Big East: Robert Vaughn
So what about those who just missed the cut? Making a list of just 30 players across an eight-team league means some really good players have to be left off. Let's start with a look at those on my preseason list who failed to duplicate the honor in the postseason:
No. 3: Matt Grothe: A terrific career, obviously, but the South Florida quarterback's season was cut down by a knee injury before it ever really got going, and his pro potential is questionable at best.
No. 7: Victor Anderson: Another guy who's season was hampered by injury. Anderson posted only 473 rushing yards for Louisville, though he remains capable of big things in the next two years.
No. 10: Reed Williams: The West Virginia linebacker could have easily made this list, as he's not only an excellent player but a terrific leader. Just missed because he, too, was limited at times because of injuries.
No. 11: Ryan D'Imperio: The Rutgers linebacker wasn't nearly as productive as he had been, with his tackles dipping down to 76. But he wasn't fully healthy either.
No. 12: Scott Lutrus: Starting to sound like a broken record here. The Huskies linebacker missed huge chunks of time with various injuries and was surpassed on this list by teammate Lawrence Wilson. But he'll be a prominent preseason candidate for top 30 designation.
No. 15: Aaron Berry: The Pitt corner had a solid but not spectacular season.
No. 16: Robert Vaughn: The UConn safety dropped because of a poor overall performance by the Huskies' secondary.
No. 17: Scooter Berry: The West Virginia tackle missed significant time with injuries and a suspension.
No 19: Scott Long: My most controversial preseason pick had the misfortune of playing for a bad offense. But the Louisville receiver did get an NFL combine invite.
No. 21: Jessie Hester: The South Florida wideout struggled with injuries for much of 2009 and never regained his '08 form.
No. 22: Ryan Blaszczyk: The Rutgers offensive line disappointed, dragging its center's ranking down with it.
No. 24: Brandon Hogan: Improved as season went on; could easily make the preseason list this summer.
No. 25: Mike Williams: Was arguably the league's top receiver for half the year. But you don't quit your team midseason and expect to make a list of the league's best.
No. 27: Jock Sanders: A tough, tough omission from the list, especially considering he had 72 catches for West Virginia. What decided it for me was that he averaged fewer than 10 yards per catch and had only three touchdowns, and his production took a nosedive late in the season.
No. 28: Nate Byham: Still a terrific blocking tight end, but his pass-catching opportunities instead went to Dorin Dickerson, and I didn't want to put two Pitt tight ends on the list.
No. 29: Jon Dempsey: Had a fine year (107 tackles), but it was hard to tell by the end of the season whether he or Chris Campa was Louisville's best linebacker. No Cardinals made the postseason top 30, which gives you an idea of the challenge facing Charlie Strong.
No. 30: Moe Petrus: The UConn center was part of a terrific line, but Chris Jurek and Sampson Genus edged him out for the first- and second-team All-Big East center positions as voted by the coaches.
OK, now that we've exposed how far off my preseason list was, here are a few other players who barely missed the postseason cut:
Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati: An interesting decision here. He was outstanding in less than half a season's worth of work, including a record-breaking performance against UConn. And his potential is off the charts. Probably should have included him, but I just felt he didn't play enough in 2009. He'll definitely be on the preseason list, and probably awfully high.
Zach Hurd, UConn, and John Malecki, Pitt: Two of the best guards in the league, a position which sadly wasn't represented on this list. Guards are like the Rodney Dangerfield of football.
J.T. Thomas, West Virginia, and Adam Gunn, Pitt: Excellent linebackers in a league that's stacked at that position.
Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: He was at times the Bearcats' best weapon when defenses concentrated on Mardy Gilyard. You wonder how much the system inflates the stats of receivers. Binns, though, will surely appear on the summer list.
Chris Neild, NT, West Virginia: I thought he was one of the top two or three interior linemen in the league. Just missed.
I'm sure I'm failing to mention other worthy candidates, but I've already gone on and on long enough. Sound off on other players you think should have made it, or why I'm crazy for not including some of these on the list.
Six Big East players on Texas vs. The Nation roster
The Big East players who are on the roster are:
- Alex Daniels, DE/OLB, Cincinnati
- Aaron Webster, S, Cincinnati
- George Johnson, DE, Rutgers
- Robert Vaughn, S, Connecticut
- Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
- Scott Long, WR, Louisville
In addition, former Pittsburgh defensive lineman Tommie Duhart, who finished up his career at Youngstown State, will participate.
Offense
QB Tom Savage, Rutgers
There weren't a lot of big numbers for Big East quarterbacks in the postseason. The Scarlet Knights' true freshman completed 14 of 27 for 294 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, in a win over Central Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
RB Mike Ford, South Florida
Ford exploded for 207 yards on 20 carries -- almost all of them in the second half -- to help the Bulls beat Northern Illinois in the International Bowl.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images Dion Lewis had 159 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries in Pittsburgh's win over North Carolina. The sensational freshman had 159 yards on 28 carries and a score against North Carolina's tough run defense in the Meineke Car Care Bowl
RB Noel Devine, West Virginia
The Mountaineers' star ran for 168 yards on 16 carries in just three quarters against Florida State in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers
Yet another freshman standout, Sanu had four catches for 97 yards and a score and also ran the ball 13 times for 41 yards and two more touchdowns.
WR Mike Shanahan, Pitt
Shanahan had five catches for 83 yards, many of them in traffic and in key spots, against North Carolina. And he's a freshman, too.
OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
The future NFL first-rounder had his ups and downs this season. But he held off Central Florida's impressive pass rusher in a strong performance during his final college game.
OT Jason Pinkston, Pitt
North Carolina came into the Meineke game with the nation's No. 6 defense, but Pinkston helped the Pitt line move the chains and get the win.
C Moe Petrus, UConn
Petrus was part of a group that helped pave the way for 146 rushing yards against South Carolina in the Papajohns.com Bowl.
OG John Malecki, Pitt
OG Zach Hurd, UConn
Defense
DE Lindsey Witten, UConn
The senior was part of a defensive line that overwhelmed the South Carolina offensive front.
DT Kendall Reyes, UConn
He had a one sack and put lots of pressure on Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia.
DT Mick Williams, Pitt
The Big East co-defensive player of the year registered a pair of sacks against North Carolina.
DE Alex Daniels, Cincinnati
One of the few Bearcats who had a good night in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, Daniels had a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss against Florida.
LB Max Gruder, Pitt
Playing in his hometown, Gruder recorded 11 tackles and forced a fumble against North Carolina.
LB Scott Lutrus, UConn
The junior had nine tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery against South Carolina.
LB Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers
Another freshman, Beauharnais had seven tackles and a pair of sacks against Central Florida.
CB Billy Anderson, Rutgers
The little-known reserve returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown near the end of the first half in a key play.
CB Jerome Murphy, South Florida
He had an interception, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups in the International Bowl.
S Robert Sands, West Virginia
Sands was just about everywhere in the Gator Bowl, recording 13 tackles, two of them for loss.
S Robert Vaughn, UConn
Vaughn had an interception and two pass breakups in the Papajohns.com Bowl.
Specialists
K Dan Hutchins, Pitt
Hutchins hit four field goals, including the game-winning 33-yarder, against North Carolina.
P Jake Rogers, Cincinnati
Rogers punted more than he has in a game all season, but he put half his six punts inside the Florida 20.
KR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
He sure had plenty of opportunities, but he piled up a Sugar Bowl-record 207 return yards on eight attempts.
Hop in the DeLorean and rev it up to 88 mph. It's time to look back at Week 10 in the Big East:
Team of the week: Cincinnati. There was plenty not to like defensively, but the Bearcats put up a convenience store (711) in total yards and survived against UConn in a weekend when other Top 10 teams fell by the wayside.
Best game: Going to go out on a limb here and say the little ol', run-of-the-mill, 47-45 game at Nippert Stadium on Saturday.
Biggest play: Isaiah Pead's 14-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 with 1:52 left gave Cincinnati a 47-38 lead. Brian Kelly never hesitated about going for it, knowing the way UConn was shredding his defense. And the Huskies very nearly made the stop, as safety Robert Vaughn had Pead in his sights. But the sophomore running back juked past Vaughn and kept on running into the end zone. Funny enough, Kelly said the goal was for Pead to get the first down and fall down so Cincinnati could kneel out the clock. But the Bearcats happily settled for the touchdown.
Best call: I'm actually giving this to a player. At the end of the first half, Cincinnati was trying for a field goal when Zach Collaros bobbled the snap. The quarterback, who turned a similar play into a touchdown pass a week earlier at Syracuse, rose up and threw the ball away, taking an intentional grounding penalty. That actually turned out to be a terrific decision, because Cincinnati got another chance at the kick, and Jake Rogers nailed it. Those three points wound up making a huge difference.
Big Man on Campus (Offense): I never thought Tony Pike could get Wally Pipp-ed. Now I'm wondering how Kelly takes Collaros out of the lineup. The sophomore set a new Big East record with 555 yards of total offense against UConn, including 480 passing yards and three total touchdowns. And this was his third collegiate start.
Big Man on Campus (Defense): West Virginia's Julian Miller had six tackles, three sacks and a pass break-up to help the Mountaineers hold off Louisville 17-9. Miller had two straight sacks of Will Stein when the Cardinals were threatening to tie the game.
Big Man on Campus (Special teams): UConn's Robert McClain helped the Huskies get back in the game with an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Worst hangover: Syracuse. There's no shame in losing at Pitt, which is as hot as any team in the country right now. But the Orange have problems. They took just 55 scholarship players to Heinz Field, and left with safety Max Suter and tight end Cody Catalina suffering season-ending injuries. The passing game is a mess without Mike Williams. Syracuse was 3-4 after seven games and still in the hunt for postseason. If the Orange don't win at Louisville this week, they may not win another game this year..
Strangest moment: I know this actually happened because I witnessed it first hand, but I still have a hard time believing it.
On the first series of the fourth quarter, Cincinnati faced a third-and-8. Collaros tried to run for the first down on what appeared to be a quarterback draw. The play got blown up early, and he only gained three yards. Then came the absurdity: a large smattering of boos actually emanated from the home crowd. Yes, that's right. Bearcats fans were booing an offense that had generated 657 total yards at that point. Just goes to show how quickly a fan base can get spoiled. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody started a FireBrianKelly.com site after that play.
Now let's g0 back to the future and preview a very appetizing Week 11 (Games listed in descending order of importance and interest):
No. 25 West Virginia (7-2, 3-1 Big East) at No. 5 Cincinnati (9-0, 5-0): Is this the Mountaineers' last stand? Without a win at Nippert Stadium, West Virginia will be officially eliminated from the Big East race. (8 p.m. Friday, ESPN2)
Notre Dame (6-3) at No. 12 Pittsburgh (8-1, 5-0): If Notre Dame hadn't spit the bit against Navy, this would have been a heavily-hyped game that maybe would have brought the "GameDay" gang to Heinz Field. Instead, Pitt is the big dog here and must dispatch a desperate Irish team. (8 p.m., TV TBA)
No. 24 South Florida (6-2, 2-2) at Rutgers (6-2, 1-2): The Bulls want to show that they are back on track. Rutgers wants to show that it has turned the corner this season. They'll have a Thursday night crowd watching. (7:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN)
Syracuse (3-6, 0-4) at Louisville (3-6, 0-4): The Big East's Basement Bowl. Feel the excitement?
Bye: Connecticut
What to watch in the Big East, Week 10
1. Focus: That's the key word this week, as the top three contenders in the Big East all are heavy favorites at home. Showdowns between Cincinnati, Pitt and West Virginia loom on the calendar ahead. But for those to matter, they need to take care of business this week against the heavy underdogs and not start thinking ahead to the stretch run.
2. Cincinnati's receivers vs. the UConn secondary: The Huskies got burned by Tim Brown on an 81-yard pass play to lose this week, but they've been pretty good against the pass this year and have the league's two co-leaders in interceptions (Robert Vaughn and Robert McClain). They will face a major challenge this week against the Bearcats' Mardy Gilyard, Armon Binns and D.J. Woods. Syracuse had some small success slowing Cincinnati down last week by trying to keep everything in front of the defense. UConn might also want to make the Bearcats prove they can sustain long drives.
3. Attack of the backup Zachs: Cincinnati looks likely to go with Zach Collaros again at quarterback as Tony Pike continues to recover from his left forearm injury. Collaros has been outstanding the past two and a half games, though this will be the best team he's started against thus far. UConn's Zach Frazer is back at quarterback now that Cody Endres is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Frazer has been way too erratic this season, including three more interceptions last week at Rutgers, and can't afford those mistakes against the Bearcats.
4. Lindsey Witten vs. Jeff Linkenbach: Witten is tied for second in the nation in sacks with 10.5. Linkenbach has developed into the best left tackle in the Big East, in my opinion. If UConn can't get pressure on Collaros, it could be a long night at Nippert Stadium for the Huskies. Witten needs to bring the heat.
5. Dion Lewis: The Pitt freshman tailback was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award this week and floats on the periphery of the Heisman race. Syracuse has been surprisingly stout against the run this season, ranking first in the Big East with just 88.9 yards allowed per game on the ground. Another big game by Lewis against this defense should vault him into the lead for Big East player of the year and other award honors.
6. Paulus and the passing game: Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus was booed at home last week and then received a passionate defense by his head coach Doug Marrone. Paulus has struggled in Big East play, and he just lost his best and maybe only big-play receiver in Mike Williams, who quit the team on Monday. How do he and the Orange offense respond?
7. West Virginia's pass defense: The deep pass has hurt the Mountaineers the past few weeks and much of the season. Louisville has the worst scoring offense in the Big East but is capable of pulling off some big plays in the passing game with guys like Scott Long, Trent Guy and Doug Beaumont. If West Virginia can tighten that part of its defense up, it should have little trouble at home against the last-place Cardinals.
8. Louisville's quarterback derby: Three guys -- Justin Burke, Will Stein and Adam Froman -- have started, and it's anybody's guess who will get the call this week. Coach Steve Kragthorpe said earlier this week that Burke and Froman, who were both hurt at Cincinnati, should be available for practice. If they're all good to go, Froman likely gets the nod. But West Virginia has to prepare for all three just in case.
9. Speed on the edge: The main difference between West Virginia and Louisville the past two years was that the Cardinals didn't have the defensive speed on the perimeter to contain the Mountaineers' playmakers unlike, say, South Florida. Pat White got outside with ease in last year's game in Louisville, and the Cardinals' quickness hasn't gotten significantly better. Expect at least one huge run, if not several, from Noel Devine and maybe even Jarrett Brown or Jock Sanders.
10. Cincinnati's competition: We're not talking about UConn, but the other contenders for the national title. Keep an eye this weekend on Alabama against LSU, Iowa against Northwestern, Boise State at Louisiana Tech and TCU against San Diego State. Any of them faltering would help the Bearcats' national title chances.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Like the early seasons of "Lost," let's have a quick flashback:
Team of the week: Pittsburgh. It wasn't always pretty, but the Panthers overcame a 15-point deficit late in the third quarter to beat Connecticut 24-21 and become the first team to go 2-0 in the Big East.
Best game: The Pitt-UConn game had a field goal as time expired and a big comeback. Good enough in a light week.
Biggest play: Trent Guy's 64-yard kick return after Southern Miss had scored to go ahead with 2:14 left. That set up the game-winning field goal for Louisville and for at least a week, gave Steve Kragthorpe a reprieve from rumors. And good for Guy, who fumbled a fourth-quarter punt earlier this season at Kentucky as Louisville squandered a lead.
Best call: Connecticut offensive coordinator Joe Moorehead called for the fly route to Marcus Easley on first down after a Pittsburgh punt late in the first half. Easley burned cornerback Ricky Gary for a 79-yard touchdown to give UConn a 7-3 lead.
Big Man on Campus (Offense): Pitt receiver Jonathan Baldwin was the best player at Heinz Field much of the day. He finished with eight catches for 104 yards and a touchdown and could have three scores with a couple of more accurate throws.
Big Man on Campus (Defense): UConn safety Robert Vaughn had 10 tackles and two interceptions, one of which he returned 20 yards for a score, in the losing effort.
Big Man on Campus (Special teams): Pitt kicker Dan Hutchins had three field goals, including the game-winning 18-yarder with no time left.
Worst Hangover: Connecticut. How do you blow a 15-point lead with a little under 19 minutes left? By producing seven total yards the rest of the way. The Huskies are two fourth-quarter collapses away from being 5-0.
Strangest moment: Doug Marrone's explanation for why he pulled Greg Paulus for the second half against West Virginia, when Syracuse trailed 27-0: "During the course of the game, I was concerned about some of the questions I and some of the coaches were asking and how he was responding to it. ‘Why would you do this? Why would you do that?’ It’s just not characteristic of how my experience with Greg has been in the past, therefore I felt uncomfortable about the situation and made the switch, knowing that Greg will still be our starting quarterback."
Marrone said Paulus wasn't hurt and that there was no quarterback controversy, so was Paulus just having a bad day or what?
Now, like the later seasons of "Lost," here's a flash forward (Games listed in descending order of importance and interest):
No. 8 Cincinnati (5-0, 1-0 Big East) at No. 21 South Florida (5-0, 1-0): I don't know how to put this, but this game is kind of a big deal. People know this game. It has many leather-bound books and its apartment smells of rich mahogany. (7:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN).
Pitt (5-1, 2-0) at Rutgers (4-1, 0-1): The Scarlet Knight will try to run their winning streak to five against the Panthers. (8 p.m. Friday, ESPN)
Louisville (2-3, 0-1) at Connecticut (3-2, 0-1): The Huskies have won two straight over Louisville and need to make it three to have any chance of competing for the Big East title.
Marshall (4-2) at West Virginia (4-1, 1-0): The Mountaineers have owned "The Friends of Coal Bowl" with a perfect 8-0 record.
Bye: Syracuse
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
- Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia: The senior went 22-of-30 for 244 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in the Mountaineers' 34-13 win over Syracuse.
- Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: The freshman ran 24 times for 158 yards in Pitt's 24-21 win over UConn.
- Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: The sophomore had eight catches for 105 yards and a score in Pitt's win.
- Robert Vaughn, S, Connecticut: The senior had 10 tackles and two interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown in the loss to Pitt.
- Scott Long, WR, Louisville: The senior had five catches for 146 yards, including a 92-yard score, as the Cardinals beat Southern Miss 25-23.
ESPN.com's preseason All-Big East team
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
The Big East doesn't put out an official preseason all-conference team. But I do. Below are my picks for the best in the league for 2009. Pittsburgh leads the way with six selections.
Offense
QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
RB Noel Devine, West Virginia
RB Victor Anderson, Louisville
WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
WR Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh
OT: Anthony Davis, Rutgers
OG: John Malecki, Pittsburgh
C: Ryan Blaszczyk Rutgers
OG: Art Forst, Rutgers
OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
TE: Nate Byham, Pittsburgh
Defense
DE: George Selvie, South Florida
DT: Arthur Jones, Syracuse
DT: Scooter Berry, West Virginia
DE: Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
LB: Ryan D'Imperio, Rutgers
LB: Scott Lutrus, Connecticut
LB: Reed Williams, West Virginia
CB: Aaron Berry, Pittsburgh
CB: Brandon Hogan, West Virginia
S: Nate Allen, South Florida
S: Robert Vaughn, Connecticut
Specialists
P: Rob Long, Syracuse
PK: Jake Rogers, Cincinnati
KR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
PR: Jasper Howard, Connecticut
Safeties strong in numbers in the Big East
My colleagues Chris Low and Ted Miller have an interesting debate today over who's the best safety in college football: Tennessee's Eric Berry or USC's Taylor Mays.
Berry and Mays are getting a lot of attention this preseason, and rightfully so. But the debate made me think that the Big East has some pretty good safeties this year, too. In fact, it may be one of the deeper positions in the league.
Here are my top five Big East safeties for 2009, in no particular order:
• Nate Allen, South Florida: Incredibly athletic guy, with a prototypical NFL body. Needs to bounce back from a slightly disappointing junior season.
• Aaron Webster, Cincinnati: Brought a real toughness to the Bearcats' defense when he moved into the starting lineup after a few games last season. A big hitter who will be called upon to lead an inexperienced defense.
• Robert Vaughn, Connecticut: Flies a little under the radar, like most Huskies. All he does is produce, with nine interceptions the past two years and 27 straight starts.
• Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh: Really came on at the end of last year, including a big Sun Bowl performance. Has a nose for the ball.
• Robert Sands, West Virginia: Unusually tall (6-foot-5) for a safety, he started nine games as a true freshman and looks like a future star.
That's a pretty good list, and I didn't even include Rutgers' Joe Lefeged, West Virginia's Sidney Glover or Pitt's Elijah Fields. There may not be a Taylor Mays or Eric Berry in this league, but the Big East has some awfully good safeties, too.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Pittsburgh senior cornerback Aaron Berry made the watch list for the 2009 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back.
As I've written here before, Berry has the skill set to be the best cornerback in the Big East. He just needs t be more consistent and come up with a few more big plays.
Berry was the only Big East player on the list, and for once, I don't have a complaint about a major omission. Some guys who could work their way into the discussion include West Virginia's Brandon Hogan, South Florida's Nate Allen and Jerome Murphy, UConn's Robert Vaughn and Jasper Howard and Cincinnati's Aaron Webster.
Good luck to any of those guys who want to beat USC's Taylor Mays or Tennessee's Eric Berry for the award this year.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Three predictions for the UConn Huskies:
1. The offense will struggle to find its footing early on: No matter who you are, it's tough going through a radical change offensively. That's what UConn is trying to do with new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead's no-huddle attack. The running philosophies may not be that different, but the Huskies are going to have to throw the ball to make it work. And it's still questionable whether they have the personnel at receiver for that to happen. Quarterbacks Zach Frazer and Cody Endres are both inexperienced and had their problems with turnovers and inaccuracy last season. Even with Donald Brown last year, Connecticut scored 13 points or fewer in six games. I don't see the Huskies turning into Texas Tech overnight.
2. That said, the defense will be one of the best in the Big East: Few people are talking about the UConn 'D,' probably because stars like Cody Brown and Darius Butler are gone. But this is still a talented bunch, with the most experienced linebackers in the league (led by Scott Lutrus) and playmakers like Robert Vaughn and Jasper Howard in the secondary. Randy Edsall's defenses are always fundamentally strong, and that side of the ball should keep the Huskies in games early on this season.
3. UConn will make its third straight bowl: Looking at the schedule, it's hard to see where the six wins for bowl eligibility are going to come from. Nonconference games against North Carolina and at Baylor in Weeks 2 and 3 could both prove difficult. The Huskies also have to go to Notre Dame and face Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and their old nemesis West Virginia on the road. But I've got enough faith in Edsall and the program he has developed in Storrs that I say they find enough victories to make the postseason, if not compete for the league title.
Looking back at the '06 Big East recruiting classes
My colleague Ted Miller out in the wild, wild west of the Pac-10 had a really fun post earlier this week. He looked back on that conference's 2006 recruiting class. Players who signed that year should be seniors or redshirt juniors now, so it's a perfect time to judge the class on actual results, not promise.
And so, I figure that's a good idea to steal and apply to the Big East. Pittsburgh had the 16th-best recruiting class in the nation that season, according to our Scouts Inc. experts, while Louisville ranked 21st. No other Big East team cracked the top 25.
Let's take a look back and see how things have turned out, shall we?
Cincinnati
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- LB John Goebel, LB Robby Armstrong, CB Marcus Barnett, TE Ben Guidugli, DL Ricardo Matthews, RB Jacob Ramsey, S Aaron Webster
Misses: DT Oren Wilson
Verdict: Mark Dantonio's final full class contained some players who have already contributed, like Ramsey, Guidugli, Barnett and Webster, and some who should assume bigger roles this year, like Armstrong and Matthews. But overall, this lacked the quality of the deep '05 bunch that formed the core of last year's Orange Bowl squad. Receiver Jamar Howard, who was part of the '06 class but didn't qualify in 2006, is back this year after a stint in junior college.
Connecticut
Class: 24
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Brad Kanuch, S Robert Vaughn, K Desi Cullen, OL Zach Hurd, LB Scott Lutrus, CB Robert McClain, LB Lawrence Wilson, DE Lindsey Witten, OL Mathieu Olivier, DT Alex Polito, DE Mike Cox
Misses: CB Jamie Nixon
Verdict: As usual, Randy Edsall's '06 class didn't draw much attention nationally. But he found a whole bunch of players who exceeded their star rankings and became key pieces for the Huskies. Lutrus is one of the best linebackers in the Big East, while Vaughn is a top safety and Witten has NFL potential. UConn could use a breakthrough from the oft-injured Kanuch.
Louisville
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- DE Rodney Gnat, DT L.T. Walker, LB Brandon Heath, WR Josh Chichester, CB Johnny Patrick, WR Troy Pascley, OT Jeff Adams
Misses: DT Aundre Henderson, DT Kareem Crowell, QB Emmanuel Francis
Verdict: Bobby Petrino's final class at Louisville looked great on paper but was hit hard by attrition and misevaluations, which is part of the reason why the Cardinals have been so thin the past two years. Some problems were unforeseen; promising defensive end Peanut Whitehead had his career ended after just a season by a back injury. Henderson decided he didn't like football and quit. Running back Anthony Allen transferred. Several others were dismissed for disciplinary reasons or never panned out.
Pittsburgh
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Nate Byham, OT Jason Pinkston, CB Aaron Berry, OL John Malecki, CB Jovani Chappel, OL Joe Thomas, S Elijah Fields, DE Greg Romeus, CB Ricky Gary
Misses: QB Kevan Smith, CB Aaron Smith, DT Scott Corson
Verdict: Overall, this was a deep, solid class that will form the backbone of this year's team. Add in the fact that star left tackle Jeff Otah was part of this group as a junior college transfer, and it becomes all the more impressive. Byham, Pinkston, Berry and Romeus are All-Big East-caliber players with pro futures. Pitt hasn't seemed able to figure out what to do yet with once highly-rated prospect Dorin Dickerson. Running back Kevin Collier could contribute this year.
Rutgers
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- RB Kordell Young, WR Tim Brown, LB Antonio Lowery, DT Blair Bines, LB Ryan D'Imperio, DB Zaire Kitchen, TE Shamar Graves, FB Jack Corcoran, DT Charlie Noonan
Misses: TE Jeff Minemeyer, LB Sorie Bayoh
Verdict: The best player from this class, Kenny Britt, was a first-round NFL draft pick in April. Combine that with a high number of contributors, and Greg Schiano had a pretty good batting average with this class.
South Florida
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Carlton Mitchell, OL Zach Hermann, S Nate Allen, DB Jerrell Young, OL Jeremiah Warren, LB Sabbath Joseph, DL Aaron Harris, DL Craig Marshall, K Delbert Alvarado, WR Ed Alcin, OL Kevin McCaskill
Misses: DT Leslie Stirrups, WR Jason Sherman, DE Joseph Jackson
Verdict: Surprisingly, some of the Bulls' highest-rated recruits in the 2006 class are the ones who didn't pan out, while the lesser-regarded names have gained regular playing time. The best player so far of this group is Allen, who should have an NFL future. This is a good class that just needs a little more star power.
Syracuse
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Andrew Robinson, RB Delone Carter, OL Jim McKenzie, OL Ryan Bartholomew, OL Tucker Baumbach, OL Jonathan Meldrum, DE Jared Kimmel, LB Derrell Smith, WR Mike Williams
Misses: WR Andrey Baskin, S Derek Hrinya
Verdict: Several players from the '06 batch will start this year, including nearly all of Syracuse's offensive line. But this class, like most of Greg Robinson's efforts, is short on all-conference caliber players. Baskin was the Orange's biggest recruit, but he failed to qualify and never made it to campus. Robinson was the starting quarterback two years ago before switching to tight end this spring.
West Virginia
Class: 16
Expected major contributors in 2009: 6 -- DT Chris Neild, WR Wes Lyons, LB Anthony Leonard, C Eric Jobe, S Franchot "Boogie" Allen, LB J.T. Thomas
Misses: S John Maddox, CB Robert Williams, OL Eric Rodemoyer, CB Greg Davis
Verdict: The Mountaineers had a small class in '06, and they could have handed out half the scholarships and gotten the same results. Only eight 2006 signees are on the current roster. Several from that class are expected to take a step up this year, including Neild, Lyons and Allen. Still, only getting six major contributors from any class is a hard pill to swallow.
The Big East's best: Robert Vaughn, No. 16
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
Ranking the Big East's Top 30 players ...
No. 16
Robert Vaughn, S, Connecticut
Why: Vaughn might not have as much pure athletic ability as the other safety on this list, South Florida's Nate Allen. But there's little doubting that Vaughn gets the most out of his talent.
The 6-foot, 202-pound senior has started 27 games in his career and enters this season as a leader on the Huskies defense. He had a pair of interceptions last year after picking off seven passes in 2007, and he finished third on the team with 67 tackles. The second team All-Big East selection is a legit pro prospect, too.
The countdown
No. 17: Scooter Berry, DL, West Virginia
No. 18: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 19: Scott Long, WR, Louisville
No. 20: Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
No. 21: Jessie Hester Jr., WR, South Florida
No. 22: Ryan Blaszczyk, C, Rutgers
No. 23: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati
No. 24: Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia
No. 25: Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse
No. 26: Nate Allen, S, South Florida
No. 27: Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia
No. 28: Nate Byham, TE, Pitt
No. 29: Jon Dempsey, LB, Louisville
No. 30: Moe Petrus, OL, UConn
Big East year-end rankings: Defensive backs
There's one more category left in my year-end positional rankings (sorry, punters, kickers and long-snappers. Your time will have to come another day). Let's rank the defensive backs and then get ready for the postseason, which begins on Saturday:
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| Frank Victores/US Presswire | |
| Mike Mickens snagged four interceptions this season, giving him 14 in his career. |
1. Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati: Mickens found himself in Brian Kelly's doghouse earlier in the year. But he snapped out of it and started playing like the league's best corner again until a late-season knee injury. He should be back for the FedEx Orange Bowl.
2. Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut: Another NFL-caliber cover guy, Butler also suffered a knee injury late in the year but should be back for the International Bowl. He also was valuable on special teams and as a moonlighting receiver.
3. DeAngelo Smith, CB, Cincinnati: He began the season at safety before moving back to his natural position of cornerback. The Bearcats played better once he did.
4. Courtney Greene, FS, Rutgers: Was in an inexplicable funk early in the season, perhaps thinking too much about the NFL. There's no better safety in the league when Greene is his normal self, which he was the last two months.
5. Brandon Underwood, CB/S, Cincinnati: Smith originally moved so this talented Ohio State transfer could play cornerback. Turns out he was a pretty good safety. And Underwood was able to slide back to corner when Mickens went down.
6. Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia: Considering that he was a receiver until fall camp, his work in the defensive backfield this season was mighty impressive.
7. Ellis Lankster, CB, West Virginia: Hogan's more experienced cornerback counterpart had a pretty good year, too.
8. Robert Vaughn, S, Connecticut: Unheralded going into the year, he turned into a very valuable player in the Huskies' underrated defensive backfield.
9. Carlton Williams, SS, South Florida: The Bulls' secondary struggled for much of the year, but Williams was their best playmaker and a team leader.
10. Woodny Turenne, CB, Louisville: Vastly improved over last year, Turenne led the Big East in interceptions (5) despite missing two games.
Honorable mention: Jason McCourty, CB, Rutgers; Aaron Webster, SS, Cincinnati; Jasper Howard, CB, UConn; Aaron Berry, CB, Pittsburgh; Quinton Andrews and Sidney Glover, S, West Virginia.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
