ESPN College Football

College football guru Phil Steele has unveiled his preseason All-Big East selections.

I agree with most every first-team selection. Here are a few of my early thoughts. Note: the ESPN.com preseason Big East first team will come out just before the season begins.

• I completely understand having Teddy Bridgewater as the first-team quarterback, but I probably would have gone with B.J. Daniels here. I know many people think that makes me a little bit nutty. But I will repeat my thought process on this -- Daniels is going into his fourth year as a starter with some pretty terrific receivers and quality backs. On paper, he should be the best quarterback in the league.
• A little surprised to see Anthony McClung ahead of Alec Lemon at first-team receiver. Coach Butch Jones has said that McClung needs to have an outstanding summer to continue his development. Lemon was better last year; and I think he will have another solid season -- if healthy. It was also interesting to see two Pitt receivers on the first and second teams -- Devin Street and Mike Shanahan, respectively. Tino Sunseri is still the quarterback and the Panthers will be run heavy, so I'm not sure they will have two of the top four receivers in the league.
• Andre Davis may end up having a better season than Sterling Griffin at USF.
• Defensive line continues to be a position of strength. I think Walter Stewart is going to be one of the better players in the league. Maybe he sneaks in over Trevardo Williams, though it's hard to ignore the 12.5 sacks Williams had a year ago.
• Watch out for Pitt safety Ray Vinopal. He was not listed on any of the four teams. I think this is the deepest position in the league.
• I would have had Ralph David Abernathy IV at Cincinnati ahead of Jeremy Deering at kick returner.

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.

Pitt opened spring practice Thursday morning. Here is a little primer on what to expect.

Spring changes: Another spring means more change for the Panthers, who have gone through more than their share of upheaval over the past 15 months. New coach Paul Chryst has brought in an entirely new staff and new scheme, going back to more of a pro-style set on offense and the 4-3 on defense. Eight starters return to an offense that should benefit from a return to a more traditional system. But only four starters return on defense, with some major holes to fill in the front seven.

In addition, 11 players have changed positions.

Position battles to watch

Quarterback. Though incumbent Tino Sunseri goes into the spring as the favorite to win the starting job, Chryst has said the competition is open. Five players are going to be getting reps this spring -- Sunseri, Mark Myers and Trey Anderson, along with Anthony Gonzalez and E.J. Banks. Gonzalez began his Pitt career at quarterback before moving to H-back; Banks has played cornerback. The big player missing is incoming freshman Chad Voytik, one of the stars of the 2012 recruiting class. He arrives this summer.

Defensive end. With the news that Aaron Donald has moved inside full-time in the 4-3, the Panthers are in search of some quality defensive ends as they transition back to starting four down linemen. Brandon Lindsey, who played end/linebacker, is gone so there are some gaps to fill. Shayne Hale is the only upperclassman at the position this spring. Sophomores T.J. Clemmings and Bryan Murphy are coming off redshirt seasons, LaQuentin Smith moves to end after playing linebacker last season, and Devin Cook enters the mix after redshirting last season.

Linebacker. Leading tackler Max Gruder is gone, along with Greg Williams and Tristan Roberts. Todd Thomas, expected to return on the strong side, is out for the spring with a knee injury. Players to watch this spring include Ejuan Price, Manny Williams, Carl Fleming, Shane Gordon and Eric Williams. But perhaps the biggest story could be Dan Mason, who is healthy and vying for playing time at middle linebacker after sitting out a year and a half with a serious knee injury sustained in 2010.

Offensive tackle. Lucas Nix, Greg Gaskins and Jordan Gibbs are all gone, leaving both tackle positions up for grabs. Juantez Hollins and Matt Rotheram saw some playing time last season, but neither one was very effective. They go into the spring with competition from Justin Virbitsky, who moves over from tight end, along with Penn State transfer Tom Ricketts and 2011 junior college transfer Zenel Demhasaj.

Injury report: Running back Ray Graham (knee) and Thomas (knee) are out for the spring. Receiver Mike Shanahan (back), guard Chris Jacobson (knee) and safety Jarred Holley (knee) will be limited.

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 time has come for Pitt to move on from the debacle of the past year, and really, there is no better person to do that than Paul Chryst.

He is no-nonsense, a man who does not yabber on and on like a certain somebody Pitt fans want to forget. A man who has proved he can coach and can mold his players from good to great. A man who proved -- most especially this year -- he can coach both a smashmouth style and a pretty passing style, too.

Chryst may have been passed over for the job a year ago because he was not "high-octane," but that is a word that no longer fits in the Pitt vocabulary. The Panthers need solid coaching and no drama, and that is what Chryst should be able to provide.

Because the biggest mess that has to be fixed on this team is the offense. Quarterback was a disaster position in 2011, and not all of the blame belongs to Tino Sunseri. He simply was not a good fit for the spread. Seeing how Chryst was able to work with Russell Wilson this season and tailor the offense to his strengths has to make the Panthers believe he can do the same with Sunseri or whoever wins the starting job.

Ray Graham has the potential to go from being great to entering the Montee Ball stratosphere. Graham is coming off a knee injury, and this hire should encourage him to stay in school for one more season. He already was the best player on the offense, and if he returns, he should have a real opportunity to reach 1,500 yards next season.

But what about the offensive line, you ask? Pitt does not have 300-pound behemoths like Wisconsin. That is quite true. Pitt was bad in pass protection, though mostly because of strange blocking schemes that none of the players fully endorsed. Sunseri held on to the ball way too long, too. Let's face it -- neither Sunseri nor his offensive linemen ever fully grasped the timing concept that is the heart of the Graham offense.

Pitt should be better up front with Chryst in charge. Should Chris Jacobson receive a sixth year of eligibility, the offensive line will have an anchor to help lead the way. As for the receivers, there is plenty of talent here as well, from Devin Street and Mike Shanahan to Ronald Jones and Cameron Saddler. There is no reason they cannot develop further under a coach who should be able to maximize their talents.

What Chryst did as offensive coordinator speaks for all the possibilities. Over the past three seasons, Wisconsin has averaged 39.3 points a game. This season, Ball became a first-team All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist, leading the nation in total rushing yards (1,759) and scoring (38 touchdowns). Wilson completed 73 percent of his passes for 2,879 yards with 31 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

Those stats perfectly illustrate how Chryst adapts to his personnel. Wilson shattered the Wisconsin single-season passing touchdown mark. John Stocco held the old mark of 21 set in 2005. They are the only two quarterbacks to throw more than 20 touchdowns in Wisconsin history.

Then there is the coaching up part, too. According the ESPN Stats & Information, Wilson immensely improved his accuracy on passes longer than 15 yards. That has been one of the biggest areas of weakness for Sunseri. Wilson completed 52.4 percent of his passes longer than 15 yards this season, with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. Last season at NC State, Wilson completed 33.6 percent of his passes longer than 15 yards, with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Chryst also has started to win over his new players. Street, one of the most outspoken on Twitter when Todd Graham bolted for Arizona State, tweeted two separate messages: "Just met the new head man ! Ready to rock" and "Said its not what he says its his actions !!! Perfect."

All of these are signs of hope. Now all the Panthers need is for Chryst to stay on the job for more than 11 months.

What did we learn in the Big East in Week 7?

1. The offense went missing. West Virginia and its prolific offense took a seat on the couch this week, leaving the rest of the league in the spotlight. Most of us had to hide our eyes at what passed for offense Saturday. UConn, Louisville and Pitt failed to score offensive touchdowns. USF had one. The highest scoring team -- Cincinnati with 25 points. That would be 20 points below its season average. Only the Bearcats and Rutgers went over 20 points. It was the ugliest weekend of the season.

2. Pitt is in trouble. The Panthers have now scored 10 points of offense in the past two games combined, reaching rock bottom in a 26-14 loss to Utah in which they scored on a kickoff return and a blocked punt. Simply put: they have no quarterback. Tino Sunseri has had one good game out of the seven he has started. True freshman backup Trey Anderson has looked totally overwhelmed. Teams know they can key in on Ray Graham when there is no threat to pass. Pitt finished with 50 yards passing, and starting receivers Devin Street, Mike Shanahan and Cam Saddler combined for -- NO catches. What is supposed to be a "high-octane" offense is sputtering like a clunker that is running on molasses. If Pitt continues to play this poorly, its bowl prospects will be in serious jeopardy.

3. The USF Bulls teased. Again. This is a team that starts off hot, but then disappoints. With 16 days between games, you would have thought the Bulls would have played a bit better against UConn. Four turnovers -- including three from B.J. Daniels -- cost them big time in a 16-10 loss. So did nine penalties and an inability to convert on third down for the second straight week. After a 4-0 start that featured three wins against cupcakes, the Bulls are now 0-2 in conference. Their two losses are to teams that currently have losing records (Pitt, UConn are each 3-4).

4. Rutgers, Cincinnati nearly bowl eligible. Two teams nobody picked anywhere near the top of the conference are now one win away from becoming bowl eligible. Both were 4-8 last season; both sit at 5-1 headed into next week. Both hit the road next week: Rutgers is at Louisville; Cincinnati goes to USF.

5. Defensive fronts dominated. Well, maybe the offense was bad, but the defensive lines had nice showings Saturday. Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe had a career-high 11 tackles and the Bearcats had four sacks. Rutgers had four sacks -- on a triple-option team. Pitt had seven sacks against Utah. USF tied a school record with seven sacks -- Ryne Giddins set a career high with two sacks and Sam Barrington set a career high with 1.5 sacks. Louisville had three. The only Big East team that did not have a sack this week was UConn -- the No. 2 team in the conference in that category headed into Week 7.

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt leads No. 16 USF 10-7 after the first quarter. Here are a few quick observations:

• The Pitt offensive line has done a good job of protecting Tino Sunseri so far, even after starting guard Lucas Nix left the game with an injury. He has not been sacked and has been mostly on target. The Panthers had two unfortunate drops from Mike Shanahan -- one that would have been a sure touchdown, another on the next play that most likely would have been a first down. But so far, they are doing a nice job of mixing the run and pass
• Both starting running backs for Pitt and USF are running hard. Ray Graham and Darrell Scott have been able to gain big chunks of yards already in the game -- Graham with 55 total yards and Scott with 35. The USF defense gave up a lot of yards last week in the first half against UTEP, so we will see if the Bulls can make some adjustments.
• The USF defense continues to be opportunistic. The lone Bulls' touchdown came off a Pitt fumble.
• Kevin Harper, who has struggled at times this season, kicked a career-long 47-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 10-7 lead. That marks the first time USF has trailed all season.

How about a little Big East did you know headed into Week 2. Thanks to the school and league sports information folks for all this trivia, and ESPN Stats & Information as well.

• Louisville has not lost a game against a team from the Sun Belt since dropping a 40-7 decision to Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 7, 1981. Since then, Louisville is 17-0 against teams from the Sun Belt. The Cardinals play FIU tonight.
• Pitt receiver Mike Shanahan set a new career high with 85 yards receiving against Buffalo.
• Since 2001, the Panthers are 19-0 when scoring at least one defensive touchdown in a game.
• Dating back to 1980, West Virginia is 150-8-1 when scoring 30 or more points in a game.
• West Virginia rushed for just 42 yards against Marshall last week, its lowest total since Virginia Tech held them to 33 in 2001.
• Syracuse kicker Ross Krautman had a 32-yard field goal attempt blocked against Wake Forest, ending his streak of consecutive made field goal attempts at 16. Krautman is tied with Gary Anderson for the longest streak in school history.
• The Orange face Rhode Island of the Colonial Athletic Association. The CAA has had four teams defeat FBS members in 2009, one in 2010 (James Madison over Virginia Tech) and one so far in 2011 (Richmond over Duke).
• UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni became the first Connecticut coach to win his debut since 1923. Defensive coordinator Don Brown was on the same staff as Vanderbilt coach James Franklin at Vanderbilt.
• USF's win against Notre Dame was its fourth road win against a Top 25 team since 2006. In the past four seasons alone, USF has won road games against Auburn, Florida State, Miami and Notre Dame -- schools that have combined to win 17 national championships.
• Cincinnati's game at Tennessee marks the first regular-season matchup with an SEC opponent since 1996 (Cincinnati over Kentucky 24-3) and its first road trip to an SEC stadium since 1995 (Kentucky over Cincinnati 33-14). The Vols hold a 4-1 series lead, with Cincinnati’s lone win coming in 1904. Every game has been played in Knoxville.
• Cincinnati hasn’t won a road game against a current SEC team since 1911, when the Bearcats won at Kentucky. Cincinnati is 0-30-1 in road games against current SEC opponents since then.
• The Bearcats were paid $950,000 to play Tennessee. There is no return date.
• Rutgers is the only school in the nation to post a shutout in each of the past six seasons. The Scarlet Knights blanked North Carolina Central 48-0 to open the year.

Andrea Adelson talks about Pittsburgh nose tackle Myles Caragein and wideout Mike Shanahan.

All the college football watch lists have been released, so here they all are, with your Big East representatives:

Bednarik Award, best defensive player
Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
Brandon Lindsey, Pitt
Kendall Reyes, UConn
Keith Tandy, West Virginia

Biletnikoff Award, best receiver
Tavon Austin, West Virginia
Van Chew, Syracuse
Mark Harrison, Rutgers
Mike Shanahan, Pitt
Michael Smith, UConn
D.J. Woods, Cincinnati

Butkus Award, best linebacker
Max Gruder, Pitt

Walter Camp Award, best overall player
Geno Smith, West Virginia
Brandon Lindsey, Pitt

Lou Groza Award, best kicker
Maikon Bonani, USF
Ross Krautman, Syracuse
Dave Teggart, Connecticut

Rotary Lombardi Award, best lineman
Moe Petrus, UConn
Kendall Reyes, UConn
JK Schaffer, Cincinnati
Brandon Lindsey, Pitt
Julian Miller, West Virginia
Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
Don Barclay, West Virginia
Chandler Jones, Syracuse

Mackey Award, best tight end
Ryan Griffin, Connecticut
Josh Chichester, Louisville
D.C. Jefferson, Rutgers
Nick Provo, Syracuse

Maxwell Award, college football player of the year
Zach Collaros, Cincinnati
Ray Graham, Pitt
Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati
Geno Smith, West Virginia

Bronco Nagurski Trophy, most outstanding defensive player
DE Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
DE Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh
DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut
LB J.K. Schaffer, Cincinnati
CB Keith Tandy, West Virginia
DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

Davey O'Brien watch list, best quarterback
Zach Collaros, Cincinnati
Geno Smith, West Virginia
Tino Sunseri, Pitt

Outland Trophy, best interior lineman
OT Don Barclay, West Virginia
C Chris Jacobson, Pittsburgh
OT Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh
C Moe Petrus, Connecticut
DT Kendall Reyes, Connecticut
DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati

Rimington Trophy, best center
Mario Benavides, Louisville
Joe Madsen, West Virginia
Moe Petrus, UConn

Jim Thorpe Award, best defensive back
Keith Tandy, West Virginia

Doak Walker Award, best running back
Victor Anderson, Louisville
Ray Graham, Pittsburgh
Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati

It is time to rank the Big East wide receivers. There is plenty of talent at this position, so let's see how the list shakes out.

1. Tavon Austin, West Virginia. If I am going with him as "NEXT" in the Big East, then he is going to be ranked No. 1. Now that he is going into his second year as a receiver, he feels totally at ease with his role and should have a monster year with Dana Holgorsen in charge.

2. Mark Harrison, Rutgers. I like Harrison because he seems to have the complete package. He is big (6-foot-3, 230 pounds), he is fast (4.38 speed) and he is a go-to guy (829 yards, 9 touchdowns last season). With a more focused offensive system in place, he should be even better in 2011.

3. D.J. Woods, Cincinnati. Though Woods was second in the league in receiving last season (898 yards), he could be overshadowed by some of the young talent the Bearcats have, including Kenbrell Thompkins, Shaq Washington and Anthony McClung. Still, Woods is the leading returning receiver in the league.

4. Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers. Sanu fought through an injury-plagued season in 2010, but when healthy he is one of the more dynamic players in the league. You have to love the size and versatility of Rutgers' receivers.

5. Mike Shanahan, Pitt. Shanahan should be the direct beneficiary of Jon Baldwin leaving and the new high-flying offense coming to the Panthers. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Shanahan is more of a possession-type receiver but he definitely is one of the most valuable pieces of this offense.

6. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia. Look for his numbers to increase in the Holgorsen offense. He should form a nice one-two combo with Austin in Morgantown. Bailey has terrific hands and catches everything that comes his way.

7. Van Chew, Syracuse. Chew leads a Syracuse crew that returns its top three receivers from last season. He may be underrated because the Orange are not known for their huge passing numbers, but look for them to work on the deep ball more this season.

8. Devin Street, Pitt. Purely based on potential here in the new Todd Graham offense. Street is a big-time deep threat. If Tino Sunseri can get him the ball and make explosive big plays, Street will be among the best in the league.

9. Josh Bellamy, Louisville. Receiver is a big question for the Cardinals, but with Bellamy returning, he should be the go-to player for Teddy Bridgewater and Will Stein. He has the size (6-foot, 206 pounds) to make plays and, now that he is going into his second year in the offense, should be much improved.

10. Marcus Sales, Syracuse. Sales really seemed to turn a corner this spring with Chew out. The two make a good tandem for the Orange, and he should have better numbers this season.

Previous player rankings:

• Offensive linemen

Big East media day is almost here, so I thought you would like to see what the league has planned for its annual preseason get together Aug. 2 in Newport, R.I.

The league will produce a live studio show from media day on BIGEAST.tv for the Big East Digital Network. The show is available for free, and will be the first place fans can see the results of the preseason media poll. In addition, the show will feature interviews with players, coaches and other guests.

Fans may submit questions for coaches and players via the conference’s Facebook page and Twitter(#bemediaday) between now and the date of the show.

Now here is the list of players scheduled to attend. Remember, this list is subject to change. I will be there as well, bringing you plenty of news, notes and video interviews.

Cincinnati
Zach Collaros, QB
JK Schaffer, LB

Connecticut
Kendall Reyes, DT
Moe Petrus, OL
Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB
Kashif Moore, WR

Louisville
Victor Anderson, RB
Josh Chichester, TE
Chris Philpott, K
Greg Scruggs, DE

Pittsburgh
Jared Holley, DB
Mike Shanahan, WR
Myles Caragein, DL

Rutgers
Joe Martinek, FB
David Rowe, DB

USF
Jeremiah Warren, OL
Quenton Washington, CB

Syracuse
Antwon Bailey, RB
Ryan Nassib, QB
Chandler Jones, DE
Mikhail Marinovich, DE

West Virginia
Bruce Irvin, DE
Geno Smith, QB
Keith Tandy, CB

Have a great weekend, everyone. Here are your links for today ...

• Good news for the Big East. Since 1987, the Big East has the fewest major infractions among the six automatic qualifying conferences.
• Desmond Conner catches up with UConn's special teams coach.
• John Mackey had a career that transcended the playing field. Dontez Ford gives Syracuse commitment No. 16.
• The West Virginia offensive line is getting its identity back. Bruce Irvin has advice for Shaq Rowell.
• A look at Cincinnati's tight ends.
• USF is No. 43 on the Rivals.com countdown of every team in the nation.
• Who will have the better year for Pitt: Devin Street or Mike Shanahan? A bit late on this but a good read on former Pitt player Burt Grossman.

Here are the top receivers in the Big East, if you go by the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

Tavon Austin, West Virginia
Van Chew, Syracuse
Mark Harrison, Rutgers
Mike Shanahan, Pitt
Michael Smith, UConn
D.J. Woods, Cincinnati

All you intrepid Big East followers will note there is one problem with the list. Michael Smith is academically ineligible this season. Oops.

I think the five players on the list who will play this season all deserve to be there. Each has the potential to get 1,000 yards. Others who could have been considered: Mohamed Sanu of Rutgers, Marcus Sales of Syracuse and Stedman Bailey of West Virginia. But that is probably just nit-picking.

More watch lists to come. Stay tuned.