ESPN College Football

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.

The product you see in spring practice isn't necessarily indicative of the team you'll see in the fall. That's because several players are held out of spring drills because of injury, academics or just plain precaution.

The following is a list of players who missed all or significant parts of the spring and need to come through for their teams when it really counts.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats had a lot of injuries this spring that cost several players time. They'll need right tackle C.J. Cobb (ankle surgery) to come back strong, and, of course, they hope running back Isaiah Pead's sore knee that kept him out of the spring game isn't serious.

Connecticut: Cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson didn't play this spring because of offseason shoulder surgery, and the Huskies' secondary badly needs his playmaking abilities. Offensive lineman Jimmy Bennett and Greg Lloyd could add valuable depth in the trenches if they recover from knee problems.

Louisville: Running backs Victor Anderson (shoulder surgery) and Jeremy Wright (sports hernia) were either limited or missed time this spring. That position should be one of the Cardinals' strong suits this season. And they'll need good health from safety Terrence Simien (kidney).

Pittsburgh: Safeties Andrew Taglianetti (knee) and Dom DeCicco (foot) should be fully healed by fall camp, adding much-needed depth and experience to the Panthers' secondary.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights already had some kinks to work out in their offensive line, and that wasn't helped by injuries to center Howard Barbieri and tackle Desmond Wynn this spring. Obviously, both guys need to come back strong for Rutgers to capitalize on its potential.

South Florida: If the Bulls could get anything out of receiver A.J. Love (torn ACL) this spring, it would provide a major bonus. And, of course, quarterback B.J. Daniels needs to be fully recovered from his shoulder surgery, but no one expects that to be a problem.

Syracuse: The Orange managed to avoid the injury bug for the most part. But standout linebacker Doug Hogue needed knee surgery after the spring game. He should be fine by the time August arrives. And, naturally, suspended running back Delone Carter's status will be a question that lingers through the summer.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers won't get where they want to go unless quarterback Geno Smith (foot) is able to do a whole lot more than he could this spring. Getting Scooter Berry back to his 2008 form would also help the defensive line immensely.

2009 overall record: 4-8

2009 conference record: 1-6, T-7th Big East

Returning starters

Offense: 9. Defense: 6. Punter/kicker: 1

Top returners


QB Adam Froman, QB Justin Burke, RB Victor Anderson, RB Bilal Powell, WR Doug Beaumont, CB Johnny Patrick, LB Brandon Heath

Key losses


WR Scott Long, WR Trent Guy, LB Jon Dempsey, LB Antwan Canady, DT L.D. Scott, DT L.T. Walker

2009 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Victor Anderson* (473 yards)
Passing: Adam Froman* (1,354 yards)
Receiving: Scott Long (1,727 yards)

Tackles: Jon Dempsey (107)
Sacks: Chris Campa (6)
Interceptions: Chaz Thompson (3)

Spring answers


1. Only the Strong survive: From his "Circle of Life" drills to open practice to the way he and his staff raised the intensity of every workout, new coach Charlie Strong did everything he could to instill toughness and passion in the Cardinals. The team, which is tired of losing, seemed to buy in to Strong's methods wholeheartedly. Louisville hopes it can make up for what it may lack in talent with heart.

2. Crowded backfield: Victor Anderson, who was limited by offseason shoulder surgery, is one of the best running backs in the Big East. Bilal Powell looked sleeker and faster this spring, while redshirt freshman Jeremy Wright impressed everybody before suffering a sports hernia injury. The Cardinals felt so good about their tailback depth that they moved Darius Ashley to cornerback.

3. Kicking it up a notch: Louisville was pretty horrendous on field goals the past two years and shuffled through kickers while looking for someone who could do the job. Chris Philpott seized control of that position this spring and drilled several long field goals in high-intensity drills. A few more field goals here and there could make the difference in a winning or losing season.

Fall questions


1. Quarterback conundrum: Adam Froman and Justin Burke split reps with the first team throughout the spring, and Strong has yet to name a starter. It's the second straight year that Louisville will enter the fall without a clear No. 1 quarterback. And will freshman Dominique Brown get a chance to compete there when he arrives this summer?

2. Trouble in the trenches: Simply put, the defensive line did not look talented enough to compete with the better offensive lines in the Big East throughout much of this spring. The interior of the line lacks bulk and strength, while Louisville hasn't had a top-flight edge pass rusher in a couple of years now. It's a problem that probably will only get fixed through recruiting.

3. Secondary concerns: Moving Ashley wasn't just a sign of strength in the offensive backfield. It was a desperation move to shore up the defensive backfield. Johnny Patrick is a solid cornerback, but the other corner spot was a mess. And with Terrence Simien sitting out the spring while he recovered from a kidney injury, the safeties didn't look so hot either. Combine the secondary issues with the lack of a legitimate pass rush, and there are major reasons to be concerned for this defense heading into the fall.

Hope you're taking a late lunch today. I just finished with Cincinnati practice and interviews.

• A few dustups highlighted Syracuse's fifth spring practice.
• The Bearcats got a commitment from a local quarterback.
• Lots of notes on South Florida's first depth chart.
• Louisville's Terrence Simien is making a slow recovery from last year's lacerated kidney injury.
• Meme Wylie is looking to crack the UConn rotation at running back.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Steve Kragthorpe very nearly broke out the old Herm Edwards quote this week when talking about the struggles of his Louisville football team.

"You play this game to win," Kragthorpe said.

Except that hasn't been the case for the Cardinals (1-3, 0-1 Big East), who last beat an FBS opponent on Oct. 25, 2008. That's a string of eight straight defeats, five of them by double digits.

	Andy Lyons/Getty Images
	Victor Anderson is expected to get more touches Saturday against Southern Mississippi.

While Kragthorpe and his players continue to say that they're just a few plays away or that they've beaten themselves with mistakes, a losing streak like that comes down to more than just a couple of bad breaks. So expect to see some changes this Saturday when Louisville plays host to Southern Mississippi.

For starters, Kragthorpe is promising to get Victor Anderson more touches. Makes perfect sense, since Anderson -- the Big East's newcomer of the year last season after rushing for more than 1,000 yards as a redshirt freshman -- is the team's best player. Yet after carrying 19 times for 110 yards at Kentucky, Anderson got only 10 carries for 22 yards at Utah and ran it just 12 times for 51 yards last week against Pitt.

Anderson was dealing with a groin injury and some other bumps and bruises last week, Kragthorpe said. But he should be healthier now, and he needs to be a major part of the game plan.

Of course, Anderson can only do so much when the offensive line is not opening holes.

When asked to name which players were performing well up front, Kragthorpe could only point to center Mario Benavides and right guard Mark Wetterer. Junior Jeff Adams, who started at right tackle last year, could supplant left tackle Byron Stingily this week. Adams was slated to start there in the preseason, but he had a bout with the flu that caused him to lose almost 20 pounds in fall camp. Massive junior college transfer Joe Evinger (6-foot-6, 330 pounds) arrived late in fall camp but is now sufficiently up to speed to where he could start seeing some significant time as well, Kragthorpe said.

Another problem area for the Cardinals has been the secondary, which was burned by long touchdown passes against Pitt. Safety Terrence Simien's kidney injury forced some shuffling around, and Chaz Thompson moved over from safety to start at cornerback for the first time in his career last week. Kragthorpe said he would look at some other options back there, including pulling the redshirt off true freshman Shenard Holton.

Louisville is the most penalized team in the Big East and seems to find the absolute wrong time in each drive to draw a flag. Kragthorpe said he planned to tape his offensive linemen's wrists this week to prevent them from getting their hands outside a defender's body. And others who committed penalties last week had to run as punishment.

It remains to be seen whether any of these changes are more than cosmetic against a Southern Miss team that has some issues of its own. The Golden Eagles lost starting quarterback Austin Davis to a season-ending injury last week in a loss to UAB. Junior Martevious Young will start in his place. They will get back running back Damion Fletcher and receiver DeAndre Brown from injuries this week.

The Cardinals left old rival Southern Miss and Conference USA behind when they moved to the Big East; losing to the Golden Eagles at home would be yet another black mark for a program that's gathered too many of them lately. With two Big East away games up next and road trips still left to West Virginia and South Florida, Louisville can't afford any more slip-ups.

"A win would sure lighten the mood up," Benavides said. "Nobody likes losing."

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Louisville safety Terrence Simien is showing good signs of recovery from the lacerated kidney he suffered in the Kentucky game, coach Steve Kragthorpe said Monday.

Simien has been hospitalized since the injury, which happened when he landed awkwardly. There was concern that the junior college transfer might lose the kidney if it didn't heal on its own.

But Kragthorpe said that Simien is walking around and that doctors say there's good blood flow to the kidney, which usually means that it will repair itself.

"I wouldn't say he's out of the woods yet, but it's not a life-threatening situation," Kragthorpe said. "Things are looking up. Things are looking positive."

Seniors Richard Raglin and Daniel Covington will continue to take snaps at safety in place of Simien.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

• Rutgers' Dom Natale has to bounce back from losing his starting quarterback job -- because he might be needed on Saturday at Maryland, Tom Luicci writes in The Star-Ledger.
• Pitt's Elijah Fields is beginning to realize his vast potential, Ray Fittipaldo writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Cincinnati is making a push to raise money for better facilities, Bill Koch reports in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• Syracuse's improvement in run defense from a year ago is startling, Dave Rahme writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
• South Florida's offensive line will get its first real test at FSU, Kerry Klecic says in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Louisville is counting on a pair of seniors to replace starting safety Terrence Simien, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Our fresh faces in the Big East series rolls on with Louisville. We're looking at newcomers who weren't around in the spring but will be worth paying attention to this summer.

The Cardinals, as you probably know by now, lack experience and depth at several key positions. So they'll need lots of fresh faces to make an impact right away. Here are three to consider:

• Preston Pace, CB: Another place where the Cardinals are perilously thin is in the defensive backfield. Johnny Patrick is a solid starter at corner, and sophomore Karldell Dunning is coming on, but there's precious little depth. Pace, who's yet another junior-college transfer, will be counted on to help rectify that situation. The 6-foot, 190-pounder was part of a national championship team at Butte Community College, where he was a lockdown coverage guy.

• Terrence Simien, S: Simien was a late addition to the recruiting class this summer from -- you guessed it -- junior college. He could make a quick turnaround from unsigned two-year player to Big East safety. He's big for a defensive back (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), and Louisville hopes that means he's also a big hitter. Indiana also offered him a scholarship. The Cardinals have two veteran returning safeties in Richard Raglin and Daniel Covington, but Simien will, at the very least, push them in summer camp.