ESPN College Football

National signing day is Wednesday, and every fan base will be excited about the guys their schools bring in.

But how much do star rankings and hype really correlate to future success? One way to find out is by working backwards. Let's take a look at this year's official All-Big East team and see where each player was ranked as a recruit coming into his program.

All information is based on ESPN.com's recruiting rankings.

Offense

QB: Zach Collaros, Cincinnati: Unranked as a recruit.

RB: Jordan Todman, Connecticut: Two-star recruit, ranked No. 118 among running backs in the Class of 2008.

RB: Bilal Powell, Louisville: Unranked as a recruit.

WR: Armon Binns, Cincinnati: Unranked as a recruit.

WR: Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh: Four-star prospect, ESPNU150 performer, No. 8 among wide receivers in the Class of 2008.

OT: Mike Ryan, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh: Four-star prospect and No. 13 defensive tackle in the Class of '06.

OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

OG: Mark Wetterer, Louisville: Two-star prospect and No. 70 offensive tackle in Class of '07.

C: Sampson Genus, South Florida: Three-star prospect and No. 12 center in the Class of '07.

TE: Cameron Graham, Louisville: Junior college transfer.

Defense

DL: Kendall Reyes, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

DL: Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh: Two-star prospect and No. 83 defensive end in the Class of '07.

DL: Terrell McClain, South Florida: Three-star prospect and No. 29 defensive tackle in Class of '07.

DL: Chris Neild, West Virginia: Three-star prospect and No. 17 tight end in Class of '06.

LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

LB: Doug Hogue, Syracuse: Three-star prospect and No. 84 running back in Class of '07.

LB: J.T. Thomas, West Virginia: Unranked as a recruit.

CB: Johnny Patrick, Louisville: Unranked as a recruit.

CB: Keith Tandy, West Virginia: One-star prospect and No. 207 quarterback in Class of '07.

S: Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh: Two-star prospect and No. 126 wide receiver in Class of '07.

S: Robert Sands, West Virginia: Unranked as a recruit.

As you can see, it was almost as likely that a player without any stars attached to his name would develop into an All-Big East performer as those more highly regarded. There were some on-the-mark evaluations, such as Baldwin and McClain, Pinkston and Genus. And there were guys who flew way under the radar, like Binns and Powell, Ryan and Wilson.

It still, like always, comes down to proper evaluation by a staff, then to player development and an individual's own desire to be great. Something to keep in mind on signing day.

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.

Let's put a final bow on bowl season with the Big East's All-Bowl team:

Offense

Quarterback: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

Nassib, who struggled down the stretch of the regular season, took advantage of Kansas State's shaky defense to complete 13-of-21 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

Running backs: Delone Carter, Syracuse, and Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh

Carter ran 27 times for 198 yards and two scores in the Pinstripe Bowl. Lewis rumbled for 105 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in the BBVA Compass Bowl before declaring for the NFL Draft.

Wide receiver: Marcus Sales, Syracuse

Sales came almost out of nowhere to record five catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas State. No other Big East receiver had even a fraction of his stats in the postseason.

Tight end: Cameron Graham, Louisville

The league's best tight in the regular season kept it up in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, catching three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive line: Jacob Sims and Sampson Genus, South Florida; Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh; Mark Wetterer, Louisville; Justin Pugh, Syracuse.


Sims and Genus were part of a USF line that pushed back Clemson's talented defensive front in the Meineke Car Care Bowl; Sims in particular helped keep Da'Quan Bowers quiet, which is not an easy thing to do. Pinkston showed some fire in protecting his quarterback after Tino Sunseri was hit late, and the Panthers ran for 261 yards while surrendering zero sacks against Kentucky. Wetterer and Pugh helped open holes for their high-scoring postseason offenses.

Defense

Defensive line: Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh; Terrell McClain, South Florida; Bruce Irvin, West Virginia.


Lindsey stepped up his game in the regular season when Greg Romeus was hurt and did so again in the bowl with Jabaal Sheard out. McClain didn't record many stats but was his usual dominant self in the middle against Clemson. Irvin had two sacks and a forced fumble against NC State in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Linebackers: Derrell Smith, Syracuse; J.T. Thomas, West Virginia; Brandon Heath, Louisville; DeDe Lattimore, South Florida.


I went with a 3-4 look on defense to recognize the many strong performances by linebackers during bowl. Just about all of these guys had double-digit tackles and/or a couple TFLs.

Cornerbacks: Johnny Patrick, Louisville; Quenton Washington, South Florida

After getting burned on a play early, Patrick was all over the field. He forced a fumble and blocked a punt. Washington also blocked a punt and had a 45-yard interception return.

Safeties: Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh, and Robert Sands, West Virginia

DeCicco had nine tackles and a forced fumble, while Sands had eight tackles and a sack.

Specialists

Punter: Cole Wagner, Connecticut

Wagner punted seven times for an average of 46.9 yards -- with a long of 52 yards -- against Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Placekicker: Chris Philpott, Louisville

Philpott only got the call once, but he made the game-winning 36-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Kick returners: Jeremy Wright, Louisville, and Robbie Frey, Connecticut

Both Wright and Frey returned kickoffs for touchdowns in their bowl games. Wright's was especially crucial, as it tied the score in the fourth quarter.

Punt returner: Terrence Mitchell, South Florida

Mitchell had a 34-yard punt return against Clemson.

Earlier today, I presented you with my picks for the All-Big East team, which you can find here. Not long after, the official league awards and first and second teams came out, which you can find here.

The Big East official teams are voted on by the league's eight head coaches, who know a heck of a lot more about football than me. But that doesn't mean they always make the right choices. Let's take a look at each position and go over some of the reasoning behind the picks, starting with what seems to me like the most egregious error.

Quarterback

The league coaches chose Cincinnati's Zach Collaros as the unanimous pick, which is just shocking to me. Don't get me wrong, Collaros is a fantastic player who can put up crazy numbers. But I don't see how Collaros was chosen over West Virginia's Geno Smith. Smith led the Big East in passing efficiency and had a 23-6 touchdown to interception ratio. He had one bad game against Syracuse and was terrific just about every other game. Collaros threw 26 touchdowns but with a whopping 14 interceptions. His completion percentage was 58.7 compared to Smith's to 65.8.

In conference play, Collaros had 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Smith had 11 touchdowns and four interceptions in league play, not to mention that the Mountaineers were co-champions while Cincinnati finished 4-8.

The coaches, frankly, blew this one.

Running back

Jordan Todman and Bilal Powell were the easy calls here. What's amazing is that neither Noel Devine nor Dion Lewis made the first or second team. No one saw that coming before the year.

Wide receiver and tight end

Armon Binns and Jon Baldwin were the obvious calls at receiver. Louisville's Cameron Graham was the most productive tight end in the league.

Offensive line

Here's where the coaches' expertise should come into play. It's really hard just watching from TV or even from a press box to tell who's playing well on the interior of an offensive line, especially if you don't know what the blocking assignments are supposed to be. I made sure to get some input from coaches on this one and was pleased to see my choices of Sampson Genus at center and Zach Hurd and Mark Wetterer at guard were echoed by the coaches. We also agreed on Jason Pinkston at tackle, though the coaches had UConn's Mike Ryan at the other tackle, while I had Louisville's Byron Stingily. Both are fine choices, since Louisville and UConn had the best offensive lines in the league.

Defensive line

Very little question here with Jabaal Sheard, Terrell McClain and Chris Neild up front. The second defensive end spot was a tricky one for me. The coaches chose Kendall Reyes, who had an excellent year. I picked West Virginia's Julian Miller, who was a beast in conference play and part of the Mountaineers' unbelievable defense. When in doubt at one of these defensive positions, I went with a West Virgina player. I also strongly considered Chandler Jones, Brandon Lindsey and Jesse Joseph for that spot.

Linebacker

Linebacker is one of the deepest positions in the Big East this year. Lawrence Wilson was a definite, and the coaches and I agreed on J.T. Thomas. They chose Doug Hogue while I went with his Syracuse teammate, Derrell Smith. Can't argue too much either way and I would have put all four of them on there if there were enough spots.

Defensive back

Here's another place where I sharply disagree with the coaches' pick. They had West Virginia's Keith Tandy and not Brandon Hogan. I'm not sure even Tandy would agree with that. Tandy had the better interception and tackle numbers, but as he told me in a late-season interview, most of that was because teams wouldn't throw Hogan's way. The coaches I talked to all said Hogan was easily the best cornerback in the Big East. I had him and Johnny Patrick, who was also an official pick, though I heard some support for and strongly considered South Florida's Mistral Raymond.

At safety, Robert Sands was a no-brainer. The other safety spot was my most difficult choice on the entire list. Safety was not a strong position for the Big East this year. The coaches picked Dom DeCicco, who had a solid year. But I felt like he played some his best while working at linebacker for Pitt this year. I went instead with West Virginia's Sidney Glover, a rock-solid senior who fit my "when in doubt pick a Mountaineer" strategy. I liked Rutgers' Joe Lefeged earlier in the year but thought he faded along with his whole team. One coach who played Rutgers late in the season said they picked on Lefeged in the passing game.

So there you have it. How do you feel about the all-conference picks? Do you think, like I do, that Smith and Hogan were the biggest snubs?

Welcome to the ESPN.com 2010 All-Big East team. Unlike the official league team, we don't do ties here. One man, one spot.

I compiled the following list after watching each team the entire season and through consultation this week with some coaches throughout the league. Later on today, I'll offer up some thoughts on the selections, explaining my picks and the toughest omissions.

Here is the team:

Offense

QB: Geno Smith, West Virginia
RB: Jordan Todman, Connecticut
RB: Bilal Powell, Louisville
WR: Armon Binns, Cincinnati
WR: Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh
TE: Cameron Graham, Louisville
OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut
C: Sampson Genus, South Florida
OG: Mark Wetterer, Louisville
OT: Byron Stingily, Louisville

Defense

DE: Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh
DT: Chris Neild, West Virginia
DT: Terrell McClain, South Florida
DE: Julian Miller, West Virginia
LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut
LB: Derrell Smith, Syracuse
LB: J.T. Thomas, West Virginia
CB: Brandon Hogan, West Virginia
CB: Johnny Patrick, Louisville
S: Robert Sands, West Virginia
S: Sidney Glover, West Virginia

Specialists

K: Dave Teggart, Connecticut
P: Dan Hutchins, Pittsburgh
KR: Lindsey Lamar, South Florida
PR: Doug Beaumont, Louisville

South Florida has won three straight Big East games and just needs to capture its last two home games to earn at least a share of the conference title. The question is, how are the Bulls doing it?

Statistics don't offer much of a clue. South Florida doesn't have a player among the top seven Big East rushers, quarterback B.J. Daniels isn't among the top five passers, and leading receiver Dontavia Bogan is averaging just four catches per game. The Bulls as a team are no better than middle of the pack in the conference in scoring (fourth), scoring defense (fifth), rushing (fifth) or rushing defense (fourth). If I'm making out an All-Big East team today, I'm not sure I include any USF players except defensive tackle Terrell McClain on the first team.

No, the Bulls' best attribute appears to be a more intangible quality.

"Right now, we're a much better team than we are talented, if that makes sense," head coach Skip Holtz said. "I don't think you turn and look and go, 'Oh, look at him,' and 'They've got him.' I think right now the biggest strength we have is that we're all on the same page."

There are other factors at work here. Daniels has cut way down on the costly interceptions he was giving away earlier in the season. The defense is solid in all areas. Special teams, especially kick and punt returns, have been huge during the winning streak.

But mostly, the Bulls say the reason they're in the Big East race this late in season for the first time ever is because of their closeness and chemistry. That's why they've been able to win three straight close games, including a one-pointer over Rutgers and last week's overtime nail-biter at Louisville.

"We had some three and outs during the [Louisville] game, and the defensive guys were coming up to us and saying, 'OK, let's put some points on the board,'" center Sampson Genus said. "They're in our huddle and we're in their huddle supporting one another. It used to be there was an offensive mentality and a defensive mentality, like we're going to kick your butt and they're going to kick our butt. It's not like that anymore. We're very close, and it all goes back to Vero Beach."

Holtz's most remarkable accomplishment has been to bring a divided program together like never before. He acknowledges that there were many rifts on the team when he took over in January following Jim Leavitt's controversial firing. Some players were still loyal to Leavitt, while others supported his ouster. Holtz took the team to the old Dodgertown spring training site in Vero Beach, Fla., for training camp and forced everyone to get to know each other.

"When you're rooming with a defensive guy for two weeks, you have no choice but to get along with him," Genus said.

The Bulls could have succumbed to a been-there, done-that melancholy once they lost their first two conference games to Syracuse and West Virginia. But this team has finally broken the mold of previous USF squads that started fast and folded in conference play. They beat Rutgers for the first time in five years and won in Cincinnati and in Louisville for the first time.

"It would have been really easy to cash it in when things weren't going well," Holtz said. "But this team has togetherness and a fight. They care about each other, and there's an excitement and energy around them. In a lot of ways, it's been a season of firsts."

Speaking of firsts, the Bulls can move into a first-place tie in the Big East this weekend if they beat Pittsburgh. Then all they'd have to do is beat Connecticut in the home finale to earn a share of their first-ever league title.

"It's a rumor in the locker room," Genus said, chuckling. "You know, we want to stay focused and one game at a time and all that. But we want it. And the best way to get it is to go out there and take it."

If they do, it won't be because they dominated the stats or had the most talent. It will be because they were the best team.

• Doug Marrone is convinced that Syracuse is moving forward.
• Big East officials remain upbeat about the league's future.
• But sharks are still circling the waters.
• South Florida's Sampson Genus sets himself apart with his work ethic.
• Rutgers picked up a New Jersey running back.

Next Tuesday is Big East media day in Newport, R.I. Each team will bring its head coach and selected players; all the coaches meet with the media in the same room for an hour, followed by an hour with all the players.

Here's the list of players who are coming to Rhode Island for their close-ups (and lobster bibs):

Cincinnati
QB Zach Collaros, WR Armon Binns, LB JK Schaffer

Connecticut
LB Scott Lutrus, OG Zach Hurd, DT Kendall Reyes, FB Anthony Sherman

Louisville
OL Mark Wetterer, LB Brandon Heath

Pittsburgh
RB Dion Lewis, WR Jonathan Baldwin, OT Jason Pinkston, DE Greg Romeus, S Dom DeCicco

Rutgers
RB Joe Martinek, S Joe Lefeged

South Florida
QB B.J. Daniels, C Sampson Genus

Syracuse
LB Derrell Smith, LB Doug Hogue, S Mike Holmes, OL Ryan Bartholomew, P Rob Long

West Virginia
RB Noel Devine, WR Jock Sanders, LB J.T. Thomas

A couple of thoughts:

Obviously, the star power here is from Lewis, Baldwin, Romeus, Devine, Collaros and Daniels. I expect big crowds in front of each of those players.

It would have been nice to have either Tom Savage or Mohamed Sanu from Rutgers, but Greg Schiano has always brought his upperclassmen to these events. Those guys will get their chance.

A tip of the cap to Syracuse for bringing punter Rob Long. Nice to see special-teamers get some recognition, and Long should be up for some awards this year.

Who will eat the most lobsters at the clam bake? My early money is on Hurd, Bartholomew and Genus. When in doubt, go with the offensive linemen.

Anyone else missing from this list you would have liked to see on it? And what questions would you have for some of these guys?

The mailbag is a little light with new and interesting questions this week. So if you want a query answered in Friday's bag, now would be an opportune time to send one in, using the link underneath my ugly mug to the right.

On to this week's questions:

Eric from Tampa writes: Brian, has one loss ever hurt a program as much as the Sugar Bowl has hurt Cincinnati? Sure, we got it handed to us by Florida, and I don't want to get into the reasons/excuses for why we lost, which are numerous. But the blatant disrespect for Cincinnati this year is staggering.

Brian Bennett: That's a good question, Eric, and it reflects a discussion I was having with someone just the other day. I've seen Cincinnati picked anywhere from first to fifth in the Big East, and from inside the top 20 to outside the top 40. The range of opinion on the Bearcats is amazing, and hardly anyone is giving much respect to a team that had a 12-0 regular season and returns some serious offensive firepower.

The reason, of course, is not just the Sugar Bowl trampling, but also the loss of Brian Kelly. Some people no doubt wonder whether he was the magician at the controls and whether this program will fall back down without him. Certainly the performance against Florida didn't help dissuade that opinion. I have an extremely hard time believing that the Bearcats won't be a major factor this year, however, and I can't go along with those who see them as a mediocre club.

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Terry M. from Cincinnati writes: I encourage the media to completely ignore the Bearcats in their pre-season predictions. I'd much rather the Bearcats be the fly-in-the-ointment starting sometime during the day on September 25th. It's much better to listen to the media beat up on the Bearcats because they are winning after the season starts.

Brian Bennett: As much success as this program has had the past couple of years, it seems to me that Cincinnati does embrace the underdog role. That fits its personality and stadium. So roll with it.

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Nic from Lutz, Fla., writes: I've noticed in your blog that it seems like USF has a rather large number of transfers this offseason from other BCS programs (ASU,ECU,Notre Dame, Auburn,Colorado). Other than the fine academics, beaches, and weather, what do you think could be driving this migration? To me, it seems like a storm is brewing, better players, new coach, bigger games ...

Brian Bennett: Well, I think it's two things. One, there are just a whole lot of players from Florida, and when they decide to transfer from their current schools for whatever reason, coming back home usually looks appealing. Also, there's opportunity at South Florida. It's a little easier to crack the depth chart there right now than it is at Florida, Florida State or Miami, and the Bulls have all the trappings of a major BCS program to boot. It doesn't hurt that Skip Holtz seems like the type of coach players want to follow.

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Evan from Syracuse writes: Hey, Brian, what do you think of having a trophy for the three tri-state teams (Syracuse, Rutgers, and UConn)? They could creatively call it the "Tri-State Trophy" and the winner would get first dibs on the Pinstripe Bowl slot for the Big East. The tiebreaker could be point differential or best record. All three schools already dislike each other, why not add bragging rights in form of hardware?

Brian Bennett: I prefer having trophies for individual rivalries, like the Keg O'Nails in the Louisville-Cincinnati game. I'd like to see the games between those three schools you mention all become trophy games. There's already the Lambert Trophy for best East Coast team (though that now includes Big East teams that stretch the definition of "East Coast"). And the Pinstripe Bowl slot is going to be decided based on the best matchups and who can sell the most tickets in a given year, not strictly on-field results.

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Brian from Tampa writes: Sampson Genus AKA The GENIUS has received no coverage this offseason on these blogs. He is USF's anchor and best offensive lineman in the Big East. I don't understand how the preseason All-Big East center is not in your top 25 (even top 30 if you include the five who barely missed the cut). Do the right thing and post this in your mailbag with a few good words about the best center in college football!

Brian Bennett: You officially qualify as the biggest Sampson Genus fan I've ever heard from. What Genus did last year, especially after moving over from the defensive line, was very impressive, and I look forward to seeing what Genus can do as a follow-up. But best offensive lineman in the Big East? I wouldn't go that far, not with guys like Jason Pinkston and Zach Hurd around, to name just a couple. I also like Moe Petrus of Connecticut a little better at the center spot, though admittedly it's difficult for a layman like me to properly evaluate all that goes on in that position.

Still, I'm glad you mentioned Genus, because those guys in the trenches don't get nearly enough credit.

The post-spring Big East position rankings continue now with a look at the league's offensive lines. Remember, we're looking for both star power and depth.

1. Connecticut: Randy Edsall and offensive line coach Mike Foley somehow keep unearthing gems and developing outstanding linemen. Guard Zach Hurd was a first-team All-Big East performer a year ago, while center Moe Petrus should be among the best at his position this season. Adam Masters and Kevin Friend were pleasant surprises this spring. The Huskies are big, deep and talented up front.

2. Cincinnati: The Bearcats have to replace all-league left tackle Jeff Linkenbach, but they return all-conference performers Alex Hoffman and Jason Kelce on the interior. Tackle C.J. Cobb needs to overcome spring knee surgery, but this unit should be strong enough to keep Cincinnati one of the nation's top-scoring offenses.

3. West Virginia: The Mountaineers' offensive line was spotty last year, but there's reason to hope for improvement. Four starters are back, and the unit played better toward the end of the season. Don Barclay is becoming a leader at left tackle, while Josh Jenkins has the talent to be an all-conference performer. Depth should be much better than it was a year ago, when the starters played virtually every snap.

4. Pittsburgh: There are serious questions at center and right guard, and depth is a major issue. Yet Jason Pinkston is arguable the top left tackle in the league, and Chris Jacobson and Lucas Nix look ready to break out this year. Line coach Tony Wise usually finds a way to get it done.

5. South Florida: The Bulls may lack a lot of household names, but they have as much experience up front as any Big East team. Even with the loss of Zach Hermann to a career-ending neck injury, they still have plenty of veterans like Jake Sims, Mark Popek, Chaz Hine and Sampson Genus, who was a second-team All-Big East center a year ago.

6. Louisville: The Cardinals aren't going to wow you with talent on the offensive line, but four starters are back on a unit that held its own last year. Center Mario Benavides has proved to be a worthy heir to Eric Wood and could push for postseason honors. Greg Tomczyk and Mark Wetterer have played a lot of football in their careers.

7. Syracuse: Ryan Bartholomew, a second-team All-Big East guard last year, has moved to center. Depth is better than a year ago, and former offensive lineman Doug Marrone will whip this group into shape. A lot will depend on how tackles Justin Pugh and Michael Hay develop.

8. Rutgers: Greg Schiano says he's confident this year's O-line will outperform last year's unit for the Scarlet Knights. When center Howard Barbieri and tackle Desmond Wynn return from injuries this summer, the line should look a lot better. But exiting the spring, no team has more question marks and concerns on the offensive front than Rutgers.

Want to know a position of sneaky strength for the Big East this season? Try center.

Three of the league's snappers made the 37-player preseason watch list for the Rimington Award, which is given to the nation's top center. The nominees are (drumroll, please):

• Ryan Bartholomew, Syracuse
• Mario Benavides, Louisville
• Moe Petrus, Connecticut

Consider that South Florida's Sampson Genus was a second-team All-Big East performer last year, that Kevin Haslam should be solid for Rutgers and that Evan Davis played well for Cincinnati this spring while replacing Chris Jurek. Center should be a position of strength in the Big East in 2010.

Skip Holtz didn't want to form a depth chart before the first scrimmage at South Florida. Now that the Bulls have been through a scrimmage, Holtz released his first depth chart Monday. You can find it here. Of note:

• Lindsey Lamar has been moved from running back to receiver. He may be the fastest player on the team, and offensive coordinator Todd Fitch has said he wants to use Lamar in lots of different ways.

• Isaac Virgin has moved from tight end to fullback

• Jeremiah Warren has moved from tackle to guard, while Jamar Bass is now No. 1 at left tackle. The other offensive line spots are Sampson Genus at center, Chaz Hine at guard and Jake Sims at tackle.

• Eric Schwartz is ahead of Maikon Bonani at kicker.

• David Bedford and Craig Marshall top the depth chart at defensive end. Former top recruit Ryne Giddins and junior college hotshot Claude Davis are listed behind Bedford at one of the end spots.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Skip Holtz insists he doesn't know exactly what the South Florida offense will look like in 2010 because he doesn't know all the strengths and weaknesses of his players yet. But bet on one thing: the Bulls will look different in their offensive attack.

Think fewer quarterback runs, more two-back sets and even some Wildcat packages. Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch describes the system as having "a strong spread to it, but with more multiple sets and personnel groupings than they had here in the past."

The biggest difference may be the running philosophy. In each of the last four years, the quarterback has led the Bulls in rushing. Fitch doesn't want that to be the case this year, especially with the lack of depth behind B.J. Daniels.

"It will be more of a vertical, downhill running attack," he said. "I think you need it to complement the passing game, and you need it for the defense. We're going to see some physical running teams in this conference, and it's critical that our defense see that in the spring and summer."

South Florida has a multitude of potential running backs, but Fitch says Mo Plancher is farther advanced now than others. Plancher recently was awarded a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. He emerged from the pack as the starter a year ago as well.

"Every year seems like we have about 10 guys competing for one spot," Plancher said. "That just makes you better. I'm just trying to do everything I can to earn my scholarship."

Fitch also mentioned Bradley Battles and Demetris Murray as potential contributors at running back.

"They have some physical running styles," he said. "I don't think we have a gamebreaker among those three. But I think we have move-the-chain guys who should be able to create yardage on their own. And they all should be good in pass protection."

The one potential gamebreaker back in the group is Lindsey Lamar, whom Fitch calls "the wild card." Lamar is one of the top sprinters in the Big East, and one of Fitch's goals is to find ways to get him out in space so he can use his speed. That could mean in the backfield, in the slot at receiver or even in Wildcat packages. Fitch and Holtz used the Wildcat a lot at East Carolina.

"We won't mess with it much this spring because that's a whole new language," Fitch said. "But in fall camp, if we have a player we feel matches the talent level for that position, we'll work it in."

South Florida mostly ran four-wide and five-wide receiver sets with Daniels in the shotgun last year. Fitch said the team's base would be the 11 personnel, or having a tight end and running back on the field with three wide receivers. And Daniels could be under center a lot more to help the running and play-action games.

Fitch is concerned about the depth on the offense everywhere except the offensive line, where the Bulls return all of their top contributors from a year ago. Another bonus is that many of those players can play multiple positions, and the coaching staff is using the spring to mix and match and see who fits best where.

"Sampson Genus is not 100 percent, but when he's going he can control the middle," Fitch said. "I think he's a guy you build around. Jacob Sims has played them all -- center, guard and tackle -- and he'll be invaluable. And those guys as seniors can be your leaders. We probably know who the first eight or nine are there, and were trying to find the best five."

This is the third straight season that the Bulls have had a new offensive coordinator, though last year Mike Canales was promoted from within and kept much of the terminology the same. This year is a bigger adjustment.

"It's a big learning curve," receiver A.J. Love said. "We're drinking through a fire hose right now."

When the finished product is unveiled, South Florida's offense should look a lot different.

The South Florida Bulls will step onto the practice field in about two hours, and they'll do so without a depth chart. Well, at least not one that's public knowledge.

New coach Skip Holtz says he won't release a two-deep until after its first scrimmage on March 27.

"Everyone starts from scratch,” Holtz said. “I haven’t seen one of these players in a pads and a helmet, so it would be unfair to draft a depth chart without seeing them fly around the practice field. They all have a clean slate and everyone will be competing for a starting spot.”

There's healthy competition at running back, receiver, all over the defense and even on the offensive line, where seven players who saw significant time are back.

Holtz also announced that center Sampson Genus and running back Aston Samuels would be limited this spring because of injuries, joining quarterback B.J. Daniels. Those who will be held out of all drills include cornerbacks Tyson Butler and Ricardo Dixon and receiver Jason Sherman.

Let's continue our look at which position groups are the strongest and which are the weakest for each Big East team this spring. Today: South Florida.

Strongest position: Offensive line

Key returnees: LT Jamar Bass (six starts); C Sampson Genus (12 starts); OG Zach Hermann (eight starts); RG Chaz Hine (12 starts); C Kevin McCaskill (one start); RT Mark Popek (five starts); RT Jake Sims (nine starts); LG Jeremiah Warren (13 starts).

Key departures: None

The skinny: As you can see, the Bulls bring back every player who started a game on the offensive line last year, along with every major key backup. While South Florida didn't have a dominating O-line last season, it now has guys with tons of experience and plenty of talent for new coach Skip Holtz to work with as he installs his new offensive schemes. There should be great competition for playing time there this spring.

Weakest position: Quarterback

Key returnees: B.J. Daniels (53.7 percent passing, 1,983 yards, 14 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions; 772 yards rushing and nine rushing scores); Evan Landi (five passing attempts, one touchdowns).

Key departures: None

The skinny: Daniels is one of the most promising and talented player in the Big East. The problem is, he'll be limited this spring because of offseason shoulder surgery. That means Landi, who was supposed to be moved to wide receiver, may have to spend some time at quarterback, because the Bulls don't have any other scholarship signalcallers. Depth is a major issue both this spring and going forward.