campus.

PITT

Spring practice start date: March 15

Spring game: April 14

What to watch:

• Quarterback. At some point, we all must put Tino Sunseri's 2011 season behind him. That has to begin in the spring, when coach Paul Chryst anticipates getting a good look at all his quarterbacks, including Mark Myers and Trey Anderson. This will be the third system in three seasons for Sunseri; can he turn the corner?
• New coaches. How will the Panthers adjust to their new coaches and new scheme? This is Chryst's first head-coaching job, and he's already had to deal with staff reshuffling because two guys he brought in changed their minds and moved on elsewhere. How equipped are he and his new coordinators to handle their roles, and how well do the players buy into their system?
• Offensive line. Bigger problem area -- quarterback or offensive line? The two go hand in hand, and this is one position that clearly has to be addressed. The good news is some young players got experience, and they will leave the spread hurry-up that was not so friendly to the line. The bad news -- still not much in the way of depth or options. We'll see whether the Chryst system that worked so well at Wisconsin works with a group that clearly underachieved in 2011.

RUTGERS

Spring practice start date: March 27

Spring game: April 28

What to watch:

• New staff. Just like Pitt, Rutgers goes into the spring with a new head coach and new offensive coordinator. But there should be much more familiarity for the Scarlet Knights. For one, they are going to continue running a pro-style set, even with a new coordinator. For another, assistant Robb Smith has been elevated to defensive coordinator and will employ the same aggressive 4-3 scheme that Greg Schiano used. Still, Kyle Flood is a first-time head coach and is going to need to get his bearings, to put his own stamp on this program.
• Quarterbacks: Chas Dodd and Gary Nova go into the spring in a competition to earn the starting job. Neither was spectacular last season, but there are those who believe Nova has more room for improvement because he has a stronger arm. He just needs to cut down on his mistakes.
• Receivers stepping up. Last spring might as well have been a coming-out party for receiver Brandon Coleman. But he was virtually silent during the season, as Mohamed Sanu got all the headlines and the catches. With Sanu gone, there remains talent in the receiving corps with guys like Coleman, Mark Harrison and Quron Pratt returning and a group of up-and-coming redshirt freshmen as well. Who is going to step up?

USF

Spring practice start date: March 21

Spring game: April 7 and 14

What to watch:

• Rebound. USF is always a team that looks good on paper and in the early season. But then the usual collapse ensues. What has coach Skip Holtz learned in his first two seasons on the job that will allow him to fix what has continually plagued this team, and how can that be worked on during the spring? Folks will pay attention more than ever because USF has one of the most talented and experienced teams returning.
• New DC. Chris Cosh takes over as defensive coordinator, and one of his first orders of business is making sure he molds his group into a much more passionate but disciplined unit. This group needs a beating heart, and DeDe Lattimore might be the perfect player to step into that role. The bigger question is how these players will adapt to their third coordinator in four years.
• Depth in secondary. The Bulls need to work on depth in the secondary, especially after losing starting safety Jerrell Young and starting cornerback Quenton Washington. That departure in particular means all eyes are going to be on early enrollee Chris Bivins, a four-star cornerback out of Gainesville, Fla. Spring will give him time to really work on bulking up -- he was listed at 166 pounds out of high school.

SYRACUSE

Spring practice start date: March 20

Spring game: April 21

What to watch:

• Receivers. There is plenty of opportunity for this group to get better and have somebody emerge this spring. With Alec Lemon sidelined, plenty of young players should be getting reps and a chance to get some rhythm with Ryan Nassib. Watch for Keenan Hale, Kyle Foster and Jarrod West. Still no word on whether Marcus Sales will be reinstated in time for the spring.
• Quarterback. Not necessarily Nassib, but early enrollee Ashton Broyld, a dual-threat QB who played last season at Milford Academy. Coach Doug Marrone already has talked about potentially getting Broyld reps in games as a change-of-pace quarterback, and there are plenty of Orange fans who want to finally see what it is that Broyld can do.
• Defensive line. One area that has to improve is along the defensive front, where Syracuse struggled to get a consistent pass rush. Their best two players are gone in Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich, leaving guys like Micah Robinson and Brandon Sharpe as likely first-teamers in the spring. More help comes in this summer in the form of junior college transfers Zian Jones and Markus Pierce-Brewster.

It is time to evaluate the receiver position in the Big East. For the postseason rankings, I am going to include tight ends as well. Before the season started, I did them separately, but it makes more sense to do them together.

This is a position group that has a clear-cut 1-2. To me, the rest are pretty interchangeable, as no other group really stood out to me this season.

1. West Virginia. Slam dunk to have the Mountaineers on top, given the way Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey performed this season. Each had 1,000-yard seasons -- the first time in school history two players hit that mark. Bailey led the Big East with 12 receiving touchdowns, and was No. 1 in receiving yards per game. Austin was third in receiving yards per game and second in receptions per game. Add in Ivan McCartney, also ranked among the top-10 receivers in the Big East and that says it all. Preseason ranking: No. 2.

2. Rutgers. Mohamed Sanu had an unbelievable season for Rutgers with a school and Big East record 115 receptions. He dominated at receiver, leading the league in receptions per game and finishing second in receiving yards per game. That domination meant his teammates did not get as many opportunities -- Brandon Coleman only had 17 receptions; Mark Harrison 14, Quron Pratt had 32. But when you have an unstoppable force like Sanu, you keep going to him. Preseason ranking: No. 1.

3. Syracuse. When you think of the Orange, you don't necessarily think of high-profile receivers. But Alec Lemon and Nick Provo teamed to have outstanding seasons this year. Both posted career years, Provo made the Big East first team and Lemon made the second team. The two combined for 119 catches and 13 touchdowns. Depth wasn't great, but the performance of Lemon and Provo make up for that and vaults Syracuse here. Preseason ranking: No. 5.

4. Cincinnati. I thought the Bearcats receivers had a down year. D.J. Woods didn't really live up to his potential, and Anthony McClung led the team with 683 yards. That is the fewest yards for the team's leading receiver since 2006. What really sticks out: when Zach Collaros got hurt, the receivers as a whole never really stepped up the way they should have to help Munchie Legaux. Preseason ranking: No. 3.

5. Louisville. The Cardinals did get much better play out of their receivers, and were helped with the impact freshman DeVante Parker and Eli Rogers made. They didn't have anybody with eye-popping numbers, but they did have consistent enough performances out of this group. Preseason ranking: 7.

6. USF. The Bulls were really hurt by injuries at this position, and never really had a go-to guy emerge. Sterling Griffin was en route to a good season before he got hurt; A.J. Love got hurt as well. That left the position in the hands of many young, inexperienced guys. I thought Deonte Welch really had a nice second half. He was their best receiver when Griffin was out. Preseason ranking: 6.

7. UConn. Considering the way the Huskies struggled in the pass game, Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore and Ryan Griffin all put together solid seasons for UConn. Both Moores ranked in the top 10 in the Big East in receiving, and Griffin was the second-best tight end behind Nick Provo. Depth was lacking at the position -- as only five players caught double-digit passes, and only three are true wide receivers. Preseason ranking: 8.

8. Pitt. The Panthers got their tight ends and running backs involved heavily in the pass game, probably because there was depth lacking at the actual receiver position. Devin Street put together a solid season, with 754 yards receiving, and Mike Shanahan was decent. But otherwise, big plays were lacking. Passing game woes obviously had an impact. Preseason ranking: 4.

National signing day is inching ever closer, so it is time to take a look at the biggest recruiting needs for every team in the Big East.

Cincinnati

Defensive line. Cincinnati loses a host of seniors from this position, including Co-Defensive Player of the Year Derek Wolfe, John Hughes, Monte Taylor, and Rob Trigg. Factor in the key contributors for 2012 will be seniors in Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and Walter Stewart and it is time to reload at this position.

Receiver. There is some promising young talent on the roster, but several guys are going to be leaving in the next few years. The Bearcats really need a guy who can stretch the field and make some big plays to join Anthony McClung and Alex Chisum.

Secondary. The Bearcats are going to take a hit at this position after 2012, losing a ton of seniors-to-be, including Cam Cheatham, Drew Frey, Dominique Battle and Reuben Johnson. Senior safety Wesley Richardson is already gone. The lone four-star commitment the Bearcats have is from a safety, Marcus Foster.

UConn

Quarterback. This need has been addressed in this recruiting cycle, with junior college transfer Chandler Whitmer and Casey Cochran already enrolled in school.

Tight end. With the impending departure of Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt, the Huskies could use another young player to be groomed to take over. Tight end is a critical part of the UConn offense.

Offensive line. UConn is losing its two best linemen in Moe Petrus and Mike Ryan. Of the 16 linemen currently listed on the roster, seven are juniors or seniors. Linemen generally take a redshirt season, so it never hurts to sign more to be able to restock.

Louisville

Linebacker. The Cardinals are losing Dexter Heyman and have a lot of juniors and seniors on their roster at this position. It is no surprise, then, that three of the top players coming in are linebackers -- Keith Brown and James Burgess are already enrolled; four-star recruit Nick Dawson has given a commitment.

Offensive line. Louisville has young players here, but not much depth, as evidenced this season when several true freshmen were forced to play much earlier than anticipated. It never hurts to build depth here, and the Cardinals have gotten a huge commit from four-star guard Abraham Garcia out of Miami.

Running back. This was an area the Cardinals struggled in this season, having to move quarterback Dominique Brown to the position. Victor Anderson is gone, and this team could really used another back to carry the load.

Pitt

Quarterback. This one is pretty self explanatory if you watched Tino Sunseri play. Mark Myers and Trey Anderson are also on the roster, but the Panthers are in definite need here -- which is why so many fans are looking forward to commit Chad Voytik coming to town.

Linebacker. This has been an area of inconsistency for the Panthers, who lose their best player in Max Gruder. There are some young players with talent in Todd Thomas and Ejuan Price, but this position could definitely use an upgrade.

Receiver. The play of the offense was disappointing this season, and that includes the receivers. Pitt could use some players to stretch the field. Ronald Jones was a start this season. But when you consider that Cameron Saddler, Mike Shanahan and Devin Street will all be upperclassmen in 2012, this is a definite area of need.

Rutgers

Receiver. Mohamed Sanu is gone, and Mark Harrison is a senior to be. There is plenty of young talent, but there is a reason Rutgers has commitments from four athletes. This gives the Scarlet Knights the flexibility to try them at receiver or running back, another area of need.

Running back. Once Savon Huggins got hurt this year, Rutgers had Jawan Jamison and Jeremy Deering at running back and that was about it. Depth has to be developed here.

Offensive line. Strides have absolutely been made at this position, but coach Greg Schiano likes to reiterate that the Scarlet Knights aren't going to pull themselves out of the hole they were in overnight. They need another solid draft class at this position to keep building.

USF

Secondary. Injuries and inconsistent play this season showed the Bulls really lacked some depth and need some immediate help in this area, which is why they signed junior college cornerbacks Fidel Montgomery and Josh Brown. One of their top four-star commitments is cornerback Chris Bivins.

Quarterback. Beyond B.J. Daniels, a senior in 2012, the Bulls have Bobby Eveld and Matt Floyd as the two heirs to take over. Eveld has been less than impressive, and we don't know much about Floyd. The Bulls would be served to get another quarterback in as they prepare for the future.

Running back. Darrell Scott is gone, and the Bulls are really in need of a game breaker at this position. Demetris Murray is going to be a senior, and nobody else really has stepped up at the position. Depth has to be built here, because USF goes into spring practice with four running backs on the roster.

Syracuse

Defensive line. The Orange are losing Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich and could really used some difference-makers up front who can help get after the quarterback. Depth is an issue here. One of their big commitments so far has been defensive end Josh Manley out of Georgia.

Secondary. This was one of the weakest parts of the team and now the Orange lose Phillip Thomas and Kevyn Scott, and there was a lack of depth when injuries hit this position in 2011. Brooklyn prep safety Wayne Morgan would be a huge get to add to this unit.

Receiver. Alec Lemon is a senior, Van Chew is gone and who knows what happens with Marcus Sales. The bottom line is the Orange are in major need of a game-changer to turn 15-yard passes into 40-yard receptions.

West Virginia

Quarterback. Geno Smith is a rising senior and after him it is crickets in the form of one player behind him in Paul Millard. So consider this need majorly filled with Ford Childress, ranked No. 139 on the ESPNU 150.

Offensive line. The most inconsistent part of the team in 2011, West Virginia has a major need here. The Mountaineers struggled so badly here they started converted defensive lineman Curtis Feigt late in the season. Don Barclay is gone, and Joe Madsen, Jeff Braun and Josh Jenkins are all upperclassmen.

Defensive line. Julian Miller, Josh Taylor and Bruce Irvin are gone, and there are depth concerns here. West Virginia has four commitments from defensive linemen already.

The Big East is losing two of its best players in Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu. Their early departures to the NFL make sense. Not so sure yet on USF running back Darrell Scott, who had one decent year in his college career. Syracuse receiver Dorian Graham has graduated and declared for the draft as well.

So as it stands by early Thursday, those four underclassmen are the only ones from the Big East to officially declared their intentions to enter the NFL draft. Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to make their decisions.

All this begs the question — which team will be impacted the most? Is it Syracuse without its most consistent lineman? Rutgers without its best receiver? USF without its leading rusher?

Let's take a closer look.

Jones. Though Jones only played in seven games this season, he still made the Big East first-team with 39 tackles, a team-high 4 1/2 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. He had a monster game in his return against West Virginia, but then the team lost five straight games. What really compounds his loss is this -- Syracuse also is losing its other starting defensive end, Mikhail Marinovich, and starting safety Phillip Thomas. Those are three veteran defensive players, with a combined 90 starts between them. Ninety! That to me is absolutely huge. I really do believe Syracuse might be hurt most with Jones gone, because he would have been a veteran leader on what should be a young defense once again. He would have been the best player, too. Combine that with two other key departures and Syracuse could be hurting on D in 2012. Graham had 24 catches for 260 yards and two touchdowns, and I don't think his loss will have as much of an impact -- perhaps it will from a depth standpoint.

Sanu. What more can you say about Sanu's production this season? He had 115 catches — 83 more than Quron Pratt, No. 2 on the receptions list. When you think about it, Sanu had enough catches for two receivers, he was essentially the only go-to player, the biggest, strongest, most physical and most consistent. Rutgers is going to be losing a boatload without him. But, the good news for Rutgers is this team returns all of its talented receivers. Pratt, Mark Harrison, Brandon Coleman are all back, along with promising up-and-comer Miles Shuler. So to be sure, Rutgers has an immense amount of talent. But somebody is going to have to step up and fill the enormous cleats Sanu leaves behind.

Scott. Once Skip Holtz said last month that Scott was considering leaving school, you figured the running back would be a goner. But the big question is why. He isn't among the most highly rated underclassmen. In fact, if you do a quick search of Mel Kiper and Todd McShay evaluations, Scott doesn't appear. He did lead the team with 814 yards rushing on 153 carries, but B.J. Daniels had 601 yards rushing and Demetris Murray had 503. Where this really hurts is depth. The team is left with Murray, Marcus Shaw, true freshman Willie Davis and little used Bradley Battles. Scott certainly could have used another year to boost his draft stock, and to help the Bulls in the run game, but Murray is a capable back with plenty of experience. Still, Scott's transfer was supposed to solidify the run game, and now it's in flux again.

What do you think? Make sure to weigh in now with your vote.

Bust out those skis and parkas ...

• Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros will help the Bearcats in any way he can.
• UConn offensive coordinator George DeLeone talks about Nick Williams and Michael Nebrich.
• Louisville's defense has some depth concerns.
• Pitt's running backs have done a good job taking care of the football.
• Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison hopes to return against Cincinnati.
• Syracuse recruiting update.
• "Pork Chop" Grissom has done a nice job stopping the run for USF.
• It was a year ago that West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck decided to make a change.

Well that was quite a weekend.

• Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros has that "it" factor.
• UConn commits are ignoring all the expansion talk and are saying they still plan to play for the Huskies.
• Louisville cornerback Anthony Conner has handled adversity before, and his coaches are confident he will get through his latest injury with a positive attitude.
• Jerry DiPaoloa of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has a nice profile on what makes coach Todd Graham go. This season can still be saved.
• Teammates, coaches showed their support for Mark Harrison, who dropped a sure touchdown pass in a loss to Louisville. Greg Schiano is sticking with Gary Nova.
• Syracuse tight end Nick Provo is a priceless commodity for the Orange.
• A once-promising season is slipping away from USF.
• The West Virginia defense never had a chance. Julian Miller says maybe the team needed a loss like the one to Syracuse to happen.
• Athlon Sports Big East power rankings are quite different from mine.

Rutgers followed a familiar blueprint in its 5-1 start: play aggressive defense, win the turnover battle and avoid mistakes that cost games.

In a 16-14 loss to Louisville on Friday night, major mistakes ultimately cost the Scarlet Knights (5-2, 2-1 Big East). True freshman quarterback Gary Nova threw three interceptions -- including one with less than 2 minutes to go that sealed the loss. It was the first time all season Rutgers lost the turnover battle (minus-2). Meanwhile, kicker San San Te missed two field goals (31, 25). Receiver Mark Harrison dropped a sure touchdown late in the fourth quarter that would have put Rutgers ahead in the game.

The defense, which had a league-leading 24 sacks going into the game, had none on a Louisville offensive line that has struggled all season. Teddy Bridgewater played well enough, and his 18-yard touchdown pass to Michaelee Harris in the third quarter ultimately made the difference.

For Louisville (3-4, 1-1), there were plenty of signs of encouragement. The run game actually worked Friday, as the Cardinals had a season-high 186 yards rushing -- including 107 yards from Jeremy Wright. The offensive line played much better. The defense was able to hold on to a lead. In losses to Marshall and to Cincinnati last week, the Cardinals were unable to preserve halftime leads.

There was a scary collision in the first half on which Louisville cornerback Anthony Conner was seriously injured after tackling Mohamed Sanu. Conner had to be carted off the field and suffered a broken neck. He did have movement in his extremities.

Much of the luster is off next week's matchup between Rutgers and West Virginia because of what happened Friday night. Meanwhile, Louisville hosts a suddenly resurgent Syracuse team that took it to the Mountaineers.

Big news out of Pitt today ...

• UConn needs to contain USF quarterback B.J. Daniels.
• Cincinnati could take to the air against the Cardinals.
• Louisville will have a healthy secondary on Saturday.
• Pitt freshman offensive lineman Matt Rotheram gets an opportunity at tackle.
• Mark Harrison is seeing his patience pay off for Rutgers.
• What is the main reason for Syracuse's 4-2 start?
• The USF run game will be tested by the Huskies.
• Geno Smith will continue to improve the longer he's in the West Virginia system.