ESPN College Football

Sports fans cannot get enough of their teams -- particularly behind-the-scenes looks at their teams. That is one reason why "Hard Knocks" is so popular.

Rutgers has decided to delve into behind-the-scenes territory with a 90-minute documentary airing Saturday called “RFootball: 15 Days of Spring.” New coach Kyle Flood gave Mind Over Media total access to the program as it focused on telling the story of his first spring as head coach.

The documentary starts with the first day of spring practice, as Flood prepares to leave his home at 5 a.m. He gives his son a hug and is off to the athletic facility in the dark. When he arrives, he stops at the entrance, snaps a quick photo and then begins his day. Next up is linebacker Steve Beauharnais, one of several players miked for the documentary.

"This is the time to come together and build chemistry," he says into the camera. "This is a great time to get on the field, do what we love and build more chemistry."

Specifically about Flood going into his first spring, Beauharnais says, "It doesn't seem like it's his first rodeo. I love the way he's handling things, the way he's handling the media. I think he's going to live up to the expectations, and so is this team."

There is plenty to be seen, from the equipment room -- stacked with boxes and jerseys and pants -- to the weight room, to the practice field. Scott Vallone details film he watches so you get a better idea of what players are actually studying when they say, "I have been getting in the film room more."

There is even a glimpse into the home life of Rutgers fullback Michael Burton, who arrives at his room to find his girlfriend had made him dinner. I can see why he is prepared for some good-natured ribbing.

The documentary also features draft day with Mohamed Sanu and the final spring game, to wrap. It airs on SNY and Comcast Saturday. Check local listings for times.

2011 overall record: 9-4
2011 conference record: 4-3 (T-4)
Returning starters: Offense 6; Defense 8; Kicker/punter: 1.

Key returners

LB Khaseem Greene, NT Scott Vallone, CB Logan Ryan, S Duron Harmon, WR Mark Harrison, RB Jawan Jamison, OT Kaleb Johnson

Key losses

WR Mohamed Sanu, S David Rowe, K San San Te, LG Desmond Wynn, RG Art Forst, DT Justin Francis

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Jawan Jamison* (897 yards)
Passing: Chas Dodd* (139-of-245 for 1,574 yards, 10 TDs, 7 INTs)
Receiving: Sanu (1,206 yards)
Tackles: Khaseem Greene* (141)
Sacks: Justin Francis (6.5)
Interceptions: Duron Harmon* (five)

Spring answers

1. Flood in control. One of the biggest story lines in the Big East headed into the spring was how coach Kyle Flood would manage a team ready to compete for a Big East title. It appears he has everything under control. There is a more relaxed mood around the facility, Flood has proven to be more of a delegator, and he isn't screaming at players every two seconds. He seems to know how he wants to lead this team, and used the spring to get comfortable as the man in charge.

2. Waters emerges. The Rutgers defense returns nearly everybody, but among the biggest shoes to fill is at strong safety, with David Rowe departing. Lorenzo Waters went into the spring penciled in as the starter, and did nothing to change that view during practices. He could be a force this year.

3. New kicker. It appears freshman Kyle Federico has emerged as the leader at kicker, to replace San San Te. Federico enrolled early and took advantage of being in the spring game, performing consistently well. Now we'll see how he does when the pressure is on Saturdays in the fall.

Fall questions

1. Quarterback. Chas Dodd and Gary Nova battled for the starting quarterback job, and neither was consistent enough to win it after spring practice. So the two go into the offseason, continuing their competition. Dodd started eight games last season; Nova 5. Flood says he wants to make a decision at least a week before the season opener against Tulane.

2. Offensive line. Though Flood has a better idea about who can be his main contributors on the line, injuries really set back the group in terms of building chemistry. Tackle Kaleb Johnson was out; Betim Bujari missed time with an injured ankle but has moved from guard to center. In fact, four of the five starting linemen have been changed on the post-spring depth chart.

3. Running back. Jamison and Savon Huggins are sure to split the reps this year, as Flood has basically said he wants to use both as much as he can. But it remains to be seen who is tabbed as the starter, and how Rutgers is going to try and divide up the reps. Huggins came into Rutgers as the most highly touted prospect in school history. Now he gets another chance to live up to his advance billing.

Rutgers has released its post-spring depth chart, with a few changes of note. No, that does not mean a resolution to the quarterback derby. Chas Dodd and Gary Nova are still competing, as expected.

Here are some of the highlights on the new two-deep:

• There is more shuffling on the offensive line. Betim Bujari, who was listed as the starting left guard going into the spring, is now the starting center. The left guard job is open between Antwan Lowery and David Osei. Taj Alexander, listed at right tackle before the spring, is now the starting right guard. Maryland transfer R.J. Dill has moved into the starting right tackle spot. The only position that remains unchanged from the start of spring is Kaleb Johnson at left tackle.
• Competition also remains open at tight end, between D.C. Jefferson and Paul Carrezola. As expected, there is no starter at running back, either, with Jawan Jamison and Savon Huggins still competing for the job.
• Michael Larrow was listed as one starter at defensive end going into the spring, but he now has a battle on his hands with Marcus Thompson. That spot is up for grabs. There is also open competition at the other defensive end spot between Ka'Lial Glaud and Marvin Booker.
• Isaac Holmes is now listed as the starter at defensive tackle, next to Scott Vallone. Kenneth Kirksey had been listed as the starter going into practice, but he was injured most of the spring.
• Kevin Snyder is pushing Jamal Merrell for a starting linebacker spot.
• True freshman Kyle Federico has won the starting kicker job, as he appears at the top of the depth chart.

Coaches always like to attach a caveat and say these are all subject to change when fall practice begins. But for now, you have an idea of where some of the players stack up headed into the offseason.

Seventeen players on Big East teams during the 2011 season have been selected to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society, it was announced Wednesday.

To qualify, college football players from all divisions have to maintain at least a cumulative 3.2 grade-point average throughout their college career. A total of 721 players from 232 schools qualified this past season, making this the largest class since the program was created in 2007.

Cincinnati

• Alex Hoffman, OL
• JK Schaffer, LB

UConn

• Harris Agbor, S
• Corey Manning, TE
• Dave Teggart, K

Louisville

• Chris Philpott, K

Pitt

• Myles Caragein, DT

Rutgers

• Scott Vallone, NT

USF

• Chaz Hine, C
• Joel Miller, WR

Syracuse

• Torrey Ball, DT
• Kevyn Scott, CB

West Virginia

• Ricky Kovatch, RB
• Cody Nutter, LS
• Keith Tandy, CB
• Tyler Urban, TE
• Casey Vance, LB

Andrea Adelson talks with Rutgers defensive lineman Scott Vallone.

Rutgers is the final team to open spring practice. Here is a quick primer on what to expect.

Spring changes: What hasn't changed? Kyle Flood takes over as head coach, with only one other holdover from the previous staff -- Robb Smith takes over as defensive coordinator. There should be familiarity with the defense, as the scheme will stay the same. Dave Brock comes in as offensive coordinator, and also plans on sticking with the pro-style set the Scarlet Knights went back to last season. Several position changes also have been made. Most notably, Jeremy Deering has been moved from running back to wide receiver, and Kaleb Johnson is now at left tackle.

Position battles to watch

Quarterback. Chas Dodd and Gary Nova split starts last season, and both go into the spring battling for the starting job. "Do I expect there to be an outcome of that competition this spring?" Flood said last week. "I’m not putting a timetable on it. I’m not concerned about that. To me, if you want to put a long range timetable on it, you want to have your starter in place 10-14 days before you play your first game. So that would be the backend of the schedule. Whether or not that will happen this spring is really up to the players themselves to separate themselves from the other."

Running back. Jawan Jamison had a good season as a freshman last season, rushing for 897 yards and nine touchdowns. But Savon Huggins is healthy and ready for spring practice, and both are going to be competing for the starting job. Huggins missed the final four games of last season after coming in with an incredible amount of hype. Even in the games he did play, he seemed to be pressing. The key is for him to relax and let the big plays happen. In today's game, it is rare to go an entire season with one back. You need two ready to carry the load, and both have a shot to do so.

Defensive end: The one other position on the pre-spring depth chart that is up in the air is at end, where Ka'Lial Glaud and Marvin Booker are listed in the competition for the job to replace Manny Abreu. Jawaun Wynn, who moved to end at receiver, also will compete in the rotation, with the hopes that he can develop into a rush end.

Injury update: Out: NT Scott Vallone (shoulder); LB Khaseem Greene (ankle); OT Kaleb Johnson (shoulder); TE D.C. Jefferson (ankle); WR Tejay Johnson (hernia). Limited: DL Michael Larrow (ankle); CB Mason Robinson (knee); LB David Milewski (knee); OL Frank Quartucci (hip)

Today, we move on to the candidates for best defense in 2012.

Several of the best defenses in the league from a year ago return with their key players. A few others should make improvements. Who are my top four candidates headed into spring practice?

Cincinnati. The Bearcats have some definite question marks on defense headed into the season, with JK Schaffer, Derek Wolfe and John Hughes gone. But they also return some veteran players, particularly along the defensive line and in the secondary. Walter Stewart is poised for a breakout season at end. Drew Frey is coming off an All-Big East season at safety. If the front seven is able to match the production of a year ago, that will alleviate whatever concerns there might be in the middle of the defense, and at corner.

UConn. The Huskies had the best run defense a year ago, but the worst pass offense. I fully expect the back end to be much better, with Blidi Wreh-Wilson back and healthy, and several young players in Ty-Meer Brown and Byron Jones having gained experience a year ago. Kendall Reyes is gone inside, but this is a defense that returns a majority of its starters, along with solid linebacker Sio Moore.

Louisville. The Cardinals finished No. 2 last season in total defense, and return a great majority of their key contributors. The big hole is in the middle of the defense since Dexter Heyman is done. The secondary should be much improved now that young players have much more game experience. The Cardinals need more depth along the defensive line, but the players who should contribute all saw significant action last season. If there is one thing you can bank on with a Charlie Strong-coached team, it is solid defense.

Rutgers. This would be my preseason choice for No. 1 defense. The Scarlet Knights were No. 1 in the Big East last year and return virtually everybody. That includes Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year Khaseem Greene, along with Logan Ryan, Scott Vallone and Steve Beauharnais. Greg Schiano is gone, but the aggressive defensive scheme that he favored will remain.

I included "other" as an option so folks can express their displeasure with my four choices. If I had to put in a No. 5 choice, it would probably be USF. The Bulls return many key players, including Sam Barrington, DeDe Lattimore, Ryne Giddins and Kayvon Webster. But they also switched defensive coordinators and have to prove they can hold on to four-quarter leads.

Make sure to vote, or send me an email or leave a response in the comments section with your prediction for best defense in 2012.

Rutgers coach Kyle Flood held a news conference Tuesday to preview spring practice, which begins a week from today. He gave us all a little bit of news with position changes and an injury update.

First, here are the players who will either be held out of spring practice entirely, or be limited during drills.

Out

NT Scott Vallone (shoulder)

LB Khaseem Greene (ankle)

OT Kaleb Johnson (shoulder)

TE D.C. Jefferson (ankle)

WR Tejay Johnson (hernia)

Limited

DL Michael Larrow (ankle)

CB Mason Robinson (knee)

LB David Milewski (knee)

OL Frank Quartucci (hip)

Position changes

Jeremy Deering, from running back to wide receiver.

J.T. Tartakoff -- from receiver to safety

Sam Bergen -- from linebacker to fullback

Jawaun Wynn -- from receiver to rush end

Kaleb Johnson -- from right tackle to left tackle

Here are some of Flood's comments from his news conference:

On moving Johnson to left tackle: "I see [him] as a very talented, physically strong offensive lineman, and with our depth and our personnel, the guy best suited to be our left tackle going forward, and hopefully do it for three years." Johnson was a freshman All-American after emerging as the starter at right tackle last season.

Flood said it might seem unusual to have Wynn move from receiver to end, but he will be playing more of a hybrid end/linebacker position. "He's a physically talented young man. That is a position where, as he grows comfortable with it, he'll be able to impact the games on a high level."

On the quarterback competition between Gary Nova and Chas Dodd, Flood would not put a timetable for when he wants to make a decision. But the starting job is no doubt up for grabs. "What we have is two really talented, quality young people who have won big games for us. I'm anxious to watch them compete this spring. It's up to the players to see if one separates himself."

On the running back battle between Jawan Jamison and Savon Huggins, who is totally healthy headed into the spring: "I don't think anybody's ahead of anyone at that position. What I've said to players over the years is there's nothing more valuable than consistency. That's something we've lacked at that position. We need a guy we can hand the ball to who can give us a high-quality game every time we hand him the ball. I'm hoping to find that in both guys. You need more than one."

Flood also confirmed that Robinson was granted his sixth year of eligibility. "To have a young person of that caliber, that quality back in our program, I think he will bring a level of leadership that you can only understand if you spend time in a locker room with Division I football players. He can do things for me in a leadership role that nobody else can do. We're really excited to have him back with us."

As for the depth chart, the offensive line has some new faces with three seniors gone. As expected, Dallas Hendrikson is at center. But sophomore Taj Alexander is listed at right tackle, and David Osei is at right guard. Betim Bujari is at left guard.

Brandon Coleman is listed at the starting receiver spot left by Mohamed Sanu.

At the safety spot David Rowe leaves, and Lorenzo Waters is penciled in ahead of Wayne Warren. And watch for a battle at defensive end between Ka'Lial Glaud and Marvin Booker. Kenneth Kirsey is listed No. 1 at defensive tackle in the spot left by Justin Francis.

As we move along in our final position rankings for the 2011 season, we come to the defense. First up: defensive line. To me, this was the strongest, deepest position in the Big East; thus the toughest to rank. Trust me when I say I would not call any of these defensive fronts bad, although they each had their moments to forget. Six of the eight teams in the league in 2011 gave up more than 200 yards rushing at least once. Read on to find out the two that did not.

For these rankings, I am taking into account both rush defense, sacks, tackles for loss, personnel and my own impressions from what I saw this season.

1. Cincinnati. Not only were the Bearcats the most improved group this season, they were the best up front -- No. 2 in the Big East in rush defense; No. 2 in the nation in sacks; No. 1 in the nation tackles for loss. Tackle Derek Wolfe won Co-Big East Defensive Player of the year. Twice, opponents were held to negative yards rushing. Yes, there was one bad game late in the season against Rutgers. But otherwise, this unit was aggressive and tenacious and the best of the bunch. Preseason rank: 7 (Yikes!)

2. Pitt. This is a group that got better as the season went on, and collectively had some pretty solid performances. Among the top eight players in sacks in the Big East -- three belong to the Panthers (Aaron Donald, Chas Alecxih and Brandon Lindsey). Their ability to get after the quarterback is a big reason why I have them here. They might have ranked No. 5 in the league in rushing defense, but they were No. 21 in the nation. Donald and Alecxih also earned spots on the Big East second team. Preseason rank: 2.

3. USF. The Bulls were vastly better at the end of the season than they were at the beginning, yet I still can't get that performance against Pitt out of my head (gave up more than 300 yards on the ground), probably because I was in the stadium and have not seen a worse display of run defense in a long time. Still, I give these guys credit for bouncing back. After that game, the highest run total USF yielded was 132 to Louisville. The Bulls ranked No. 2 in the nation in tackles for loss, No. 3 in the Big East for sacks and were able to develop some solid players up front. Preseason rank: 4.

4. UConn. The difficulty in ranking the Huskies is the fact that most teams just decided to throw on them, which probably skews the No. 1 run defense ranking a little. There were only 385 rushing attempts against them this past season -- the only Big East school with fewer than 400. Still, UConn did not allow 200 yards on the ground this season, a rare feat in the league. Trevardo Williams led the league in sacks with 12.5, and Kendall Reyes contributed 13.5 tackles for loss and has the potential to be a first-round NFL pick. Reyes was a first-team Big East selection; Williams made the second team. Preseason rank: 1.

5. Rutgers. Yes, the run defense was tough to watch at times (three straight games allowing more than 200 yards rushing), but the Scarlet Knights were able to get back to what they do best -- pressuring the quarterback and taking players down in the backfield. Last season, Rutgers had 17 total sacks. This past season, the Scarlet Knights ranked No. 4 in the league with 36. Justin Francis led the way with 6.5, and Scott Vallone made improvements as well. Preseason rank: 8.

6. Louisville. Injuries on the front really hurt the Cardinals this past season. They did rank No. 3 in the league in rushing defense, but there was never a real sense that they could produce a consistent pass rush from their linemen. Louisville ranked No. 6 in tackles for loss and No. 6 in sacks. The team leader in sacks, Marcus Smith, had 5.5. Only Syracuse ranks lower in that category. There is great potential here as the young players who got experience showed definite flashes. Preseason rank: 5.

7. West Virginia. As much as I think Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller are terrific players, this group as a whole I thought was disappointing in 2011. There were definite strides at the end of the season, but for most of the season we all wondered what was wrong with the potent pass rush? Through nine weeks, West Virginia had 10 sacks. That improved in a big way once Irvin was used in more situational downs, but the Mountaineers ranked No. 7 in the Big East in sacks (31) and No. 8 in tackles for loss, along with No. 8 in run defense. Though they never gave up 200 yards on the ground, they did give up more than 180 four times. Preseason rank: 3.

8. Syracuse. The Orange never really got much going along the front, and a big reason why is because they missed Chandler Jones so much while he was gone. The fact that he made the Big East first team in only seven games should prove how badly he was needed. Syracuse ranked No. 7 in the league in tackles for loss; No. 8 in sacks (28), and No. 6 in rushing defense. Those TFL and sack stats are pretty good nationally, but these guys are being judged against the rest of the Big East, and most games, they just fell short. Preseason rank: 6.

Iowa State at UConn tonight. Who you got?

Now on to some links ...

• For Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros, the trip from Akron three years ago has been a long one. Help has come for the defense in the form of junior college linebacker Greg Blair, who has been cleared to play.
• The UConn defense is focused on eliminating the big plays. The offense can't leave the defense hanging.
• Despite struggles, Louisville will still try to run the ball. Plenty of tickets still available for the game.
• Linebacker Ejuan Price is right for Pitt. The Panthers need to be better in the kicking game. How did Trey Anderson end up at Pitt?
• The soap opera at running back for Rutgers. The tight ends have struggled to produce. Justin Francis and Scott Vallone are helping their teammates get better.
• Syracuse faces a daunting task at USC. Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer talks USC. Syracuse and USC have their own run traditions.
• The McCaskill twins are inseparable for USF. Terrence Mitchell and Victor Marc have received praise.
• West Virginia has to get the run game going. Casey Vance states his case. Opponent watch: Maryland suspends two of its top receivers indefinitely. For several West Virginia players, the trip to Maryland is a trip home.

Nothing like being perfect ...

• Cincinnati coach Butch Jones is eager to see what Kenbrell Thompkins can do. Walter Stewart hopes to help the pass rush.
• UConn kicker Dave Teggart is ready to show grace under pressure. Punter Cole Wagner has some tricks up his sleeve.
• Louisville struggles for the win. The defense delivered. The Cardinals picked up a commitment from linebacker Patrick Jean out of Port St. Lucie, Fla.
• Lucas Nix and Chris Jacobson are becoming leaders at Pitt. Andrew Taglianetti's rep for fearlessness has not gone unnoticed.
• The Rutgers defense delivered an impressive performance, but it was only a starting point. Scott Vallone keyed the defensive outburst. The offensive line passed its first test.
• Syracuse's comeback against Wake Forest was simply stunning. The good, the bad and the other stuff about the game. What do those fans who left the game early think now? The Syracuse defense came through when it was needed the most.
• Great read from Martin Fennelly of The Tampa Tribune on USF coach Skip Holtz being an inspiration to "Rudy." The offense might click better in Year 2 under Holtz.
• The jury is still out on the strength of the West Virginia backfield. Extend the Coal Bowl series. Geno Smith's running days are over. Jorge Wright is moving forward.

It may not have been the prettiest night of football, but the Big East opened the 2011 season Thursday night 3-0 -- including a thrilling come-from-behind win for Syracuse.

So what do we take away from Louisville, Rutgers and the Orange? It is hard to take away much from Week 1. Rutgers beat an overmatched NC Central team 48-0. The defense looked good, but we will know more about the Scarlet Knights after next week's game at North Carolina.

The Cardinals defense looked better than expected in a 21-9 win over Murray State, but the offense was hit or miss and made way too many mistakes. I am not sure any Louisville fan feels good about the offensive performance this morning, especially against an average FCS team.

Syracuse, meanwhile, had the game of the day. The Orange, hoping to build off an impressive bowl season in 2010, looked completely lifeless for three quarters. Fans on Twitter joked about being reminded of the Greg Robinson era. But the fourth quarter was a different game. The Orange scored 22 unanswered points to stun Wake Forest 36-29 in overtime.

The comeback was spurred, in part, when Wake Forest starting quarterback Tanner Price went down with a knee injury in the fourth quarter. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, particularly picking on cornerback Kevyn Scott. There was little pass rush, and the defense seemed flat footed. But after Price left the game, Wake managed just 59 total yards.

Despite the early struggles, Syracuse never gave up and deserves credit for that. No matter how you get it, any win is a big win.

Now here is more on the good and the bad for each team that played Thursday night.

Louisville

• The good: You have to start with the defense. Many thought a pass-happy Murray State would be able to pass over a secondary featuring two inexperienced starters at cornerback. But starters Anthony Connor and true freshmen Andrew Johnson held their own. Connor picked up his first career interception, and Murray State never got a consistent string of big pass plays. Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman threw for just 148 yards and three interceptions. Meanwhile, the defensive line was without B.J. Butler, Roy Philon and Brandon Dunn, and Greg Scruggs played just a handful of snaps. In their place, true freshman B.J. Dubose, sophomore Marcus Smith, Randy Salmon, William Savoy and Malcolm Mitchell all played well. True freshman receiver DeVante Parker also flashed.
• The bad: The offense has to get into a rhythm. The offensive line had five new starters and remains a work in progress. Of the 10 Louisville penalties, five were false starts and one was a hold. Will Stein had good plays and bad plays and fumbled once. Victor Anderson fumbled for the first time in his career. Jeremy Wright fumbled, too. Highly touted true freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater only played one series, which featured two false starts, a delay of game and his first career interception.

Rutgers

• The good: The defense had a nice game, posting the ninth shutout under coach Greg Schiano. Rutgers had nine sacks -- the most since a nine-sack day in a 44-9 victory over Cincinnati on Nov. 26, 2005. Scott Vallone got his first career touchdown when he recovered a fumble in the end zone. Duron Harmon had two interceptions, including one he returned 37 yards for his first career touchdown. Harmon, in particular, seemed to be everywhere. Another highly touted freshman, Savon Huggins, got his first two career touchdowns but averaged just 3.2 yards a carry.
• The bad: It is hard to find anything bad in a 48-0 rout. All you can really say is Rutgers did not get much of a test before a big game on the road next weekend. Perhaps Rutgers wants more consistency out of its running game. DeAntwan Williams, Jawan Jamison, Jeremy Deering and Huggins all played, and collectively averaged 3.3 yards a carry. Jamison had the longest run of the day at 14 yards.

Syracuse

• The good: Everybody loves a come-from-behind win. The Syracuse offense finally showed its capability in the fourth quarter, when Antwon Bailey ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run to help tie the game at 29. Ryan Nassib, inconsistent early in the game, was a perfect 8-for-8 to close the game. Hard to believe it was the same offense that had fewer total yards (52) than penalty yards (56) in the first half. The defense came through with some big plays down the stretch, including an interception from Kevyn Scott. But perhaps what you love most is the moxie Syracuse showed in coming from behind to gut out a win.
• The bad: In the first three quarters, the offensive line looked shaky. Receivers had drops. Bailey and Nassib could not generate much of anything. The defense looked slow, out of position and not aggressive. There were wide open Wake Forest receivers left and right. Not much of a pass rush, either. There also was a go-ahead field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter by Ross Krautman that was blocked because of a bad snap.

Andrea Adelson talks about Rutgers defensive tackle Scott Vallone.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Your final serving of links for today ...

• Cincinnati assistant Kerry Coombs says his defensive backs will be better this season.
• Paul Pasqualoni is earning the respect of his players.
• Louisville's deep backfield is expected to hit the ground running. Running back Victor Anderson is dealing with tragedy. His cousin was an innocent bystander when he was shot and killed this past weekend.
• Lucas Nix and Jordan Gibbs plan to anchor the Pitt offensive line. Competition is still ongoing on that line.
• Scott Vallone is confident the Rutgers defensive line will find a way. Mohamed Sanu didn't have a normal childhood, but his experiences have shaped him and he makes an effort to reach out to kids in the community. Eric LeGrand visited Jets camp on Thursday.
• Tight end is the best position for Max Beaulieu. The plan is to play everybody in the Saturday scrimmage.
• Video: Skip Holtz talks USF's practice and the stay in Vero Beach.
• Steve Dunlap has seen the West Virginia defense struggle before. Shaq Rowell's mom steered him to the Mountaineers. Beware of the running back with a chip on his shoulder. Beer at West Virginia home games will set you back between $7-$9 a pop.

Which players have the potential to go from good to great in the Big East?

Josh Chichester, TE, Louisville. Now that he has made the transition from receiver to tight end, the potential is there for Chichester to become the best tight end in the league. His size, 6-foot-8 and 258 pounds, gives him the ability to be unguardable for opposing defenses.

B.J. Daniels, QB, USF. Folks have been waiting on a breakout season for the third-year starter. This could be it now that he has more consistency with his coordinators and some momentum off a good bowl game from last season. A tweaked hamstring should not impact him much during camp.

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse. Early reports out of Syracuse camp indicate Jones is wreaking havoc during practice. His goal is to get double-digit sacks this year. With questions inside, he could be relied up on even more to hold down the line.

D.J. Shoemate, UConn. Given the history at churning out 1,000-yard running backs, the potential is there for Shoemate to follow. The offensive line and tight end positions are solid, giving him an even better opportunity.

Geno Smith, West Virginia. Smith already is one of the elite quarterbacks in the Big East. But will the new Dana Holgorsen offense make him one of the elite quarterbacks in the country?

Tino Sunseri, QB, Pitt. Sunseri is now in an offensive scheme that could lead to incredible numbers. He feels comfortable running the hurry-up, and has the ability to make all the throws. He should definitely be able to improve on his touchdowns (16) and yards (2,572) from last season.

Scott Vallone, NT, Rutgers. A move to the nose tackle position could help Vallone really emerge as a dominant player. He was a freshman All-American in 2009, so the potential is there in his new role.

D.J. Woods, Cincinnati. Is Woods next in line to get the major numbers racked up from Armon Binns (1,101 yards in 2010) and Mardy Gilyard (1,191 yards in 2009)?