ESPN College Football

When Adam Harris made the decision to leave Cornell to walk on at Syracuse, he did it in the hopes of making it as a player at a big-time program.

Then came his first day at the school. Harris arrived with his father to check in when he saw center Ryan Bartholomew.

“He was one of the bigger human beings I think I had ever seen,” Harris recalled in a recent phone interview. “He’s what, 6 foot 2, 300 pounds, a physical specimen. I remember turning to my dad and asking, ‘Are we in the right place right now?’”

Harris, a 6-foot-2, 242 pound linebacker might have gulped hard. But he remained undeterred and eager for a shot to prove himself on the FBS level. When he put his pads on for the first day of practice, he flashed back to his initial reaction and thought, “Maybe I do belong here.”

That was the fall of 2009. Now, Harris is going into his senior season as the starting fullback, tasked with helping open up holes for new starter Antwon Bailey in the backfield. So how did he go from a kid nobody wanted out of high school to a starter at a program on the rise?

“I could only hope and dream of it happening,” Harris said. “There were no guarantees. The only thing I could control were the controllables: hard work, being on time, and doing everything I could to have the coaches notice me.”

That work ethic came from his father, who always told him, “Some people, they can wake up and be good, but to be great at something you have to put in extremes.”

Harris was not highly recruited out of Towanda High in Pennsylvania. He decided to go to Cornell, did not play his freshman year because of a concussion he sustained in his first collegiate snap.

After the season, he began thinking about walking on at Syracuse, a team he grew up watching.

“I didn’t dislike Cornell by any means, but in the back of my head it bothered me I had given up on my dream and I figured I’d regret it more if I didn’t give it a shot,” he said.

Harris knew coach Doug Marrone was coming in with a new staff, so he reached out to see if he could walk on. He did so and spent his first season on the practice squad. Then in spring 2010, there was an injury at the fullback spot and the Orange needed some help.

Marrone approached Harris about making the switch. Harris knew he would have a hard time seeing the field at linebacker, so he agreed. He had to learn a new playbook once again, but took to the position immediately and earned a starting spot.

That is when he earned his scholarship, too. Harris started 10 games last season. But more than that, he has made it on the 2009 and 2010 Big East All-Academic Team, and was recently announced as a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

Harris has spent the past two years as volunteer at the Justice Center in Syracuse, working with teenagers who are trying to turn their lives around. His main message is this: “No matter how bad things might seem, there is always a chance to make things right.”

The work has been rewarding. So has everything he has done on the field.

The National Football Foundation announced its members of the 2011 Hampshire Honor Society on Wednesday. To qualify for the honor, a player must:

• Be a starter or a significant substitute in his last year of eligibility;
• Achieve a 3.2 cumulative GPA throughout his entire course of undergraduate study; and
• Meet all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements and graduation.

Eight Big East players were named to the society. They are:

• Rutgers punter Teddy Dellaganna and linebacker Jim Dumont.
• Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew and linebacker Derrell Smith.
• Connecticut long-snapper Derek Chard and safety John Yurek.
• West Virginia center Eric Jobe and punter Gregg Pugnetti.

Congrats to the honorees.

• A New York Times investigation shows that colleges use deception to get around Title IX regulations, including South Florida's enormous women's cross-country team.

• Bruce Irvin has a new set of challenges this season. Dana Holgorsen just hopes the Blue-Gold game on Friday looks pretty for the fans.

• Some opinions on former Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew's draft chances.

• Another suspect in the Jasper Howard case was due in court Tuesday. Zach Frazer is hoping to avoid falling into NFL limbo.

• Eric LeGrand still finds reasons to smile despite being paralyzed.

• Jabaal Sheard hopes his arrest last summer won't cause teams like the New England Patriots to shy away from him. Dion Lewis is confident he can succeed at the next level.

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.

The NFL combine has wrapped up, and we can all go back to not caring how quickly a guy can navigate a set of cones in shorts and a T-shirt for another year. But first, let's hit some final numbers.

Here is where Big East players ranked among the top overall performers in each drill at Indianapolis:

40-yard dash

Connecticut running back Jordan Todman tied for eighth at 4.40 seconds.

Bench press

Syracuse offensive lineman Ryan Bartholomew tied for fourth with 34 reps on the 225-pound bench. UConn fullback Anthony Sherman tied for 10th with 32.

Vertical leap

Pittsburgh receiver Jon Baldwin tied for second at 42 inches.

Broad jump

Baldwin tied for fifth at 10-feet-9 inches.

Who helped themselves the most? Bartholomew had a really nice showing. Baldwin put up excellent numbers as expected. Connecticut linebacker Scott Lutrus turned heads with some of his performances.

Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said Todman, the 2010 Big East offensive player of the year, was one of the biggest winners of the combine experience. He writes:

"The draft class at running back isn't helped by the fact that many teams have more than one running back on their rosters they feel they can win with. But in a class that was already weak, Todman jumped. He ran a 4.40 in the 40 and was among the top performers in a number of other workouts, highlighting his athleticism. He's one of the few guys in this class who scouts feel can make NFL defenders miss, and at 203 pounds, he isn't a total scat back."

• Syracuse offensive lineman Ryan Bartholomew helped his cause at the NFL combine.
• Jordan Todman was impressive too, though the reviews weren't as favorable for teammate Zach Hurd.
• A look at West Virginia's participants in the combine.
• Louisville got its first commitment for the 2012 class.

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

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

The East-West Shrine Game is on tap for Saturday, but the most important work for scouts came in the week leading up to the contest. Our ESPN experts were in Orlando to watch the players during practice and offered their thoughts on who stood out the most .

Todd McShay listed Connecticut fullback Anthony Sherman and South Florida defensive tackle Terrell McClain among his top performers.

On Sherman: "He's undersized (5-11, 240 pounds) and fullbacks border on extinct in the NFL, but I was impressed with Sherman. He's competed all week. He's tough and has some power at the point of attack. He also has good hands. He caught the ball smoothly and got up the field. It's a pretty good fullback class and right now he's No. 6 in the class. He's a longshot to get drafted yet he's done nothing but help himself this week"

On McClain: "He is strong at the point of attack and just doesn't give ground. He controls blockers with his hands. He has violent hands to get off blocks and he has a power rush."

McShay also talks about McClain in this video.

Syracuse's Delone Carter got some positive reviews earlier in the week for his strong running style, though there were questions about his hands in the passing game. Teammate and linebacker Doug Hogue was not practicing late in the week, and no reason was given for his absence.

Also scheduled to compete in the game from the Big East are Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew, UConn's Scott Lutrus and Greg Lloyd and Cincinnati's Armon Binns.

Here is the list of players from the Big East who will be participating in the East-West Shrine Game, a showcase for seniors and NFL hopefuls:

• Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut

• Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

• Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse

• Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse

• Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut

• Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut

• Ryan Bartholomew, OL, Syracuse

• Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut

• Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida

• Zach Hurd, OL, Connecticut

The 86th annual game will be held Jan. 22 in Orlando.

CINCINNATI -- Yes, it's Halloween weekend, and yes, Syracuse's mascot is an orange spheroid.

But, no, this is not the story of the Great Pumpkin.

These Orange can no longer be discounted as an October tall tale. They are, in fact, for real -- and pointing toward a big November.

Incontrovertible proof arrived Saturday at what used to be a haunted house for Big East visitors: Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium. Two years ago, Syracuse trudged out of here a 20-point loser in the last game of the Greg Robinson era as giddy Bearcats fans pelted the field with oranges.

Midway through the fourth quarter this time, orange was again the dominant color scheme, but only because the visiting fans dotted the otherwise empty stands. The longtime league basement dweller ushered in a new Big East world order with a 31-7 humbling of the two-time defending league champs.

"Yeah, I remember," senior safety Max Suter said when asked about the last trip here. "It was a terrible feeling. They knew they were going to win and everybody brought their oranges. I feel like people aren't going to do that anymore."

It's no longer even safe to schedule your homecoming around the Orange visit. Once mere parade dressing, Syracuse has spoiled three other teams' fall celebrations in a row (South Florida, West Virginia and Cincinnati) while winning its first three league road games for the first time since 2001. More importantly, the Orange improved to 6-2 overall to guarantee the school's first non-losing season since 2004.

"This is the most games I've ever won in college," senior linebacker Derrell Smith said. "We may be approaching the most games I've won throughout my college career. It feels great to go out with a bang."

The bang could get louder. The Orange have already navigated what looked like the most difficult portion of the schedule, and here is how the closing stretch shapes up: Home games against Louisville (4-4), Connecticut (4-4) and Boston College (3-5) with the lone road game at Rutgers (4-3). Who's to say that Syracuse can't win all of those?

"I don't want this dream to end," defensive tackle Bud Tribbey said.

Neither did the small but giddy Syracuse contingent who stuck around in their seats long after the game to cheer players and coaches exiting the locker room. When head coach Doug Marrone emerged to talk to the media, the fans shouted, "We love Doug!" Marrone quickly retreated back up the visitors' tunnel, seeming uncomfortable by the adulation.

The second-year head coach has worked wonders at his alma mater, but he's not embracing the success yet. He remained reserved in his postgame comments, allowing only that the sixth win was a "step in the right direction."

"We haven't accomplished anything," he said. "We have a long way to go and a lot of improvement to make, and we can make it. We're a 6-2 football team trying to fight and scratch and get another win."

Perhaps Marrone realizes how amazing this turnaround has been. The program is still so low in numbers and depth that the team hasn't practiced in full pads for the past several weeks, fearing injury.

Defense has carried them this far. The Orange limited the Big East's top scoring team to one score Saturday, a week after shutting out West Virginia for the final 46 minutes. They've held Big East road opponents an average of 10 points per game.

And after years of suffering, Syracuse seems to be catching some breaks.

Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros, whom Orange defensive coordinator Scott Shafer called his "favorite player in the league" sat out with a bruised knee, and replacement Chazz Anderson couldn't replicate his production. Balls are bouncing the Orange's way, too; they picked up two Cincinnati fumbles Saturday, and when fullback Adam Harris lost the ball on the goal line, center Ryan Bartholomew fell on it for a touchdown.

When the Bearcats drove down the field to start the second half and threatened to make the score 17-14, Anderson inexplicably threw the ball straight to Smith. He returned it 60 yards, setting up yet another short field for the offense -- four of the team's five scoring drives began in Cincinnati territory. Syracuse capitalized by scoring its most points this year against an FBS opponent.

Are the Orange for real? They're real enough for this year's Big East. Cincinnati has lost its edge, dropping to 3-5 and at severe risk of missing the postseason. West Virginia has lost two straight and is tied for last place. Only Pitt has outplayed Syracuse in Big East action, and the Panthers' 45-14 win in the Carrier Dome gives them a virtual two-game cushion in the league standings.

This is a team playing with passion, physicality and confidence, and the upperclassmen say Marrone has instilled a togetherness they've never before experienced.

"Words can't even explain it," Suter said. "It's awesome that this team came from what it was to what it is right now. It's awesome. Just awesome."

And it's a story you can now safely believe in.

CINCINNATI -- Still don't believe in Syracuse?

Just take a look at the Nippert Stadium scoreboard. The Orange lead the two-time defending Big East champs 17-0 with under eight minutes to go in the half. They recovered a Cincinnati fumble at the 20 and then punched it in, as fullback Adam Harris's goal-line fumble was scooped up by center Ryan Bartholomew.

On the very next play from scrimmage, D.J. Woods fumbled after a catch, and Syracuse's Phillip Thomas returned it to the Bearcats' 19. Syracuse couldn't get in the end zone but settled for the field goal and a commanding three-score lead.

Cincinnati's repeated trouble holding onto the ball this season -- and Woods has been a main culprit -- continues to haunt the team.

Syracuse is just tougher and far more disciplined right now than the Bearcats, who can't get their passing game going without Zach Collaros. This looks nothing like the Big East's best offense, and Syracuse's defense also has something to do with it.

If things don't change, the Orange are going to make a whole lot more believers today.

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones tries to keep his football and school identities separate. He doesn't wear athletic gear when he's going to class.

But his backpack has his number -- 99 -- on it. And after Saturday's win at South Florida, a lot of his fellow students didn't need much more information to know exactly who he was. Jones said more students than ever stopped him on the quad this week and said, "Nice game, Chandler."

"We're not being ignored anymore," center Ryan Bartholomew said. "People look at us and there's a sense of pride now."

It's getting harder and harder to ignore these Orange. They are 4-1 for the first time since 1999, and their rare road conference victory has them tied atop the Big East standings after one week.

For a program that hasn't sniffed the postseason or won more than four games in a season since 2004, this is all heady stuff. This week brings probably the biggest moment for Syracuse football since the Paul Pasqualoni era. Preseason league favorite Pittsburgh comes to town for what could be a sold-out, Oranged-out Carrier Dome.

Jones has changed his Facebook and Twitter profile pictures to the school's "Orange Out" logo.

"I'm trying to promote it as well," Jones said. "We're hungry. We want the dome filled."

Second-year head coach Doug Marrone is starting to deliver on his promise to make Syracuse football exciting again. If you go back to last year's 31-13 upset of Rutgers, his team is 5-2 in its past seven games and undefeated at home. Marrone said the greatest improvement from last season happened off the field.

"There's better trust," he said. "Trust between the coaches and players and between the players and players. It's just believing in what we're trying to do here and trying to accomplish, and you see that carrying over to the field."

Jones said the players still were adjusting to the new coaching staff last year but began to see how their plan worked, especially in that Rutgers win.

"The defense at times would be guessing because we didn't know the playbook as well," he said. "I'm not saying we didn't trust the coaches, but sometimes you'd be questioning the calls. But once you know that your coaches are putting you in the best position to make a play, that trust becomes a huge thing."

The aggressive, hard-hitting Syracuse defense led by coordinator Scott Shafer has allowed fewer than 15 points per game and did not give up an offensive touchdown in the 13-9 win over the Bulls last week. The offense is also playing with a lot of confidence behind sophomore starting quarterback Ryan Nassib. That was evident when it mounted a 98-yard, fourth-quarter drive to take the lead for good last week.

"When that drive started, we all looked at each other and said, 'We're going to do this,'" Bartholomew said. "Then we grinded it out."

Marrone has tried to stay low key this week despite the growing enthusiasm around the program. In his postgame speech at South Florida, he told the team it needed to keep things going and not get too pleased with itself. The schedule has been favorable for the Orange to start the season, but the next three games -- Pittsburgh, at West Virginia, at Cincinnati -- look considerably tougher.

"I told them again that we have to fight and scratch every week to be a competitive football team," Marrone said. "All the way through our schedule there are good football teams, and teams that have beaten us pretty soundly in the last couple of years."

The Syracuse players might be enjoying more back-slapping on campus these days. But they can't let that distract from what's in front of them.

"Our goal is still to go to a bowl game," Bartholomew said. "Until we reach that point, we have to stay focused with our eyes on the prize."

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has come out with his new big board, and while it's a long way away from draft day, it's always fun to see how players stack up on these lists.

On Kiper's list of the Top 25 draft-eligible players, one Big East player appears: Pitt receiver Jon Baldwin at No. 16.

Kiper also lists his Top 5 seniors by position. He has Noel Devine as the No. 4 running back, UConn's Anthony Sherman as the No. 4 fullback, Syracuse's Ryan Bartholomew as the No. 4 center and Orange punter Rob Long fourth at his position.

Kiper's Top 5 non-seniors by position includes a lot of Pitt players. He has Henry Hynoski as the top fullback, Jon Baldwin as the No. 2 receiver behind Georgia's A.J. Green, Lucas Nix the No. 2 offensive tackle and Chris Jacobson the No. 4 guard.

He also has UConn's Moe Petrus as the No. 4 center, Cincinnati's Derek Wolfe as the No. 4 defensive tackle and West Virginia's Robert Sands as the No. 3 safety.