ESPN College Football

Pittsburgh

Schedule: Practice starts Saturday at 8:30 a.m. First day in full pads is Aug. 11.

What’s new: Tino Sunseri steps in under center, replacing two-year starter Bill Stull. The Panthers also break in new starters at center, right guard and cornerback.

Key battle: Center. Walk-on senior Alex Karabin handled snapping duties in the spring, but he'll have to fight to keep his first-string role this fall. Right guard is also up for grabs. Also watch the weakside linebacker duel between incumbent Greg Williams and Tristan Roberts.

New on the scene: Junior college transfer Saheed Imoru has a good chance to start at one of the cornerback spots. Redshirt freshman Devin Street ought to make an impact at receiver.

Breaking out: Middle linebacker at Pitt has been a breeding ground for stars. Dan Mason could be the next one. He's got all the skills and just needs to put it all together.

Don’t forget about: Greg Cross. Little used as a quarterback two years ago, he redshirted last season and now could contribute at receiver this fall in his last college season.

All eyes on: The interior offensive line. Pitt has as much, or more, offensive talent than anybody, but if the Panthers can't block people up the middle, it won't matter.

Quoting: "We still have some holes to fill. The challenge will be in putting a team together." -- Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt.

This is the fifth in a series looking at three players from each team who will burst onto the scene in the Big East. It could be an incoming or redshirt freshman, a transfer or just someone stepping into a new role.

Your turn, Pittsburgh.

Tyrone Ezell, DT: The Panthers have Myles Caragein and Chas Alecxih penciled in as starting defensive tackles, but the redshirt freshman Ezell turned a lot of heads in spring practice. The former highly-heralded recruit was named the scout team's defensive player of the year during his redshirt season. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder will provide valuable depth and should get a lot of playing time.

Devin Street, WR: Another redshirt freshman, Street drew praise for the way he played this spring. Jon Baldwin and Mike Shanahan are the team's top two targets at wideout, but opportunity exists for a No. 3 receiver. Street, who's 6-foot-4, gives Pitt yet another towering target in the passing game.

Todd Thomas, WR: Pitt is so loaded with experience and talent that, apart from junior college cornerback Saheed Imoru, it may be able to redshirt virtually all of its 2009 signing class. The lone exception could be Thomas, one of the top recruits that Dave Wannstedt signed this February. Thomas spent a year at prep school and may be more physically mature than other incoming freshmen. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is a versatile athlete who will get his first look at receiver, and though that position is already stacked, he may be gifted enough to force Pitt's coaches to put him on the field early.

More fresh faces.

It's time to get back to our post-spring rankings of each Big East position group. A lot of teams have question marks in their secondaries heading into this summer; let's look at how they stand in comparison to one another:

1. West Virginia: The Mountaineers play five defensive backs in their 3-3-5 alignment and should be well stocked for 2010. Safety Robert Sands should compete for league defensive player of the year honors if he continues his rapid development, while senior Sidney Glover is an experienced playmaker at one of the other safety spots. West Virginia needs Brandon Hogan to rediscover his form and for Keith Tandy to keep improving, and this could be one of the team's strongest units.

2. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights lost the best cornerback in the Big East when Devin McCourty took his skills to the NFL, but I still like the group that's returning. Joe Lefeged should step up and assume McCourty's leadership role as a senior safety, while Khaseem Greene looks ready to become a front-line safety. David Rowe is a solid corner, and either Brandon Bing or Logan Ryan should fill the other spot. The Scarlet Knights have a lot of talented young players here to provide quality depth, as well.

3. Syracuse: The Orange officially have five returning starters in the secondary because of injuries last year, and several players gained valuable experience during 2009. There's a good mixture of veteran leadership with guys like seniors Mike Holmes, Da'Mon Merkerson and Max Suter as well as rising stars like Shamarko Thomas and Phillip Thomas.

4. Pittsburgh: Antwuan Reed helped answer a big question with a strong spring at cornerback. The other corner spot will likely be filled by either junior college transfer Saheed Imoru or Buddy Jackson, with Ricky Gary around to add depth. The safety position should be in good shape when Dom DeCicco and Andrew Taglianetti return from their injuries, while Jarred Holley established himself as a dependable safety last year.

5. South Florida: The Bulls lost a pair of draft picks in Nate Allen and Jerome Murphy and have some young players moving into key roles this season. The good news is those youngsters have talent. The key will be whether Quenton Washington and Kayvon Webster can hold down the cornerback spots.

6. Cincinnati: There's healthy competition in the secondary for the Bearcats, who increasingly gave up big plays in the passing game as the 2009 season wore on. Dominique Battle, Camerron Cheatham, Chris Williams and Reuben Johnson all vied for playing time at corner this spring. Drew Frey is a steady safety. The group needs to make more plays than it did a year ago but should embrace a more aggressive scheme this year.

7. Connecticut: The Huskies ranked last in pass defense last season and lost two senior stalwarts from the secondary. The defensive backfield was in disarray at times this spring. The return of Blidi Wreh-Wilson from his shoulder injury this summer should help out the cornerback spot with Dwayne Gratz. Jerome Junior should be solid at one safety spot, while Kijuan Dabney is trying to win the other job after moving from linebacker. The Huskies are counting on a lot of young players to improve quickly before the season begins.

8. Louisville: The Cardinals had so much trouble finding playmakers in the secondary this spring that running back Darius Ashley moved to corner to help out. Johnny Patrick is one of the league's better cornerbacks but needs help in the defensive backfield. The healthy return of safety Terence Simien would provide a boost, but this remains a trouble spot heading into the fall.

PITTSBURGH -- At times during Pittsburgh's practice on Tuesday, the safeties included a former punter, a former quarterback and a walk-on converted cornerback.

It's safe to say the secondary is a work in progress for the Panthers. Injuries, graduation and a dismissal have turned the spring into a scramble to find bodies in the defensive backfield. But there have been some success stories as well.

Start at cornerback, where Pitt is replacing senior starters Aaron Berry and Jovani Chappel from a year ago. Junior Antwuan Reed has emerged as a worthy successor. On Tuesday, he had an interception and played excellent coverage against All-Big East receiver Jonathan Baldwin.

"I go against him every day, and it helps me a lot because he's one of the better receivers in the country," Reed said.

Reed was a backup and a special teams player his first two years. He showed some toughness by defending Notre Dame's Michael Floyd on a deep ball after being thrust into the game against the Irish last year because of injuries. He's been so good this spring that head coach Dave Wannstedt said, "when I look back on it, I probably should have played him more."

Junior college import Saheed Imoru is getting a long look at the other corner spot. Coaches describe him as a strong, physical player who can cover and tackle. But he's still learning the system, as is to be expected. Former starter Ricky Gary and Buddy Jackson will also battle for playing time this fall.

Safety has been a patchwork position because injuries kept Dom DeCicco and Andrew Taglianetti from practicing this spring, and Elijah Fields was dismissed earlier this year. But the situation has helped sophomore Jarred Holley, defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley said.

"Last year, Jarred played in every game and he would look over at Dom or look over at Tags for instruction," Hafley said. "Now, he's the only one with any experience, and that's forced him to become a leader and make all the calls. He won't need to look over at Dom or Tags any more because he's got confidence and got the defense down, which is huge."

DeCicco and Taglianetti are expected to back for fall camp, which should create a pretty good competition for starting jobs. For now, Hafley is filling in with that converted punter (Pat Costello), an ex-quarterback (Kolby Gray) and a walk-on (Todd Gilchrist), among others. Hafley said he told them at the beginning of spring that expectations wouldn't be lessened despite their inexperience.

"This is going to make us a better team, because it's going to create depth," Hafley said. "You've got to look at the positive side."

Since we're going in reverse alphabetical order for this spring superlatives series, Rutgers should be up now. But there has been a lot of Scarlet Knights' content on here of late, so I'm going to flip flop and have Pittsburgh go today. Let's look at where the Panthers are strongest and weakest among position groups heading into spring practices:

Strongest position: Defensive end

Key returnees: Greg Romeus (eight sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss) and Jabaal Sheard (five sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss).

Key departures: None.

The skinny: Pitt has several strong groups, not least of which is running back with the return of Big East offensive player of the year Dion Lewis, plus Ray Graham and Henry Hynoski. But I'll give the slight nod to defensive end, where Big East co-defensive player of the year Romeus is back for his senior year, along with classmate and fellow standout Sheard. They give Pitt the best pair of ends in the league, and they're backed up by promising youngsters Shayne Hale and Brandon Lindsey.

Weakest position: Cornerback

Key returnees: Ricky Gary (16 tackles, one interception), Antwuan Reed (13 tackles, one interception)

Key departures: Aaron Berry, Jovani Chappell.

The skinny: Both starting corners from a year ago have moved on, and it wasn't exactly a position of great strength beforehand. Gary and Reed have playing experience, with Gary starting the final five games of '08 and once last season. But Pitt is counting on junior college transfer and midyear enrollee Saheed Imoru to claim one of the starting spots. If Imoru lives up to his billing, this could turn out just fine. If not, the Panthers may have to scramble to find answers in their pass defense.

It was just a couple of years ago when people wondered if Dave Wannstedt was the right guy to lead Pittsburgh back to prominence. You don't hear that much anymore now that Wannstedt guided Pitt to 19 wins in the past two years, including the school's first 10-win season in more than a quarter century in 2009. Wannstedt and his staff have turned recruiting into a well-oiled machine and could be favored to win the Big East in 2010.

That doesn't mean the team doesn't have question marks going into spring. I addressed some of these with Wannstedt late last week. Here is the first part of my conversation with the sixth-year coach. Check back Tuesday for Part II.

Before we get to looking ahead, let's look back for a second. What are your reflections on the 2009 season, when you won 10 games and came up just short of a Big East title?

Dave Wannstedt: We were [11] points away from being unbeaten and four points and 30 seconds or whatever it was away from being undefeated in the Big East. I think that our guys had a little bit of a meltdown at NC State, but for the rest of the season, our players and coaches did a great job of maintaining their focus and being ready to play each week. Even the two conference games we lost, West Virginia down there and obviously Cincinnati, we were in position to win both games.

Obviously, we've taken our expectations from a talk standpoint to another level. Our players now expect to win and expect to compete for the Big East championship. Three years ago, maybe four years ago as a head coach, you're standing up there trying to convince them of that. Now I don't think anybody needs to be convinced. They understand and they want it. We obviously accomplished a few things last year that we haven't done in a while, but we still have a long way to go and a lot of things to accomplish.

How big of a boost was it when Greg Romeus decided to come back for his senior year?

DW: Greg's a great player, and he and I had a lot of discussions. We did our homework, no different than we did with LeSean McCoy and Darrelle Revis. We went through the NFL evaluation process. I probably called 10 NFL head coaches and general managers and friends of mine around the league. And I think, after getting all the evaluations in and talking with Greg and his parents, he really believes -- and I agree -- that he can better his position. That he's going to have a great senior year, he's going to graduate, receive more recognition on a national level, and I think it's going to help his draft status a year from now.

Let's talk about the quarterback situation, which is always a big deal. Where does that stand going into the spring?

DW: We're better off than we've been in the past for a couple reasons. From a depth standpoint, we have Pat Bostick coming back, and I think the redshirt year has done wonders for him knowledge-wise, from a physical and mental standpoint. And the interesting thing with Tino Sunseri is, if you go back to last spring we opened up the competition between Billy Stull, Pat Bostick and Tino. So all three quarterbacks got equal reps throughout the spring. Then we got to training camp and made the decision to redshirt Pat. And Tino was alternating between first group/second group all through camp with Billy.

So, really we came out of camp where Billy was a little bit ahead of him, but Tino had gotten so much work with the first group on offense, as I look back on it, it was one of the better things we did to help his development. So he's ready to play now. He's a redshirt sophomore. He understands the offense and we've got a good feel for his abilities and what he can do. So we'll see what he can do. It's going to be a competition.

Then we have two really good freshmen coming in, and obviously you're not counting on them. But we like Anthony Gonzalez from Liberty (Penn.) and Mark Myers from (Cleveland) St. Ignatius. Here's kind of an interesting tidbit: They were both picked to play in the Big 33 game; one will be playing for Ohio and one for Pennsylvania. So at some point in the game, both quarterbacks in the Big 33 game could both be going to Pitt. That's probably never happened before.

Will you keep Gonzalez at quarterback? He's a versatile all-around athlete.

DW: We'll see. That's the plan right now and we'll just have to see how it unfolds.

So going into spring, is Sunseri No. 1 on the depth chart, or is it officially even between him and Bostick?

DW: We have a walk-on kid, Andrew Janocko, who's been here three years. All three of them will get work. We'll split the work early with Tino and Bostick, but I think they'll both have to go and show what they can do, and we'll give them each a chance to go out and prove themselves.

Do you anticipate the competition going into fall camp like last year?

DW: I don't think so. I think it will be cleared up pretty good this spring. But you never know. I'm anticipating that it will.

You don't have a ton of question marks heading into 2010, but one of them appears to be cornerback. How is that position shaping up?

DW: We signed a kid out of junior college named Saheed Imoru. He was a qualifier out of high school from Houston and he had an appointment to the Air Force Academy, but he wanted to get an opportunity to play Division I football at a little bit higher level. So he went to junior college and he's been here now since January. I watched him play -- his team went to the national championship game -- and I think this kid has a chance to really be a good player.

We have Ricky Gary coming back from last year. Antwuan Reed is a junior who played as a freshman a little bit and is from the same high school as LaRod Stephens-Howling. He's got a lot of ability. Then we moved Aundre Wright from receiver to corner. Jarred Holley was recruited here to play corner, and we moved him to safety when Andrew Taglianetti got hurt. He ended up being really good at safety. We'll keep him at safety to start off, but we could move him to corner if we had to.

Will Taglianetti be ready for spring?

DW: He'll be back for spring, but he'll be limited. We've got Taglianetti, a redshirt freshman named Jason Hendricks from New Jersey who we really like. Kolby Gray has moved from quarterback to safety. Then we've got Dom DeCicco back, too.

Spring football in the Big East kicks off March 16. Here's a breakdown of three issues facing each program heading into the spring:

CINCINNATI
Spring practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 24
What to watch:

• Building depth: New coach Butch Jones said this is the biggest key for the spring. The Bearcats have a lot of top-flight players with starting experience back, like Zach Collaros, Armon Binns, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer. But there's a lot of youth and inexperience in potential backup roles, especially at positions like offensive line, linebacker and receiver. All slates are clean with the new coaching staff, and the spring will be a time when new names can emerge in key roles.

• Defensive line retooling: Jones will switch back to the 4-3 after a year in the 3-4 scheme. Both starting defensive ends from last year are gone, but the smallish line was overpowered at times near the end of the season anyway. Derek Wolfe should be a fixture inside, Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and John Hughes step into more prominent roles. Jones will have to decide whether to make Walter Stewart a defensive end or keep him at outside linebacker. The Bearcats could use a little more strength and bulk up front against the bigger Big East offensive lines.

• Vidal's arrival: USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is eligible after sitting out last year. He reputedly dominated practices last season, and now he'll get to go full time with the first string. A lot of people will be watching closely to see how he and Collaros connect during the spring. A big year by Hazelton will lessen the loss of star wideout Mardy Gilyard and could keep Cincinnati as the Big East's best offense.

CONNECTICUT
Spring practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 17
What to watch:

• Secondary matters: UConn returns a truckload of starters and looks rock solid in most areas. But the defensive backfield will be an area of emphasis starting in the spring. Gone are stalwarts Robert McClain and Robert Vaughn from a secondary that got picked apart much of the season by opposing passing games. Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson showed progress by the end of their redshirt freshmen seasons and should be the starting corners. The Huskies need someone to replace Vaughn at safety and overall better performance from the unit.

• Frazer vs. Endres: Zach Frazer and Cody Endres have been splitting starts since the second half of the 2008 season at quarterback. Endres took over early last year and played well until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Frazer picked things up late after a slow start. The competition should be back on this spring, with Frazer probably holding the edge given his late-season improvement.

• Catch as catch can: Receiver was a major question for UConn going into last spring, when walk-on senior Marcus Easley surprised everybody with his giant leap forward. He became the go-to guy in 2009, but now he's gone, along with starter Brad Kanuch. So the Huskies are basically back in the same position as this time a year ago, needing to find some reliable pass catchers. Kashif Moore may be the next to break out after some good, late-year performances. And perhaps former highly-touted recruit Dwayne Difton will emerge. UConn hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again like it did with Easley.

LOUISVILLE
Spring practice starts: March 24
Spring game: April 16
What to watch:

• Switching to Strong: The Cardinals will have their first practices under new coach Charlie Strong, who promises to bring a much different style than former coach Steve Kragthorpe. Strong is known as being an intense guy on the field, and as a former top-flight defensive coordinator, he will likely be particularly demanding of players on that side of the ball. There will be new terminology to learn, new assistants and new standards to which the Cardinals must adjust in a hurry.

• The quarterback shuffle: Louisville had three quarterbacks -- Adam Froman, Justin Burke and Will Stein -- start games last year. All three will be given the chance to win the job in the spring, and mid-year enrollee Luke Woodley might see some snaps as well. Don't be surprised if this competition goes into the fall and if other newcomers like Dominique Brown get a look. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford wants to run a Florida-style spread offense, which might favor the more mobile Froman if he chooses to go with a veteran under center.

• Line play: The trenches have not been a particularly strong suit for Louisville the past couple of seasons, one of the reasons why the program has fallen out of annual postseason play. The Cardinals have gotten very little pass rush from the defensive line and not enough of a consistent push from the offensive line. Strong asked the offensive linemen to rework their bodies to prepare for the spread, and he'll need replacements for two senior defensive tackles. Junior-college imports Randy Salmon and Tyler Harrell will have a chance to impress on the defensive line. If the holdovers don't step up, we could see more newcomers in key spots by the summer.

(Read full post)

Analyzing the 2010 Big East signing classes ...

Pittsburgh

View class here.

Signees: 24

Heavy on: Defensive backs (six)

Geographic trend: Pitt has, surprisingly, no players from Florida. But the Panthers landed four from Ohio after getting none from that state last year. And it opened up a route to powerhouse DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, with two prospects from there signing on.

Headliners: QB Anthony Gonzalez (four stars), DT Aaron Donald (four stars), DE T.J. Clemmings (three stars).

Sleeper: QB Mark Myers is only rated a two-star prospect by Scouts Inc. But he's tall (6-foot-4), played for a top program in Cleveland's St. Ignatius High School and is a pro-style passer who could fit Dave Wannstedt's system well.

Best potential for immediate impact: Cornerback Saheed Imoru is a junior college transfer who enrolled early and may earn an immediate starting job.

Needs met: Pitt had a pressing need at cornerback, and the numbers tell you that Wannstedt aggressively attacked it. The Panthers also had to restock the defensive line, and Clemmings and Donald should help in that regard.

Analysis: This is as strong a class as there is in the Big East, full of potential impact players who also fit into Wannstedt's style of play. The fact that Pitt was able to wrap up this class extremely early and hold off late challengers is even more impressive. Wannstedt is turning Pitt into a program that just keeps churning out talent.

What Wannstedt said: "I think it's our deepest class. ... The key for us is to make sure we continue to uncover the Dion Lewises, the Andrew Taglianettis, the Greg Romeuses and the Mike Shanahans. ... Nine of our players played on state championship teams last year ..."

Scouts Inc. grade: B-minus.