ESPN College Football

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.

With the NFL combine underway, our friends over at Scouts Inc. have done quite an impressive job putting together a list of grades for the top prospects leading into the draft.

Take a look at their rankings for:

• Quarterback
• Running back
• Offensive line
• Receivers
• Tight ends

For a quick overview on Big East players, here are some that were highlighted:

• In the category of competitiveness/toughness for receivers, Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu ranks No. 4 . He also is listed in the Top 10 among most draftable receivers. UConn receiver Kashif Moore didn't get a draftable grade, but he was invited to the combine.
• UConn center Moe Petrus is listed as the No. 3 center in the toughness category. Pitt guard Lucas Nix has the highest draftable grade among Big East offensive linemen. Desmond Wynn of Rutgers and Petrus also got draftable grades as well. Petrus wasn't invited to the combine.
• Syracuse tight end Nick Provo received a draftable grade, ranking right around the middle of all tight ends available.
• In the power/balance category for running backs, Darrell Scott of USF is ranked No. 3. Isaiah Pead of Cincinnati also received a Top 10 draftable grade. Scott did receive a draftable grade as well, but it wasn't very high.
• And not to leave the defense out, here is Todd McShay's latest big board , featuring Chandler Jones at No. 28.

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.

I started the postseason countdown of the top-25 players in the Big East this morning. So it is only fitting that I start the postseason position rankings this afternoon.

The preseason version for each position caused much consternation and angst among every fan base. With a full season complete, we all have a much better idea of how everybody stacked up. So let us get started with offensive line. This was not a particularly strong year for line play across the Big East. There was a clear top, a clear bottom and then many similar groups in the middle.

1. Cincinnati. The Bearcats not only had the best group, they had the most improved group over a year ago. Much of that was experience, but they also proved their worth when it came to run blocking. Cincinnati transformed itself into a rushing team with Isaiah Pead leading the way. After allowing 33 sacks last year, Cincinnati only gave up 21 to rank No. 2 in the league. Randy Martinez made the first team at guard as well. Preseason ranking: 6.

2. USF. The Bulls had major question marks at this position going into the season after losing three starters. But Jeremiah Warren and Chaz Hine did a great job anchoring this unit, which allowed a Big East-low 16 sacks, and helped the Bulls lead the league in rushing. Freshman tackle Quinterrius Eatmon proved his worth. Preseason ranking: 5.

3. Syracuse. The Orange had two players make the Big East first team in Justin Pugh and Andrew Tiller, and yet another 1,000-yard rusher in Antwon Bailey. This group had its share of struggles, as the run game was inconsistent and the pass blocking seemed to regress late in the season. But consider this overall position was one of the weakest in the Big East this season. Preseason ranking: 1.

4. West Virginia. Yet another inconsistent group in the Big East, the Mountaineers had struggles at several key positions on the offensive line throughout the season. But what stands out is the way they played against their toughest opponents. West Virginia had its best efforts on the line against LSU and Clemson, proving this group could play up to the level of competition. Also, tackle Don Barclay made the Big East first-team. Preseason ranking: 2.

5. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were vastly improved at this position after ranking last in 2010. They cut the sacks they allowed in half, had a first-team selection in Art Forst and a Freshman All-American in Kaleb Johnson. The one area that remains a problem is rushing offense -- Rutgers averaged 97.8 yards a game and 2.8 yards a carry to rank No. 112 in the nation. Preaseason ranking: 8.

6. UConn. This has traditionally been a position of strength for the Huskies, but that was not the case in 2011. Center Moe Petrus did make the Big East first team, but the Huskies did have a 1,000-yard rusher in Lyle McCombs. But this group did not play well for most of the season. Teams keyed in on the run to get UConn to pass, but even coach Paul Pasqualoni said he wanted to see more out of this unit. UConn gave up 41 sacks, compared to 15 a season ago. Preseason ranking: 3.

7. Louisville. The Cardinals were young at this position and it showed. Injuries hurt, but so did a lack of depth. This group did improve as the season went on, but against the toughest competition and the strongest defensive lines, they wilted. Rushing offense was down, and they gave up 41 sacks on the season. Preseason ranking: 7.

8. Pitt. To put it simply, the offensive line was a disaster for a number of reasons. Injuries to key players like Chris Jacobson and Lucas Nix certainly hurt. But so did the new blocking schemes installed under former coach Todd Graham, and Tino Sunseri's inability to get rid of the ball in a timely fashion in the hurry-up offense. Pitt gave up 64 sacks to rank last in the NCAA -- the second season in a row a Big East team held the dubious honor (Rutgers gave up 61 in 2010). Preseason ranking: 4.

With one day to go before signing day, it is worth taking a look back at how the players on the Big East first-team fared when they were coming out of high school.

You will see, once again, that recruiting rankings generally have nothing to do with the way a player will do in college. So anybody freaking out about what your school does or does not have in the way of commitments for 2012, just take a deep breath. And look at how some of the most unheralded players out of high school become some of the best in the Big East.

I used ESPN recruiting rankings. Note only one player honored on the first team was ranked as an ESPNU150 player. Many on defense came in as either athletes, receivers or quarterbacks.

Offense

WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers. Sanu was ranked the No. 18 safety in the nation coming out of high school in 2009, with a scout grade of 80.

WR/RS Tavon Austin, West Virginia. Austin was rated the No. 41 running back in the nation coming out of high school in 2009 -- three spots behind De'Antwan Williams (Rutgers) and one spot behind Jason Douglas (Pitt). Know who else was ranked ahead -- Victor Marc and Bradley Battles of USF.

OT Justin Pugh, Syracuse. Unranked at his position for the class of 2009, Pugh got a scout grade of 40. Talk about making the most of somebody who was "undervalued."

OT Don Barclay, West Virginia. Ranked No. 65 at his position in the class of 2007. One other West Virginia player was ranked athead of him, at No. 55 -- Gino Gradkowski, who transferred to Delaware.

OG Randy Martinez, Cincinnati. Rated the No. 161 defensive end in the class of 2007.

OG Art Forst, Rutgers. Forst was ranked the No. 25 offensive tackle in the class of 2008 -- the second-highest Big East player on the list behind Lucas Nix of Pitt.

OG Andrew Tiller, Syracuse. Tiller was unranked and did not even get a scouts grade when he was being evaluated in 2009 out of Nassau Community College.

C Moe Petrus, Connecticut. The best center in the Big East was unranked and had no scouts grade when he signed with UConn in 2007.

TE Nick Provo, Syracuse. Provo was ranked No. 86 at his position in the class of 2007

QB Geno Smith, West Virginia. Smith has lived up to his billing -- ranking No. 97 on the ESPNU150 in the class of 2009. He was the No. 8 player at his position and No. 15 in the state of Florida.

RB Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati. The No. 152 ranked running back in the class of 2008, Pead got a scout grade of 71. He just won MVP Honors on the Senior Bowl.

RB Ray Graham, Pittsburgh. Rated the No. 66 running back in the class of 2009, Graham was rated behind West Virginia's Daquan Hargrett (left program) and USF's Adaris Bellamy (academics).

RB Antwon Bailey, Syracuse. Ranked the No. 128 running back in the class of 2008 -- well behind fellow signee Averin Collier (No. 42). Collier was considered the gem of the class, but academics derailed his career.

K Dave Teggart, Connecticut. Teggart was ranked the No. 25 kicker in the class of 2007.

Defense

DL Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati. Wolfe was unranked at his position in the class of 2008 and got a scout grade of 40. Four years later, he was the co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

DL Kendall Reyes, Connecticut. Reyes also was unranked in his position in the class of 2007 with a scout grade of 40. Believe it or not, he came into UConn at 220 pounds (he's now around 300) and now has a shot to be a mid-round draft pick.

DL Chandler Jones, Syracuse. Jones came to Syracuse as a 230-pound tight end, unranked and giving a scout grade of 40. Now he is headed to the NFL draft as a projected second-to-third round pick.

DL Bruce Irvin, West Virginia. Irvin took an incredible journey to West Virginia through Mt. SAC junior college after dropping out of high school.

LB JK Schaffer, Cincinnati. Schaffer was ranked the No. 93 outside linebacker in the class of 2008, behind such players as Tyler Urban, Marvin Booker (Rutgers), Quavon Taylor (USF) and Marcus Witherspoon (Rutgers).

LB Khaseem Greene, Rutgers. No ranking or scout grade for Greene, who went to prep school before arriving at Rutgers.

LB Najee Goode, West Virginia. Goode was a quarterback and linebacker in high school who was not ranked.

CB Adrian Bushell, Louisville. Bushell was ranked the No. 21 cornerback in the class of 2008 and originally signed with Florida. After playing at junior college, he made an immediate impact with the Cardinals.

CB Keith Tandy, West Virginia. Tandy was ranked the No. 207 quarterback in the nation in the class of 2007. The same group that featured Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Mallett.

S Drew Frey, Cincinnati. Frey was a receiver coming out of high school and unranked, with a scout grade of 40.

S Hakeem Smith, Louisville. Smith was ranked the No. 93 receiver in the class of 2009, but his athleticism allowed him to switch to defense and emerge as one of the best safeties in the league.

S Jarred Holley, Pittsburgh. Also a receiver in the class of 2008, Holley was ranked No. 230 at that position with a scout grade of 65.

S Duron Harmon, Rutgers. The No. 49 athlete in the class of 2009, he was ranked below teammate Jamal Merrell, Todd Thomas of Pitt and Kayvon Webster of USF.

P Pat O'Donnell, Cincinnati. O'Donnell was unranked with a scout grade of 40, but he has emerged as one of the most impressive iron men in the league.

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.

Several Big East players have been invited to participate in postseason all-star games. Here are the players who have agreed to participate in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game and The East-West Shrine Game, the two contests that have released their full rosters.

The Senior Bowl is releasing its player roster daily, and there is no official word yet about players from Big East schools.

Casino Del Sol All-Star Game, Monday

Don Barclay, OT, West Virginia

Evan Davis, OG, Cincinnati

Dexter Heyman, LB, Louisville

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Manny Abreu, LB, Rutgers

Antwon Bailey, RB, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OL, Syracuse

East-West Shrine Game, Jan. 21

Moe Petrus, C, UConn

Max Gruder, LB, Pitt

Brandon Lindsey, LB, Pitt

Justin Francis, DL, Rutgers

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

Jeremiah Warren, OG, USF

Jerrell Young, S, USF

Najee Goode, LB, West Virginia

Julian Miller, DL, West Virginia

Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia

Last week, we took a look at the up-and-coming freshmen in the Big East. Now it is time to take a look at all of the departing senior talent. There is a ton across every team in this league. Sixteen of the 29 players honored on the All-Big East first team are seniors. There are still five bowl games left to be played, but it is worth taking a look at how many seniors are departing.

I will take a closer look at some of these "super seniors" in a future post.

Cincinnati

• Seniors: 21
• Starters: 12
• Key losses: Zach Collaros, Isaiah Pead, Randy Martinez, D.J. Woods, Evan Davis, John Hughes, Wes Richardson, Alex Hoffman, JK Schaffer, Adrien Robinson, Tom DeTemple, Derek Wolfe.

UConn

• Seniors: 13
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Mike Ryan, Moe Petrus, Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore, Dave Teggart, Twyon Martin, Kendall Reyes.

Louisville

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Victor Anderson, Josh Bellamy, Josh Chichester, Ryan Kessling, Dexter Heyman, William Savoy, Greg Scruggs, Chris Philpott.

Pitt

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Lucas Nix, Greg Gaskins, Jordan Gibbs, Antwuan Reed, Max Gruder, Greg Williams, Brandon Lindsey, Chas Alecxih, Myles Caragein.

Rutgers

• Seniors: 16
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Desmond Wynn, Caleb Ruch, Art Forst, Joe Martinek, Justin Francis, Manny Abreu, David Rowe, San San Te.

USF

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 6
• Key losses: Jeremiah Warren, Chaz Hine, Quenton Washington, Jerrell Young, Patrick Hampton, Keith McCaskill.

Syracuse

• Seniors: 18
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Van Chew, Andrew Tiller, Michael Hay, Antwon Bailey, Kevyn Scott, Mikhail Marinovich, Nick Provo.

West Virginia

• Seniors: 22
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Don Barclay, Julian Miller, Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode, Keith Tandy, Eain Smith.

Cincinnati dominated the Big East individual awards announced Thursday, as running back Isaiah Pead was honored as Offensive Player of the Year, tackle Derek Wolfe was selected as Co-Defensive Player of the Year and Butch Jones won Coach of the Year.

Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene also took Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is the Newcomer of the Year and West Virginia all-purpose player Tavon Austin is the Special Teams Player of the Year.

Below you will find the first and second teams. All of these awards and teams are selected by the eight league coaches. Here are some of my thoughts on the winners:

• I have to say I am surprised to see Pead win Offensive Player of the Year. I thought West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith would be a slam dunk because he and the Mountaineers dominated on offense this season. That being said, Pead is deserving of this award because he was the most valuable player for the Bearcats this season and he put the team on his back when Zach Collaros went down with an ankle injury. Pead led the Big East in touchdowns (14) and ranks second in the league in all-purpose yards with 1,429. He is a very deserving winner.
• As for the defensive awards, I am not surprised to see a split. My choice was Greene, and I have been going back and forth for most of the season on who was most valuable for Cincinnati -- Wolfe or linebacker JK Schaffer. I thought both were terrific this season. But perhaps the coaches voted for Wolfe because he had a breakout season and was a big reason why Cincinnati led the nation in sacks. Wolfe led the Big East with 19.5 tackles for loss to rank No. 6 in the nation. The senior also had 9.5 sacks after notching 10 sacks combined coming into this season.
• Jones also was my choice for coach of the year because of the turnaround season he led: from 4-8 to 9-3 and a share of the Big East title.
• As for the first-team offense, I am surprised that Tavon Austin made it at receiver over teammate Stedman Bailey. Both are extremely solid, valuable players, but I thought Bailey was a notch more consistent this season as a wide receiver. Austin absolutely is the special teams player of the year. I also was surprised to see Antwon Bailey with first-team honors. My two backs would have been Ray Graham and Pead.
• On first-team defense, West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin made the list despite an inconsistent season. Coaches clearly realized what a force he is because he was double-teamed most of the year and still got 7.5 sacks. The coaches were torn at safety, where four players were honored on the first team. I thought Duron Harmon and Hakeem Smith were the top two this season.
• How about Rutgers getting Art Forst on the first team at guard and Desmond Wynn on the second team at guard. Hand clap for the big-time improvement on the Scarlet Knights offensive line.

The pressure has been on UConn quarterback Johnny McEntee. Let's just say the Huskies haven't handled it particularly well.

McEntee has been sacked 12 times in the last two games, leaving quarterback protection one of the big priorities headed into their game against Pitt on Wednesday. UConn has seen more blitzes in those two games against West Virginia and USF because, simply put, it has an inexperienced quarterback.

"I think that's pretty typical," coach Paul Pasqualoni said. "South Florida came in with a couple of new pressures and once we saw them, we got them straightened out on the sideline and at halftime. After that we were fine. Sometimes you have to see those (blitzes) once or twice to figure it out."

UConn has given up an unusual number of sacks already this season. After giving up just 15 last year, the Huskies already have given up 24, second worst in the Big East. It's not as if the Huskies are passing more this season, either. The rush-pass attempts this season are nearly identical to 2010. The Huskies rush about 57 percent of the time this year; last year, it was 58 percent of the time.

There have been changes on the offensive line in regard to scheme, a season-ending injury to starting left tackle Jimmy Bennett, plus a shuffling of players. Four different starting lineups have been used on the offensive line this season. But the same group had started three straight games -- left tackle Mike Ryan, left guard Steve Greene, center Moe Petrus, right guard Adam Masters and right tackle Kevin Friend.

"I thought the offensive line played a pretty physical game against South Florida," he said. "I think they executed very well and there were some good things to see on the film. Hopefully, we are settling in with who we have there. I think [the lineup] is established now and we need to continue to build on the urgency that they played with against South Florida. We need to continue to build on the urgency and the detail and absolutely go out and finish every play."

Though McEntee has taken his share of hits, he slowly is getting better. He also has worked with all his teammates to try to avoid getting hit so much.

"USF did some things I don't think we were ready for," he said. "They had some packages we didn't expect. We need to be prepared to pick up the blitzes this week against Pitt, wherever they come from."

Andrea Adelson talks about Huskies center Moe Petrus and cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

Taking a look at practice around the league:

Cincinnati: Several freshmen have already impressed their teammates. One tradition during fall camp is for the young players to lose the stripes on their helmets when their "big brother" on the team feels they've earned it. On Monday, defensive back Trenier Orr had his stripe removed by Camerron Cheatham and receiver Shaq Washington had his stripe removed by Zach Collaros.

Connecticut: The Huskies have spent time shuffling around players on their offensive line to see who gives them the best fit. The only locks -- tackle Mike Ryan and center Moe Petrus. Everybody else has been shifted.

"We're moving people around, looking at our depth so that guys can play different positions," offensive line coach Mike Foley told the Hartford Courant. "A guy like Gary Bardzak can play both at guard and he can also play center so it gives you that flexibility so you can always get your five best on the field. A guy like Adam Masters who plays tackle but also is playing guard and that allows us, with (tackle) Kevin Friend, to get some work with that first group, move it around and see what our best combination of guys is and really take it from there."

Louisville: Freshman Lorenzo Mauldin has moved from defensive end to tight end. Mauldin was moved to give the Cardinals some bodies at that position because of injuries to Nate Nord and Stephon Ball. Both players are expected to return to practice in the next few days. In another position switch, tight end Jordan Tennyson has moved to defensive end. Receiver Michaelee Harris has been practicing with a soft cast on his thumb, but made a couple of great catches during team work Monday morning.

Pitt: The Panthers are going to go with Ryan Turnley at center and Chris Jacobson at guard, though the two are still competing at center. Coach Todd Graham said during the scrimmage Sunday there were four mishandled snaps, so Turnley has to keep working. Jacobson is getting reps at left guard with the starters and center with the second unit. Graham wants his starting five to play together this week. "We need to get to the point where five guys are repping together constantly as a unit," Graham said. Receiver Cameron Saddler and cornerback K'Waun Williams sat out practice Monday because they were "dinged up." Receiver Devin Street left practice early, but Graham didn't think the injury was serious.

Rutgers: Coach Greg Schiano still wants to see more out of his offensive line, even after an impressive rushing performance in the scrimmage Saturday. "We have to make sure we protect better, continue to protect better. We protected better than we have but not good enough for a game," Schiano said. Running back Jawan Jamison (hamstring) returned to practice but was limited. Meanwhile, receivers Brandon Coleman and Miles Shuler, defensive end Manny Abreu and running back Jeremy Deering all wore non-contact jerseys.

Syracuse: Some injured players have slowly started to make their return to the field for the Orange. Running back Prince-Tyson Gulley and Steve Rene were in full pads Monday. Both should be cleared for full contact soon. Safety Shamarko Thomas also is likely to be back on the field today, and cornerback Keon Lyn could return this weekend. Coach Doug Marrone was asked whether he was worried about any of his injured players being out for the opener Sept. 1. Offensive lineman Sean Hickey is out for the season, but Marrone also is worried about lineman Ian Allport because of the severity of his concussion.

USF: Quarterback B.J. Daniels participated fully in both practices Monday. Fullback Armando Sanchez has moved back to linebacker from fullback. Coach Skip Holtz said the decision to redshirt all the freshmen linebackers played into the decision. Holtz also singled out all the true freshmen he expects to play this season, including defensive tackle Elkino Watson and receivers Andre Davis and Ruben Gonzalez.

West Virginia: Coach Dana Holgorsen has had high praise for young running backs Vernard Roberts, Dustin Garrison, Trey Johnson and Andrew Buie. But the Mountaineers may not necessarily go with a running back by committee approach. Nor are they looking for somebody who is going to be an afterthought to the passing game. Running backs coach Robert Gillespie told the Times West Virginian: "We would like a guy we could strap the team on his back and go,” he said.

Time to move on in our preseason countdown of the top 25 players in the Big East. As a reminder, we are projecting the best 25 players this coming season based on past performance, the way they impact their teams, and with input from other coaches and players around the league. Freshmen, transfers and other newcomers are not included in the list.

No. 12 Moe Petrus, C, UConn

It is often said that you never want to hear your name called out if you are on the offensive line. Because they only time you truly get noticed is if you do something wrong. Solid consistency is never much noticed. But it should be in the case of UConn center Moe Petrus, who has seamlessly made the transition from guard to center, where he goes into his third season as the starter.

Petrus was a second-team all-conference selection last season. He is the preseason favorite to be the first-team pick this season, having been placed on the watch lists for the Rimington and Lombardi Awards. He helped UConn pave the way for Jordan Todman to gain more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. Not only that, UConn gave up just 15 sacks last season, ranking No. 20 in the nation. His return gives UConn one of the best offensive lines in the Big East.

The countdown:

No. 25 Dave Teggart, PK, UConn

No. 24 B.J. Daniels, QB, USF

No. 23 Tino Sunseri, QB, Pitt

No. 22 Victor Anderson, RB, Louisville

No. 21 Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

No. 20 Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

No. 19 Jarred Holley, S, Pitt

No. 18 Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

No. 17 Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia

No. 16. D.J. Woods, WR, Cincinnati

No. 15 Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, UConn

No. 14 Hakeem Smith, S, Louisville

No. 13 Mark Harrison, WR, Rutgers

Here is your Big East preseason all-conference team:

Offense

QB Geno Smith, West Virginia
RB Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati
RB Ray Graham, Pitt
OG Jeremiah Warren, USF
OG Zack Chibane, Syracuse
C Moe Petrus, UConn
OT Mike Ryan, UConn
OT Don Barclay, West Virginia
TE Ryan Griffin, UConn
WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia
WR Mark Harrison, Rutgers

Defense

DE Brandon Lindsey, Pitt
DE Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
DT Kendall Reyes, UConn
DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati
LB JK Schaffer, Cincinnati
LB Sio Moore, UConn
LB Max Gruder, Pitt
CB Keith Tandy, West Virginia
CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, UConn
S Hakeem Smith, Louisville
S Jarred Holley, Pitt

Special teams

K Dave Teggart, UConn
P Pat O'Donnell, Cincinnati
RS Lindsey Lamar, USF

Welcome to your midweek edition of the Big East mailblog. Keep your questions and comments coming.

Stephen in Louisville writes: Andrea, Great job so far on the blog. I just read the blog about pay for play and it mentions adding about $500,000 a year to athletic departments, which most run a deficit. My question is, since the main reason schools are wanting to raise the amount the scholarships are worth to cover room and board, why don't they try and sell naming rights to the dorms for the athletes? They do it for the arenas and stadiums around the country, along with training facilities. I could see an Adidas athlete dorm at U of L. I think it could be another source of revenue universities can look into. They are selling naming rights to everything else, why not where their star players sleep, too?

Andrea Adelson writes: Thanks, Stephen. You bring up an excellent point. That is something I mentioned in a post I did when Rutgers sold the naming rights to its new stadium. Schools seem reluctant to go this route because of the seeming conflict between corporate dollars and the idea of being an institution of higher learning. But what is the difference between business schools being named after people who are big donors and a dorm being named after a corporate sponsor? I think schools need to really think long and hard about where to bring in new sources of revenue, and your idea could be one that works.

---

Drew in W.V. writes: This whole pay for play idea IMO is a bad idea. Athletes already receive preferential treatment at their respective colleges, now some think it's a good idea to give extra money for just being an athlete? I hear coaches talking about some of their players not having enough money to do their laundry or go out to the movies. Boo freaking hoo. Go to the financial aid office and take out a loan just like all the other students who need help. If you're going to give athletes extra money for being an athlete, I think the school should match the total for extra benefits they are paying their athletes per year and give the same amount to regular students who are excelling in class. Our nation has put a much larger emphasis on athletics than education. It should be no surprise as to why we are no longer the world leader in overall education. Pay for play will only put more emphasis on sports and further our decline in education.

Adelson writes: I agree with you, Drew. One thing that goes unmentioned here is the fact that student-athletes are eligible to qualify for Pell Grants for up to $5,000, the same as regular students on campus. If the athletes are so desperate, then they can perhaps apply for one of these grants. I think Penn State assistant Jay Paterno made the clearest argument against paying players in this column. I urge everyone to read it.

---

Rick in Denison, Texas, writes: Hey, it's been a while since it has been mentioned, so I have forgotten. Could you please remind us of what the BCS pecking order is this year?

Adelson writes: The two bowls that lose teams to the national championship game get the first picks. Then the order is Fiesta, Sugar, Orange.

---

RayRice27 in Phoenix writes: Hey, I was just wondering what you think about Mohamed Sanu contending for a Heisman Trophy if Rutgers does the unthinkable and wins the Big East and goes undefeated.

Adelson writes: He would have to put up some sick numbers to be considered -- somewhere in the range of 100 catches, over 1,500 yards and double-digit touchdowns. It has become increasingly rare for a receiver to even be considered to win. Desmond Howard was the last receiver to win the Heisman, back in 1991.

---

Ken in Naugatuck, Conn., writes: AA, Please give me a reason why any Connecticut fan should care about any of these award watch list or the award for that matter. In the past, we have watched our RBs run wild and lead the nation in rushing without the threat of the pass, and they haven't even been finalists, let alone winning. Moe Petrus could have another great year and block for another 1,000-yardd RB, not give up a sack and he probably won't even make the first cut, because the prerequisite for these awards seem to be what team you play for, not what you actually do on the field.

Adelson writes: I think any player or coach will tell you that just having your name on a watch list is important. At least somebody is taking notice. There is no question that the school you play for has a lot to do with whether you get national attention. National attention translates into voters actually knowing who you are. Should you pay attention? That is up to you. I think most Big East fans probably feel the same way as you do, because the attention given to the conference is not the same as some of the others.