ESPN College Football

Scouts Inc. has come up with comprehensive draft boards for every position as we draw ever closer to the 2011 NFL draft (and, hopefully, a 2011 NFL season).

Let's start on the offensive side of the ball and take a look at where some Big East hopefuls are ranked. First, the skill positions:

• Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: second round

• Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut: third round

• Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse: fourth round

• Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: fifth round

• Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh: seventh round

• Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now, the offensive linemen/tight ends:

• Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsbugh: fifth round

• Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville: sixth round

• Zach Hurd, OG, Connecticut: sixth round

• Ryan Bartholomew, C, Syracuse: seventh round

• Jason Kelce, C, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now let's move to the defensive side and see where Scouts Inc. rates some Big East defenders:

• Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida: second round

• Jabaal Sheard, DE/LB, Pittsburgh: second round

• Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville: third round

• Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia: fourth round

• Robert Sands, S, West Virginia: fourth round

• Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers: sixth round

• Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia: sixth round

• Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut: seventh round

These projections aren't gospel by any means, but they should give you a pretty good idea of how Big East hopefuls are being viewed right now.

Now that we're down to the final players on the Big East postseason Top 25 list -- it shouldn't take too much sleuthing on your part to figure out the remaining names -- let's take a look at who missed the cut.

First, let's examine the players from the preseason list who failed to make the postseason order:

Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia. (Preseason No. 2): Devine is the most shocking absence on this list, based on what we thought this summer. Can't blame him entirely, as he never quite recovered from a toe injury he suffered at LSU, or the exacerbating ankle sprain he had against Louisville later in the season. Devine finished with just 936 rushing yards, only seventh in the Big East, and only topped 85 yards once from the LSU game on.

Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh (Preseason No. 4): Another guy who seemed like a lock, the 2009 league co-defensive player of the year injured his back in the preseason and then tore his ACL when he tried to come back against UConn. But his loss was Brandon Lindsey's gain.

B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida (Preseason No. 6) and Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers (Preseason No. 7): Remember the Daniels vs. Savage debate? That became null once Savage struggled, got hurt, was benched and eventually transferred. Daniels needed most of the season to find any sort of rhythm as well.

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers (Preseason No. 12): Sanu remains one of the most physically-gifted guys in the league. But he suffered like every other offensive player on the Scarlet Knights, and his overuse in the Wildcat wore him down. He's as versatile as anyone, but his production was down.

Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia (Preseason No. 13): Sanders did have the second-most receptions in the league with 69. But I thought Tavon Austin was the more valuable West Virginia receiver. And Sanders remained more of a possession guy, averaging only 10.6 yards per catch and recording just four receiving touchdowns.

Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut (Preseason No. 18): Once again, injuries cut short Lutrus' season, though he was valuable when healthy.

Vidal Hazelton, WR, Cincinnati (Preseason No. 20): We'll never know how good Hazelton could have been for Butch Jones, as his one and only season with the Bearcats ended after just one half with a knee injury in the opener.

Steve Beauharnais, LB, Rutgers (Preseason No. 21): I thought Beauharnais would establish himself as a star after a promising rookie campaign. Didn't happen.

Tino Sunseri, QB, Pittsburgh (Preseason No. 23): I was wrong in the Tino vs. Geno debate, but Sunseri didn't have a bad season. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes as a first-year starter. But the consistency wasn't there, and he had some bad games.

Now let's take a look at some of the guys who almost made my Top 25 postseason list but just missed the cut, in alphabetical order by school:

JK Schaffer, LB, Cincinnati: Finished second in the Big East in tackles with 111, but I couldn't justify taking any Cincinnati defenders on the list.

D.J. Woods, WR, Cincinnati: Finished third in receptions, second in receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns among Big East players. But he had so many turnovers that hurt the team, he had to miss the cut.

Sio Moore, LB, Connecticut: Announced himself with 110 tackles and a humongous game against West Virginia. But Randy Edsall continually downplayed Moore's overall game, perhaps just to make sure he didn't get ahead of himself.

Jesse Joseph, DE, Connecticut: Had better stats than Kendall Reyes, who did make the list. I thought Reyes had a little more impact in big games. Joseph was very deserving as well.

Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville: He was easily the best tight end in the Big East in 2010. But it was a bad year for tight ends overall.

Ray Graham, RB, Pittsburgh: This was a tough call. Graham is clearly one of the most exciting players in the league, and he averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Here's the thing, though: more than 40 percent of his rushing yards this year came against New Hampshire and Florida International, he never had more than 75 rushing yards in a league game and he had some costly fumbles. I thought Dion Lewis was more valuable in Big East play. With Lewis gone, Graham will be on the preseason 2011 list, for sure.

Mark Harrison, WR, Rutgers: The only Scarlet Knights player I seriously considered for this list after a miserable season in Piscataway. Harrison had 829 yards, nine touchdowns and a league-best 18.8 yards per catch. So why'd he miss? Almost a third of his yards and four of his scores came in the blowout loss at Cincinnati. He was invisible the first four games before a big performance against UConn. He basically had two great games. Harrison is extremely talented and improved immensely. His time on the Top 25 list is coming.

Dontavia Bogan, WR, South Florida: Where would the Bulls have been without Bogan? He was clearly their best receiver and stepped his game up as a senior. But 685 receiving yards was a little underwhelming for this list.

Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia: I get that Irvin is a fan favorite. I also get that he had 14 sacks. But Irvin really only played on third downs and in obvious pass-rushing situations. He was a specialist, albeit a very special one.

Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia: Miller is more of a complete defensive end, and I would have put him on the list ahead of Irvin.

Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia: Tandy led the Big East with six interceptions. Loved his improvement. But even he admitted that Brandon Hogan was the best cornerback on his team and in the league. Tandy was in the right place at the right time for a lot of those picks.

The NFL combine kicked into full swing over the weekend in Indianapolis, and several Big East players already turned in their audition.

There's a lot more testing to be done, with defensive linemen and linebackers getting center stage on Monday. But many results are already in, and here's a look at how Big East players have fared so far. All results are based upon performance by position unless otherwise noted:

Running back


Connecticut's Jordan Todman was third among running backs (and sixth overall so far) in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.40 seconds. He was third with a 38-inch vertical, third in the 60-yard shuttle, eighth in the 20-yard shuttle and sixth in bench press with 25 repetitions.

Huskies fullback Anthony Sherman topped running backs at 32 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press.

Syracuse's Delone Carter was third in the 20-yard shuttle (and ninth overall so far), 14th in the 40-yard dash at 4.5 seconds, 10th in the three-cone drill, sixth in broad jump, seventh in vertical leap at 37 inches and fourth on the bench press.

Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis was 13th with a 4.57 time in the 40, fourth in the 60-yard shuttle, eighth in the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drills, and 14th in vertical leap at 34.5 inches. Lewis, by the way, measured in at 5-foot-7 and 193 pounds.

West Virginia's Noel Devine was seventh in the bench press.

Wide receivers


Pitt's Jon Baldwin topped all receivers (and is second overall so far) with a 42-inch vertical leap. He was fifth in broad jump, 12th in the 40-yard dash at 4.5 seconds and fourth in bench press with 20 reps.

West Virginia's Jock Sanders tied for sixth in bench press and was 10th in the 20-yard shuttle.

Offensive linemen

Syracuse's Ryan Bartholomew topped offensive linemen with 34 reps in the bench press. He was second in the 40-yard dash at 4.97 seconds and ninth in the 20-yard shuttle.

Cincinnati's Jason Kelce was first among offensive linemen with a 4.93 40-yard time and also came in first in the three-cone and 20-yard shuttle drills. He tied for eighth in vertical leap and was third in broad jump.

Defensive linemen

West Virginia's Chris Neild tied for 10th with 30 reps on the bench press.

South Florida's Terrell McClain tied for 14th on the bench with 29 reps.

Tight end

Louisville's Cameron Graham was 11th in bench, 12th in vertical leap, 12th in the 3-cone and 12th in the 20-yard shuttle.

Linebackers

Connecticut's Lawrence Wilson tied for seventh on the bench press with 24 reps.

West Virginia's J.T. Thomas did 23 reps, which tied for ninth.

UConn's Greg Lloyd tied for 13th with 22 reps.

The NFL combine officially began on Wednesday, as players arrived in Indianapolis and started interviews with team officials.

There are more interviews Thursday, along with measurements and medical examinations. Workouts start on Friday, and here is the schedule for position groups:

Friday: Specialists
Saturday: Offensive linemen, tight ends
Sunday: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Monday: Defensive linemen, linebackers
Tuesday: Defensive backs

It will be fun to follow the Big East players as they strut their stuff for scouts. Who will be the top player drafted from the league? My money is still on Pittsburgh receiver Jon Baldwin, whom I expect to put up dazzling numbers in his combine workouts.

Here again is the full list of Big East players scheduled to participate in Indianapolis:

Cincinnati (3)

Armon Binns, WR

Jason Kelce, OL

Jake Rogers, K

Connecticut (6)


Zach Hurd, OL

Anthony Sherman, FB

Jordan Todman, RB

Lawrence Wilson, LB

Greg Lloyd, LB

Scott Lutrus, LB

Louisville (3)


Cameron Graham, TE

Johnny Patrick, CB

Bilal Powell, RB

Pittsburgh (6)

Jon Baldwin, WR

Henry Hynoski, FB

Dion Lewis, RB

Jason Pinkston, OL

Greg Romeus, DE

Jabaal Sheard, DE

Rutgers (1)


Joe Lefeged, S

South Florida (1)

Terrell McClain, DT

Syracuse (4)

Ryan Bartholomew, OL

Doug Hogue, LB

Delone Carter, RB

Derrell Smith, LB

West Virginia (6)

Noel Devine, RB

Brandon Hogan, CB

Chris Neild, DT

Jock Sanders, WR

Robert Sands, S

J.T. Thomas, LB

I wrote on Wednesday about the need to improve Big East offenses this spring. Some interesting numbers from ESPN Stats & Info highlight this point.

Those tireless statisticians broke down who came up with the most big plays (20 yards or more) from the 2010 season. Here is how the Big East teams ranked nationally in that category:

T-21: Cincinnati (66 plays of 20 yards or longer)
T-49: Louisville (57 plays)
T-59: Pittsburgh (55 plays)
T-69: West Virginia (52 plays)
T-72: Rutgers (51 plays)
T-88: Syracuse (45 plays)
T-99: Connecticut (42 plays)
T-101: South Florida (41 plays)

The Big East had only two teams in the Top 50 of this stat, whereas it placed six of its eight teams in the same category for 2009. It's no real surprise that Cincinnati led the way with its explosive offense, but I was a little surprised to see Louisville second among Big East teams. The Cardinals lacked big-time playmakers at receiver and didn't have cannon-armed quarterbacks but were still able to get it done. Thanks in large part to Bilal Powell, they had 22 rushing plays of more than 20 yards, tied for 22nd nationally with Pittsburgh.

There's very little excuse for West Virginia to rank that low with guys like Tavon Austin, Jock Sanders and Noel Devine on the roster. Hello, Dana Holgerson. Syracuse coach Doug Marrone complained about a lack of big plays from his offense in the second half of the year, and no doubt the Orange would have been much lower if not for the Pinstripe Bowl performance. We all know UConn and USF didn't have explosive offenses; it's amazing that the two combined to win 17 games. The Huskies had only 23 passing plays over 20 yards all season, tied for 110th out of 120 FBS teams. Yet they went to the BCS.

Now how about the flip side? We know Big East defenses were strong statistically in 2010, no doubt helped largely by the shoddy offenses they faced. Here is how league defenses fared in preventing plays of 20 or more yards:

1: Pittsburgh (30 plays of more than 20-plus yards allowed)
T-4: West Virginia (33 plays)
T-14: Syracuse (39 plays)
T-22: South Florida (42 plays)
T-25: Louisville (43 plays)
T-31: Cincinnati (45 plays)
T-52: Connecticut (50 plays)
T-107: Rutgers (67 plays)

Wow, I never would have guessed Pitt led the nation in containing explosive plays. It sure seemed like the Panthers gave up a lot in the passing game, didn't it? And yet they allowed fewer 20-plus yard passing plays than anyone in the FBS (while ranking 25th against the rush). Excellent defensive numbers for many Big East teams here, including a surprising appearance by Cincinnati. UConn was mediocre at stopping big plays and terrible at making them; numbers simply don't explain the Huskies' success in 2011. Greg Schiano must be cringing at that 107th ranking for his normally sound defense; the Scarlet Knights seemingly gave up all those plays in the rout at Cincinnati.

You could make the argument that Big East defenses were so good that the offenses couldn't make those explosive plays. I'd strongly disagree with you, but you could make the case. Regardless, these stats show again that 2010 was an offensive slog in the conference.

The official invitation list to the NFL combine is out, and 30 Big East players will be showing off their skills at the premiere pre-draft event.

The following league players are scheduled to participate in the set of drills before scouts from Feb. 23 to March 1 in Indianapolis:

Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

Ryan Bartholomew, OL, Syracuse

Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse

Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia

Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville

Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia

Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse

Zach Hurd, OL, Connecticut

Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh

Jason Kelce, OL, Cincinnati

Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers

Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh

Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut

Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut

Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida

Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia

Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville

Jason Pinkston, OL, Pittsburgh

Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville

Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh

Jake Rogers, K, Cincinnati

Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia

Robert Sands, S, West Virginia

Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh

Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut

Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse

J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia

Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut

Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut

Thanks to those of you who offered changes/corrections to my posts reviewing the 2007 recruiting classes. Trying to track nearly 200 players from four years ago with a quick turnaround can lead to some oversights, and I've tried to fix where possible. As I said in the beginning, it was not an exact science, nor was it meant to be. Of course, the underlying point remains: Teams are lucky if they get about a 60 percent return on solid contributors from their signing classes.

Now on to some of your e-mails on signing day eve:

Bill from South Jersey writes: In your article "Greg Schiano does right by Tom Savage," I could not disagree more. When a player/players commit to a school (Rutgers, USC, Notre Dame, TCU, South Florida) they should honor the commitment. What drives me crazy are the kids that say, "Well, I'm outta here because it's not working for me. I'll transfer, that's the answer." Hardships, coach either fired/quit/retire that's different. Then a college should be able to just pull a commitment whenever they feel like as well. I might agree with Schiano's reason b/c we recruit there, but where is line drawn at? When is enough enough?

Brian Bennett: I respect your opinion, Bill, but we disagree on this one. I'd buy the commitment argument if it worked both ways, but it simply doesn't. Schools only give players one-year renewable scholarships, and coaches can leave anytime after promising a player they will be there their entire four years. Why should a college student be forced to stay at a school if he decides the situation isn't right for him? We all have that freedom in our work lives, and we had it when we were students. Restricting a player from transferring to a conference school or a team on the schedule is one thing, but players should be free to go just about anywhere else they choose.

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Matt from Storrs writes: In one of your recent posts you talked about recruiting needs, and for UConn you didn't mention they needed a running back despite Jordan Todman's departure, or a quarterback, which in addition to the wide receivers was a struggling position. How confident are you that UConn can fill these positions?

Brian Bennett: Connecticut does at least have some options at those positions. Michael Box started a game last year at quarterback and is just a sophomore. There's also Scott McCummings, Johnny McEntee and Leon Kinnard, and the Huskies should at least be able to match the production they got in last year's passing game, which wasn't much. At running back, they have Robbie Frey back, plus D.J. Shoemate and Lyle McCombs, who was fairly well-regarded as a recruit. Todman leaves big shoes to fill, but UConn has shown the ability to plug in new players at tailback and not miss a beat.

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Dave from Pittsburgh writes: Ryne Giddins at USF deserves mentions in the ESPNU150 list -- he made a few big plays last year and looks like he'll be a future star. It sounds like he's already penciled in as a starter next year. USF's only other ESPNU 150 guy is Todd Chandler -- no idea if he'll pan out.

Brian Bennett: You're right, both those guys should have been in there. Giddins needs to have a breakthrough season for the Bulls next year. Defensive linemen sometimes take a little longer to develop.

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Zack M. from Sana'a, Yemen, writes: Great job with the blog. Thanks for keeping it so active during the off-season and giving us all our daily fix of college football. How quickly can the Big East climb out of the hole it dug for itself last season? Do you think next year might even be worse? I truly hope the best for the conference but it's hard to be optimistic. I would imagine the only recruits that would want to come to the BE would be punters and kickers ;-)

Brian Bennett: Yemen? Really? Well, I might be overly optimistic, but I think the Big East is in for a rebound soon. The majority of the teams bring back their starting quarterback, which is always big. New offenses at West Virginia and Pitt should help those teams in the long run. I could see 2011 being a sort of bridge year, and then in 2012 when all the coaches have their systems fully in place and TCU comes in, we could be looking at a really strong Big East campaign.

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Jack from Louisville writes: When you have talked about Louisville and Teddy Bridgewater sometimes it sounds like you didn't know he is on campus and is going to practice this spring. But it would just be me and how you are wording it. But I think he will be our starting QB next year and will break many records after 4 years of being here.

Brian Bennett: Yes, I'm aware Bridgewater is already enrolled and will practice this spring. That gives him a huge leg up on DaMarcus Smith, provided Smith still signs with the Cardinals. But there is still a long way to go.

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John from McKinney, Texas, writes: Read your article about recruiting needs. The old Pitt staff was going to (and probably the current Pitt staff will), hit WPIAL hard for OL in 2012. There are suppose to be 4 or 5 pretty good OL prospects in the 2012 in WPIAL. I heard WPIAL class for 2012 is suppose to be one of the strongest ones in recent years. It will be interesting to see if the new staff can hold off Ohio State for the top recruits.

Brian Bennett: That may be the case, but as of right now this year's recruiting class has only two offensive linemen in it. Given Pitt's problems on the line this year, coupled with the loss of the Panthers' starting left tackle and center, that seems like a problem to me.

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Adam M. from East Brunswick, N.J., writes: Just saw that Josue Matias decommitted from Rutgers and gave Florida State a solid verbal. I find this strange as new Rutgers recruit Savon Huggins was quoted as saying Matias wanted to go wherever he (Huggins) went. Should his hasty retreat have Rutgers fans worried?

Brian Bennett: It's my experience that a lot of players say they want to play together in college, but only a portion of the time does that turn out to be true. In the end, the player has to decide what's best for himself.

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Philip M. from Austin, Texas, writes: I do not see the point of getting to 10 members. If not going for 12, I think it's best to stay at nine. Please enlighten me on what 10 members brings. Thank you in advance.

Brian Bennett: Say hello to one of my favorite cities, Philip. The Big East doesn't need to get to 10. A nine-team league works just fine for scheduling. But the conference has said it wants to go to 10. The advantages would be an extra TV market for media-rights negotiating purposes, and potentially a stronger overall league. Remember that except for the Big 12, all other BCS leagues will have 12 members in 2011.

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Shane W. from Clarksburg, W. Va., writes: First of all, I'm a huge fan of the blog. I read it every day. I was just wondering, how badly do you think staying for his senior year affected Noel Devine's draft stock?

Brian Bennett: Thanks for the kind words, Shane. I don't really think it had much negative effect. Devine still would have measured 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds last year. Maybe if he'd been healthier he could have looked better for scouts, but his size was always going to be a big question mark.

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Brian from Tampa writes: Do you think the state of Florida is now the "BIG 4". This is a Yes or No question.

Brian Bennett: No. Not yet. I agree with Skip Holtz: The Bulls need to win a Big East championship and get to a BCS game before they can consider themselves on the same level as Florida, Florida State and Miami. They are getting closer, though.

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Doug from Tampa writes: BB, your push for UCF wouldn't have anything to do with ESPN and the parent company Disney ties would it? I know you're looking out for your job and all and in a tough spot, but if you are a real journalist and have any honor than why not disclose the whole story in spite of it? Yes, it could be career suicide but you would be a hero and show you're a class act. There are better fits than UCF for the BE; if we are looking at a wish list, UCF is about 5-to-10 on the wish list correct.

Brian Bennett: I am afraid to answer this letter, because Mickey is holding my whole family hostage at gunpoint. Nah, come on, that's just silly. Hey, it's my job to give my opinions on Big East issues, and it's simply my opinion that Central Florida is the best fit for a 10th league member right now. No other available program has the facilities, market, large student body and a team that just finished in the Top 25 and beat an SEC team in a bowl game. Reasonable minds can disagree whether the Knights are the best fit. But to say UCF isn't even in the top five best available teams is just ridiculous.

The Big East doesn't usually grab a lot of the nation's elite players. There are currently four members of the ESPNU 150 who are committed to Big East schools, with three of those heading to Louisville.

So it's nice when those rare blue-chippers actually work out. ESPN's recruiting experts put together a list of how the 2007 ESPNU 150 players panned out, and here's a look at the four Big East players on that list:

Noel Devine, West Virginia (No. 6 overall): I'd say this was a fortuitous relationship. Devine might have had a disappointing, injury-plagued senior season, but he still ended his career as one of the top running backs in Big East history.

Anthony Davis, Rutgers (No. 113): Davis was a major recruiting coup for the Scarlet Knights. A three-year starter who anchored the left tackle spot his final two seasons, Davis was dominant at times and inconsistent at others. But he was the No. 11 overall pick in last year's NFL Draft after just three years in school.

Pat Bostick, Pittsburgh (No. 134): Always a little overrated as a prospect, Bostick was forced into a starting role his true freshman year as Pitt went 5-7. From there he settled into a backup's role, but he was under center for two of the Panthers' most memorable victories: at West Virginia at the end of '07, and at Notre Dame in 2008.

Manny Abreu, Rutgers (No. 144): Abreu has never quite lived up to his hype, but has been a solid contributor at linebacker for most of his career thus far and has a year left.

Why stop at 2007? Here's a look at how some other ESPNU 150 performers have panned out at Big East schools in recent years:

Brandon Heath, Louisville (No. 58 overall in 2006): Heath was hurt a lot earlier in his career but became a star linebacker as a senior this past season, finishing with 70 tackles and three sacks.

Nate Byham, Pittsburgh (No. 68 in 2006): Byham was the top blocking tight end in the league for most of his career at Pitt and went on to the NFL.

Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh (No. 74 in 2006): Dickerson underachieved for his first three years as the Panthers could never quite figure out what to do with him. Moved to tight end, he had a huge senior year and finally justified the hype.

Andrey Baskin, Syracuse (No. 86 in 2006): Never made it to the Orange.

Deantwan "Peanut" Whitehead, Louisville (No. 130 in 2006): Had a promising freshman year at defensive end, but a back injury prematurely ended his football career.

Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh (No. 25 in 2008): Baldwin had an excellent three-year career and is entering the NFL Draft.

Shayne Hale, Pittsburgh (No. 101 in 2008): Moved from linebacker to defensive end after his redshirt freshman year, but hasn't been able to crack the rotation.

Chris Burns, Pittsburgh (No. 110 in 2008): The running back was buried on the depth chart for two years and transferred to UMass after the season.

Lucas Nix, Pittsburgh (No. 124 in 2008): Started this season at right tackle before moving inside to guard and playing at an all-league level.

Darrell Givens, Rutgers (No. 61 in 2009): The cornerback has yet to make an impact for the Scarlet Knights.

Geno Smith, West Virginia (No. 97 in 2009): Starting quarterback for the Mountaineers was my choice this year for first team All-Big East at his position.

Tom Savage, Rutgers (No. 125 in 2009): Took over starting job early in true freshman year, but was replaced this year by freshman Chas Dodd. Has announced he will transfer this spring.

Antwan Lowery, Rutgers (No. 134 in 2009): Was moved to offensive line last season and contributed; expected to start in 2011.

Demar Dorsey, Louisville (No. 12 in 2010): Opting for Louisville after Michigan would not admit him, Dorsey has not been able to get eligible and has never enrolled with the Cardinals.

Ivan McCartney, West Virginia (No. 109 in 2010): Had one catch as a true freshman; could see his role expand in Dana Holgorsen's new offense.

Terrence Mitchell, South Florida (No. 144 in 2010): Signed as a defensive back, he had his biggest impact as an electric punt returner. Was switched to offense midway through the season and could stay on as a receiver.

The Big East player who probably helped himself the most last week at the Senior Bowl was Louisville running back Bilal Powell.

Powell drew positive reviews all week for his running style and vision during practice, and he led all rushers in Saturday's game with 51 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He may have worked himself up into being one of the top running backs taken.

Another star tailback from the league didn't have as good of a week. Noel Devine measured only 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds, and while he had a touchdown for the victorious South team, he finished with just eight yards on seven carries. He did have a 12-yard catch, though.

Former West Virginia teammate Jock Sanders had a catch for seven yards.

Connecticut's Lawrence Wilson collected six tackles for the North team, while Rutgers safety Joe Lefeged made four stops and returned a kickoff 25 yards. (But analyst Todd McShay said Lefeged was among those who didn't improve his draft stock last week). West Virginia nose tackle Chris Neild was credited with two tackles.

Other than Powell, none of the Big East players really attracted much of a buzz during the Senior Bowl festivities. Right now, McShay isn't projecting a single Big East player in the first round of the draft.

Noel Devine measured in at just 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds at the Senior Bowl, and his NFL stock is dropping according to analyst Todd McShay.

Here's what McShay wrote about Devine:

On the plus side, Devine is the quickest back here. He's starting from a standstill and he reaches top speed so quickly and gets through the hole. He also caught the ball well.

But the biggest thing working against him is his size. ... On one play, Alabama QB Greg McElroy looked for him in the flat and couldn't see Devine because he's so short. Sometimes small backs get away with their lack of height because they have great balance, but that was one of the most concerning things about Devine's performance. His lack of balance showed during drills whenever a linebacker or safety would come to wrap up, he'd try to make a move and fall to the ground. At one point, he was one-on-one with OLB Von Miller in space and tried to shake him but lost his balance.

McShay concludes that Devine looks like a fourth- or fifth-round pick. He'll need to land with a team that's creative enough to find ways to use him, because Devine is still a big-time playmaker when he's healthy.

In other all-star news, several Big East players will participate in the NFL Players Association Game. The game, formerly known as the Texas vs. the Nation Game, will be held Feb. 5 in San Antonio, Texas.

Here's a list of which Big East players have been invited:

• Craig Marshall, DE, South Florida
• J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia
• Jake Rogers, K, Cincinnati
• Jock Sanders, WR/KR, West Virginia
• Dom DeCicco, S, Pittsburgh
• Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville

Before we get to another edition of the ol' mailbag, I must congratulate former blog crush Natalie Portman on her Oscar nomination. I can't say for sure that my constant mentioning of her had any influence on the honor, but if Rachel Bilson is nominated next year then we'll know something is up.

And now, the envelopes please ...

Brian from Parts Unknown writes: I just read your blog on Tom Savage, and I was hoping you could raise one of the great injustices of college football (one of many). The transfer rules are just horrible. I understand making guys sit out because it would be disastrous to have kids jumping schools, but how is it even remotely ethical for Rutgers or any other school to tell a kid where he can or can't get an education? (I understand that the kid can go wherever he wants and pay his own freight) These kids don't get four-year scholarships -- They get four one-year scholarships that get renewed each year. Why doesn't the NCAA put a stop to this?

Dave from Millstone Township, N.J., writes: Coach Greg Schiano believes Tom Savage going to Miami would hurt RU recruiting in Florida. Maybe that's true, maybe not. Tom is a distraught, somewhat confused, but classy and talented young man who believes he has NFL caliber talent and is worried about his future. His father is also in a very difficult emotional and stressful time, and wants nothing but what is right for his son. There are multiple sides to this story, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth. The media and we fans need to leave the parties involved alone and let them work out the best option possible for Tom and RU to move forward as quickly as possible to minimize controversy and impact on Tom's former and future teammates.

Brian Bennett: I've heard different sides to the Savage situation from readers and understand all the points. We haven't heard any official reason from Rutgers yet on why Schiano blocked Miami (as well as, reportedly, Florida and Florida State), but the implicit excuse has been to protect the Scarlet Knights' recruiting efforts in Florida. I just don't buy that.

I'm almost always going to side with the players in these situations; if a coach can promise his team he's not going anywhere and then bolt hours later, then players should have much more freedom to move around as well. Do we really think that if Savage plays two seasons at Miami, then Rutgers' recruiting efforts will be dealt a crippling blow? I think that's wildly overstating things. Regardless, you hate to see this situation play out like this after it looked like the Schiano-Savage combo would be four years of bliss for Rutgers.

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O. Badub from Morgantown, W. Va., writes: What do you think about Noel Devine measuring in at 5-foot-7 and weighing in at 160 pounds? How much does this hurt his draft stock and how will he have to test at the Combine to make up for it? Does this change any of your opinions on how Devine was used during his time at West Virginia?

Brian Bennett: If you look at these Senior Bowl weigh-in numbers , you'll see that Devine is one of the smallest players in virtually every measurable category. I can't say it surprises me, since I've stood next to Devine several times and knew he wasn't a big guy (and I'm fascinated to see Dion Lewis's measurements, since I towered over him and I'm barely 5-foot-9). You can get away with small backs in a spread offense, and Devine's biggest attributes were always his speed and cutback ability. I've long believed that he needs to get in the right situation with an NFL team that will find creative ways to use him. I can't see him being an every-down pro tailback, but he can certainly be a third-down specialist and a kick returner.

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Joe B. from Indy writes: What if the Big East expanded to 12 teams in football targeting Missouri, Kansas and K State? The Big East would be in a better position to increase its TV contract and those three schools would be on an equal footing financially with teams they would be competing against. The Big East would have much larger markets than the Big 12 (10). The non revenue sports could play a divisional to reduce travel costs. Men's and women's basketball would be even stronger.

Brian Bennett: It's a great idea, except that the Big 12 still offers more money than the Big East does. Athletic departments are not interested in taking pay cuts. Now, maybe those schools get sick of playing in Texas' shadow, especially in light of the recent Longhorns TV deal. But unless the Big East can find a way to grow its TV revenue and offer those schools comparable money, I don't see it happening.

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Zach from New Brunswick N.J., writes: I see you didn't include the UConn-Rutgers game in your countdown of the season's best games. Was it one of your honorable mentions at least? At the time it looked like Rutgers was ready to have a solid offense behind Chas Dodd, and it ended up being one of UConn's only two conference losses.

Brian Bennett: It was in my honorable mention category (seen only by me). That was a pretty exciting game with a good comeback. Ultimately, I just didn't feel like it had much overall impact. Rutgers wouldn't win another league game, and the loss didn't end up hurting UConn. Besides, I already had three Huskies games in my Top 7.

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Velden L. Parkersburg, W.Va., writes: In honor of signing day which is quickly approaching, I have a question for you: Is it more important to get the highly-touted players or to have a good coach who can do more with less? In the past decade we've seen many examples in the Big East of players who weren't ranked very high, yet they consistently beat-up on SEC schools. Of course, I'm speaking of Pat White and Steve Slaton. Then we all saw Brian Kelly do a lot with the players he had at Cincinnati. But then you have schools like Florida and Texas who consistently get ridiculous classes. For the most part those schools are always at the top in the rankings every year (outside of this year obviously).

Brian Bennett: It's a timeless question to which there is no clear-cut answer. Coaches need players with certain skill sets to win at the highest levels, and the highly-ranked recruits are the ones who are the biggest, fastest and strongest. At the same time, you can measure a player's 40 time and his bench press, but you can't gauge his heart or desire to be the best. Recruits are often judged at camps and combines where they're going through drills, not in crucial game-situations where they've already been hit two dozen times.

We saw this year how Texas and Florida had all kinds of athletes but not toughness. I'd rather have a slightly lower-ranked player who has a burning desire to be great. And you have to a coach who knows how to both develop and properly use his talents. That's why this is an inexact science.

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James S. from Kabul, Afghanistan, writes: Thanks for the blog. It's a great way to keep up with the Big East and the PITT Panthers and I try to read it daily. With Todd Graham at the helm of the Panthers and the offense hopefully opening up more, how do you see them faring this year? Not only in Big East play but in all games. Iowa, Utah and Notre Dame are on the schedule. Will the loss of the recruits and several key players turning pro hurt the program for next year?

Brian Bennett: You're welcome, James, and stay safe over there. I don't think the recruiting situation will have much of an impact on this year's team. It's doubtful many true freshmen would have seen significant time anyway. Pitt still has a lot of talent, though losing Jon Baldwin and Dion Lewis hurts. The biggest hurdle is the transition from a pro-style offense to Graham's far more wide-open attack. I've got to believe there will be some growing pains along the way. Pittsburgh still has enough talent to compete in the Big East, but I wouldn't make the Panthers one of the favorites for next year.

The Big East won't have a heavy presence at next week's Under Armour Senior Bowl, but some of the top seniors from the league in 2010 will be participating.

The game announced the invitees from the league Thursday afternoon, adding six alongside the previously announced inclusion of Noel Devine. Here is the list of invitees:

Connecticut: Lawrence Wilson, LB

Louisville: Johnny Patrick, DB; Bilal Powell, RB

Pittsburgh: Jason Pinkston, OL

Rutgers: Joe Lefeged, DB

West Virginia: Noel Devine, RB; Chris Neild, DL

Also, Rutgers announced on Thursday that defensive end Jonathan Freeny and linebacker Antonio Lowery will play in the inaugural Eastham Energy College All-Star Game this Sunday. West Virginia safety Sidney Glover, South Florida receiver Dontavia Bogan and center Sampson Genus, and Louisville defensive end Rodney Gnat are also listed on the rosters for that game. It will be held at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

Here are three keys for West Virginia in Tuesday's Champs Sports Bowl showdown against NC State:

1. Pressure Russell Wilson: Well, sure, you always want to get pressure on the opposing quarterback. But that's an even more important goal against Wilson, who is responsible for so much of what the Wolfpack does offensively. West Virginia will be playing without top cornerback Brandon Hogan, so if Wilson has time to scan the field, he could pick on replacement Pat Miller. Jeff Casteel's 3-3-5 scheme has been great at disguising coverages and confusing quarterbacks with blitzes from varying angles. Wilson has been more prone to mistakes this year than previous seasons, throwing eight interceptions in NC State's four losses. When the Mountaineers get near him, though, they can't let him break contain or he can burn them with his running ability.

2. Let it fly: This is the final game at West Virginia for offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen, who will be replaced next week by Dana Holgorsen. It will also be the last game for Bill Stewart before his lame-duck year begins. So what's there to lose? The Mountaineers should be aggressive on offense, and go for whatever Mullen has left in the playbook. NC State is solid against the run, and Noel Devine probably still won't be his usual explosive self. But quarterback Geno Smith has been terrific during the current four-game winning streak, throwing eight touchdown passes and just one interception. Don't be afraid to put the game in his hands.

3. Limit turnovers: Another no-brainer for any team, but this is one stat that usually tells the tale for the Mountaineers. They committed eight in their three losses this season compared to 15 in their nine wins. Ball-carriers like Ryan Clarke have had trouble with costly fumbles in big games. If West Virginia plays a clean game against NC State, it should have an excellent chance to win its third bowl game under Stewart.

The No. 2 bowl in the Big East pecking order is also the second-earliest bowl for the league. West Virginia gets back to action after a few weeks of wild coaching news. Here's a quick preview of Tuesday night's Champs Sports Bowl:

WHO TO WATCH: West Virginia running back Noel Devine. It's the final college game for Devine, who has amassed more than 4,000 rushing yards in his career. He hasn't been the same player this year ever since a foot injury against LSU, which was later exacerbated by an ankle problem in the Louisville game. But now he's had a few weeks to heal, and perhaps he's ready to deliver a fitting swan song. When he's right, there's no more explosive player in the country. If he's not himself, then the Mountaineers may turn to Shawne Alston and Ryan Clarke for the bulk of the carries.

WHAT TO WATCH: West Virginia's defense versus NC State quarterback Russell Wilson. The Mountaineers had one of the best defenses in the country this year, not once allowing more than 21 points. That defense will be facing the best quarterback it has seen this year in the dangerous, multi-dimensional Wilson. Add to that the fact that top cornerback Brandon Hogan will miss the game with a torn ACL, and this is arguably the biggest challenge all season for this defense. Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel's 3-3-5 scheme and a ton of veterans have made West Virginia difficult for any quarterback to solve this year. It will be fun to watch how Wilson fares.

WHY WATCH: West Virginia is the highest-ranked team in the Big East, and many people think the Mountaineers would have made a better BCS representative for the league than Connecticut, to which they lost in overtime on the road. Here is their chance to prove it. It will also be the final game before Dana Holgorsen takes over as offensive coordinator/coach-in-waiting, so this marks the end of an era in some ways. The Big East is looking for respect, and so its top-ranked team needs to take care of business against an ACC also-ran.

PREDICTION: This is a tough one because nobody knows exactly how much of a distraction the coaching situation was for this team. Hogan's loss hurts, too. I think Wilson will help NC State exploit West Virginia's defense more than any other team all season, but in the end Geno Smith and the Mountaineers make one more play. Give me West Virginia by a field goal, 26-23.

Are you a legend or a leader?

• A list of who won't be coaching Pittsburgh.
• Oliver Luck still isn't saying much about Bill Stewart -- or Dana Holgorsen. Noel Devine's favorite run at West Virginia was his first.
• Randy Edsall didn't want to talk about Miami or any other jobs except the one he has. UConn has an opportunity for a historic upset.
• Charlie Strong liked being wanted by Louisville.
• Rutgers landed a junior-college center to fill a position of need.
• Say so long to the Meineke Car Care Bowl -- the name, at least, not the event. How does Belk Bowl roll off the tongue?