ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

As expected, several more Big Ten players are signing with NFL teams as free agents or earning tryouts.

• Penn State cornerback Tony Davis signed with the Cardinals
• Minnesota punter Justin Kucek has a tryout with the Vikings
• Minnesota tight end Jack Simmons has a tryout with the Jets
• Ohio State offensive lineman Steve Rehring has a tryout with the Bengals
• Ohio State tight end Rory Nicol has a tryout with the Redskins
• Ohio State defensive tackle Nader Abdallah has a tryout with the Jaguars
• Ohio State fullback Brandon Smith has a tryout with the Bears
• Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher has a tryout with the Bears
  
• Former Illinois running back Walter Mendenhall signed with the Eagles
• Former Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli re-signed with the Cardinals
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- It starts with the simplest of equations -- 1+1=2 -- but the signficance for Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman can't be quantified.

	Randy Litzinger/Icon SMI
	Navorro Bowman will honor two influential figures in his life with a number change this season.

When Bowman takes the field this fall for Penn State, he'll don jersey No. 11, which serves as a tribute to two influential figures in his life.

The first should be obvious for Penn State fans.

LaVar Arrington crafted his Penn State legacy wearing No. 11, winning the Bednarik and Butkus awards and twice earning All-America honors in Happy Valley. The former Lions linebacker has mentored Bowman since Bowman's high school days, and called him last year with a special request. 

"We were already friends, and he called and asked me, 'What do you think about wearing 11?'" Bowman said. "I was like, 'I wouldn't mind it.'"

Arrington wanted Bowman to change numbers last year, but cornerback Tony Davis still had dibs on No. 11. Bowman wore No. 18 last season, and when Davis graduated, he made the switch. 

There's added pressure to wearing the same jersey and playing the same position as a Penn State linebacker great, but Bowman appears ready for it. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, leading the team in tackles (106) and tackles for loss (16.5) to go along with four sacks, two forced fumbles and five pass breakups. 

The comparisons between Bowman and Arrington have been made for some time. The number on Bowman's back this fall will only keep them coming. 

"Him being able to see his number on somebody else at this university is really what he wanted," Bowman said, "and I didn't have a problem doing it for him. LaVar's been a guy who's had the answers to my questions. I couldn't ask for a better friend.

	AP Photo/Tom Strickland
	LaVar Arrington won the Butkus, Bednarik and Lambert awards in 1999.

"Hopefully, after everything is done with, I'll be able to say thank you for him letting me wear his number. It's an honor to me, just as it's a happy moment for him."

The jersey number strikes another emotional chord for Bowman.

He wore No. 2 at Suitland High School in District Heights, Md., where he starred for head coach Nick Lynch. Penn State wideout Derrick Williams held the rights to No. 2 when Bowman arrived, so he switched to 18. 

Although No. 2 now belongs to wide receiver Chaz Powell, Bowman will still be able to honor his high school days and Lynch. The coach was killed in a car accident early on Dec. 31, the day before Bowman took the field in the Rose Bowl against USC.

He'll remember Lynch every time he looks at the two 1's on his jersey. 

"I wanted to make both ends happy," Bowman said. "One and one added up to two, so I said I'd wear No. 11 in honor of my coach and in honor of LaVar."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The superlatives pick up today with Big Ten co-champ Penn State, which will be one of the more intriguing teams to watch this spring. Penn State lost quite a bit at defensive back, wide receiver and offensive line, and the early departures of Aaron Maybin and Maurice Evans created a hole at defensive end. Then again, D-line coach Larry Johnson seems to produce star pass rushers every year.

There were some tough choices here. 

Strongest position -- Linebacker

Key returnees: Junior Navorro Bowman, senior Sean Lee, senior Josh Hull, sophomore Michael Mauti

Key departures: Tyrell Sales (68 tackles, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles)

The skinny: Lee's return from a torn ACL gives Penn State the league's top linebacking corps entering the fall. Bowman earned first-team All-Big Ten honors following a monster sophomore season in which he tallied 106 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. If the Nittany Lions get decent production at the third linebacker spot from Hull, Mauti or someone else, they should be extremely tough against the run and active against the pass. Other strong positions include running back, defensive tackle and tight end. 

Weakest position -- Defensive back

Key returnees: Senior cornerback A.J. Wallace, sophomore safety Drew Astorino, senior safety/cornerback Knowledge Timmons

Key departures: Cornerback Lydell Sargeant (4 interceptions, 13 pass deflections), safety Anthony Scirrotto (61 tackles, 2 interceptions, 7 pass deflections), safety Mark Rubin (60 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble), cornerback Tony Davis (46 tackles, 1 interception)

The skinny: Several other positions could qualify here, but Penn State has a history of producing top defensive ends and should boast enough talent at wide receiver and offensive line to survive the losses of several multiyear starters. The bottom line is USC exposed Penn State's secondary as a major weakness in the Rose Bowl, and the Nittany Lions lose all four starters there. If last year's secondary was the best the Lions had to offer, this year's group could be in trouble. Penn State really needs players like Wallace and Astorino to step up this spring. 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It's time for our weekly look inside five Big Ten teams.

Illinois -- Judging solely by his size -- 6-foot-5, 250 pounds -- Jeff Cumberland should be a tight end. But after seeing the junior struggle with blocking and other trench duties in 2007, Illinois coach Ron Zook moved Cumberland to wide receiver. The switch worked last week as Cumberland, who missed time earlier this season with a foot stress fracture, had a 77-yard touchdown on his first reception of the fall. "He just wasn't doing the job down in the briar patch like we wanted him to do in terms of blocking and so forth," Zook said. "He's a very athletic guy that we knew we needed to get on the field so we talked to him about moving to the outside."

Iowa -- Redshirt freshman quarterback Marvin McNutt is auditioning at wide receiver, a spot where his athleticism could be better utilized this year. McNutt wasn't a major factor in the quarterback competition ultimately won byRicky Stanzi , but he continues to take some snaps should an emergency arise. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said the 6-foot-4, 210-pound McNutt welcomed the change but has taken time to adjust. "His legs are trying to catch up a little bit," Ferentz said. "He's been through two years of inactivity as a quarterback, so he's got sore feet, sore knees, sore everything else right now."

Michigan State -- The Spartans likely will be without starting cornerback Chris L. Rucker against Northwestern, but their secondary gets a big boost with the return of cornerback/safety Kendell Davis-Clark. Boasting 15 career starts, Davis-Clark has been out of action since sustaining a shoulder injury in the season opener at Cal. A major key Saturday will be the health of safety Otis Wiley, the Spartans' defensive catalyst who left last week's game against Iowa with a lower leg injury. Wiley leads the Big Ten in both interceptions (4) and passes defended (11) and ranks second in punt return average (11.9).

Northwestern -- The bye week gave the Wildcats a chance to get healthy, particularly on the offensive line. Right tackle Kurt Mattes will return from a knee injury, and guard Keegan Grant also could return from an ankle injury. Both players were projected starters heading into the season, and offensive line coach Bret Ingalls will have some playing-time decisions to make for Saturday's game against Michigan State (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET). Junior Desmond Taylor has played well at both right tackle and right guard, and Northwestern is tied for fifth nationally in fewest sacks allowed (two in five games). Then again, the Wildcats aren't running the ball like they'd like to and could benefit from a greater rotation of linemen.

Penn State -- Head coach Joe Paterno hoped to play speedy junior A.J. Wallace at both cornerback and as a reserve wide receiver before the season, but a hamstring injury before the opener changed the script. For Wallace, the setback might have been a blessing in disguise, as he started at right cornerback last week at Purdue and has been elevated to a co-starter with Lydell Sargeant on this week's depth chart. "Sargeant, [Wallace] and [Tony] Davis, they're three good corners and they all should play, keep them fresh," Paterno said. "Nowadays, when you have to be ready for a lot of spread, you need that extra defensive back."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

It was a heavy news day around the Big Ten, so my regularly scheduled mailbag will be pushed back to Wednesday. From here on out I'll have mailbags on Tuesdays and Fridays, so make sure to send in your questions.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced this afternoon that junior Jake Christensen will start at quarterback Saturday against Maine. Sophomore Ricky Stanzi, who has come on strong toward the end of preseason camp, also will see action. Christensen threw for 2,269 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions as the starter last season, completing only 53.5 percent of his passes.

"He came in as a starter, and I think he's practiced well," Ferentz said of Christensen. "It's not a matter of his performance. He's elevated his performance from the spring. I thought he was better in the spring than he was in the fall [of 2007], and I think he's continued to improve, which is what we're hoping for."

Here are some notes and links I didn't get to earlier:

• Ferentz announced that reserve running back Nate Guillory will transfer. Guillory had been competing for the starting job this month but fell behind opening-day starter Shonn Greene and emerging sophomore Paki O'Meara. Freshmen Jeff Brinson and Jewel Hampton are also in the fold, so Ferentz isn't concerned about depth despite the losses of Albert Young and Damian Sims. "The jury is still out because we haven't played a snap that counts," he said, "but based on what we've seen, we're pretty optimistic."
• Ferentz also announced that tight end Tony Moeaki and Michael Sabers, wideout Trey Stross and offensive lineman Dan Doering will miss the opener with injuries. Doering, a possible starter at left guard, has a hand injury but should be back by next week. Moeaki will miss 1-2 weeks with a foot injury. Sophomore linebacker Jeff Tarpinian has a hamstring injury but could play.
• Wideout Brian Gamble and offensive lineman Mark Jackson are no longer with Illinois' team, coach Ron Zook announced today. Gamble had been expected to contribute at receiver this fall.
  
• Minnesota's Week 1 depth chart is out, and not surprisingly, there are some notable changes. Junior college transfers Tramaine Brock and Traye Simmons are listed as starters at safety and cornerback, and former wideout Marcus Sherels has won the other starting cornerback spot. Sherels also will serve as the team's primary return man on kickoffs and punts.
  
• Sophomore Ralph Spry and emerging junior Ben Kuznia have joined star Eric Decker as the Gophers' starting wideouts. Freshmen Brandon Green and Brodrick Smith are listed as backups. Minnesota's starting spots at left guard and right tackle remain undecided. Sophomore D.J. Burris is competing with Ryan Orton at left guard, and redshirt freshmen Ryan Wynn or Jason Meinke will start at right tackle.
  
• Penn State safety Nick Sukay will miss the season with a broken bone in his foot, Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Starting cornerback Tony Davis expects Lydell Sargeant to win the other top CB job, Jeff McLane writes.
  
• Ohio State running back Brandon Saine is healthier but must leapfrog several players on the depth chart, The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises writes in his blog. Also check out the list of Buckeyes true freshmen likely to play this fall (besides Terrelle Pryor, of course).
• Maybe RichRod is fooling all of us, but he seems fine with playing two quarterbacks in the season opener, the Detroit Free Press' Mark Snyder writes in his blog.
  
• Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio praises the play of defensive end Dwayne Holmes, who could start the opener.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

I didn't get around to breaking down every depth chart released Monday, so let's do it. Wisconsin's and Iowa's came out last week, and there were no major changes there. Still waiting for Michigan State and Minnesota (Purdue doesn't play until Week 2).

PENN STATE

• As stated earlier, quarterbacks Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin are both listed as potential starters.
  
• Andrew Quarless is listed as the third-string tight end behind Mickey Shuler and Andrew Szczerba. Quarless, a former starter, was suspended for spring practice following a DUI arrest and has had several off-field problems at Penn State.
  
• Cornerback Tony Davis secured a starting job, and the other cornerback spot will go to Lydell Sargeant or A.J. Wallace. Sargeant started the first 10 games at cornerback last year and looked to be the starter with Wallace, instead of competing against him.
  
• Sophomores Ollie Ogbu and Abe Koroma are listed as the starters at the defensive tackle spot, which was thinned by two dismissals and an injury to Devon Still. Junior Jared Odrick is listed as Koroma's backup and likely will play plenty this fall.
• Tyrell Sales and Bani Gbadyu are listed as the starting outside linebackers, with Josh Hull in the middle. Promising sophomore Chris Colasanti is listed as Hull's backup.
  
• Evan Royster remains the top running back with speedy redshirt freshman Stephfon Green behind him.
  
• Junior Dennis Landolt is listed as both the starting right tackle and the backup left tackle behind Gerald Cadogan.
  

ILLINOIS

• As expected, junior Daniel Dufrene is listed as the starting running back ahead of Troy Pollard. Freshmen Jason Ford and Mikel LeShoure continue to compete for the third-string spot.
  
• Junior Chris Duvalt and sophomore Chris James have joined Arrelious Benn as starters at wide receiver. Sophomore walk-on Alex Reavy is listed as Benn's backup, and freshmen Fred Sykes, Cordale Scott and A.J. Jenkins all are on the two-deep.
  
• A bit of a surprise as both Doug Pilcher and Derek Walker are listed as starters at defensive end opposite Will Davis. The "OR" designation is common for depth charts, but you don't usually see "AND" separating two possible starters. Walker has started the last three seasons but could play less with Pilcher's emergence and greater depth on the line.
  
• Sophomores Bo Flowers and Travon Bellamy secured the starting safety spots. Bellamy was a shoo-in, but Fowers beat out Nate Bussey and Donsay Hardeman for the job.
• Sophomore Josh Brent will start at defensive tackle following Sirod Williams' season-ending knee injury. Freshman Cory Liuget is listed as the backup at the other tackle spot.
• Four players remain in the mix for the starting place-kicker spot, with freshman Derek Dimke listed first.
  

There were a couple of notes from Wisconsin's news conference Monday.

• Cornerback Aaron Henry (knee) will miss the opener against Akron, and freshman linebacker Kevin Rouse will miss the majority of the season following shoulder surgery. Tight end Travis Beckum (hamstring), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (knee), fullback Chris Pressley (thumb) and cornerback Antonio Fenelus (ankle) could play Saturday and will be evaluated later in the week.
• Offensive linemen Jake Current and Kevin Zeitler, running back Bradie Ewing, tight end Jake Byrne, defensive end Brendan Kelly, punter Brad Nortman and defensive back Kevin Claxton are the freshmen expected to play this fall.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Taking a Buckeye breather to see what else is going on around the league. A lot of Big Ten Network news.

• Several Iowa media outlets are reporting that the Big Ten Network and Mediacom have reached an agreement, which would guarantee that Iowa's season opener against Maine will be seen in the state.
• Two days after Ohio State AD Gene Smith wrote a letter urging Ohio State fans to switch their cable providers to get the Big Ten Network, Time Warner Cable made a proposal to Smith to carry Ohio State games broadcast on the BTN, but not the network itself. Shockingly, the BTN didn't like the idea. The back-and-forth between the two sides is getting out of hand, The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises writes in his blog.
  
• Time Warner made the same proposal to Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez regarding Badgers games on the Big Ten Network.
• Wisconsin starting fullback Chris Pressley will miss the season opener against Akron with a broken right thumb, but the senior is anxious to lead this fall as a co-captain, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jeff Potrykus writes on the Badgers Blog.
  
• This would be a truly amazing story, as Michigan State offensive lineman Arthur Ray Jr. hopes to play football in the next year following surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his leg, Eric Lacy writes in The Detroit News.
  
• Will Joe Paterno announce Penn State's starting quarterback Tuesday? Will A.J. Wallace and Lydell Sargeant lock up the starting cornerback spots, or does Tony Davis sneak in? Bob Flounders of The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News hopes for some answers. Former walk-on Deon Butler is in position to move up Penn State's career receiving chart this fall, Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  
• Here are the names of former Illinois stars scheduled to attend the Fighting Illini home opener Sept. 6 at the renovated Memorial Stadium. A very impressive list.
  
• I have a difficult time disliking Ohio State despite the national title game losses, and CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd feels the same way.
  
• The BCS Guru blog also likes the Buckeyes, ranking them No. 1.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

This will be the first of three parts as I break down the Big Ten defensive backs. Check back for rankings of safeties and cornerbacks. Despite losing several standout cornerbacks (Justin King, Jack Ikegwuonu, Terrell Vinson), the league returns a bunch of top-end players and teams have filled in the gaps nicely. 

Here's the rundown:

1. Ohio State -- All four starters are back, led by Thorpe Award frontrunner Malcolm Jenkins, who likely would have been a first- or second-round draft pick had he left school after last season. Fellow cornerback Donald Washington is suspended for the first two games but should make a significant impact when he returns. Ohio State would like more interceptions from safeties Anderson Russell and Kurt Coleman, who had none last year but still combined to break up nine passes.

2. Penn State -- King's ability to shut down an opponent's top receiver will be missed, but Penn State still has good depth at cornerback with emerging junior A.J. Wallace, returning starter Lydell Sargeant and Tony Davis, who started every game at corner in 2006 before moving to safety during an injury-plagued junior season. Anthony Scirrotto is arguably the top playmaking safety in the conference with 10 career interceptions.

3. Michigan -- The Wolverines might feature the league's best cornerback tandem in senior Morgan Trent and sophomore Donovan Warren, who combined for 93 tackles and 13 pass breakups last season. They need some help at safety after the loss of all-conference selection Jamar Adams, but Stevie Brown played well as a reserve last year and Brandon Harrison has experience and versatility.

4. Michigan State -- Safety Otis Wiley backslid a bit last year but should recapture the form of 2006, when he ranked seventh in the Big Ten in tackles and had 10 pass breakups. The Spartans ranked fourth in the league in pass defense last year and have good depth at cornerback behind veteran Kendell Davis-Clark.

5. Illinois -- Vontae Davis will push Jenkins for the title of Big Ten's best cornerback. He ranked sixth in the league in both interceptions and pass breakups last year. Dere Hicks and Miami Thomas provide depth at the other corner spot, but Illinois must replace safeties Kevin Mitchell and Justin Harrison, who combined for 155 tackles, six interceptions and 24 pass breakups last season. If guys like Travon Bellamy, Nate Bussey and Bo Flowers perform, this group will move up the list. 

6. Iowa -- There's hope here despite the losses of starting cornerbacks Charles Godfrey and Adam Shada, both honorable mention All-Big Ten selections last season. Senior Bradley Fletcher received ample experience the last two years, but the Hawkeyes would like another solid corner or two to emerge. Both starting safeties return to brace the unit. 

7. Wisconsin -- Shane Carter is a budding star at safety after leading the league with seven interceptions last season, but much like other areas on the Badgers' depth chart, health has been a bugaboo. If cornerbacks Allen Langford and Aaron Henry bounce back from ACL injuries, the unit should be strong. If not, there will be plenty of pressure on young defensive backs like Mario Goins and Jay Valai.

8. Purdue -- The Boilermakers lost their best cover man (Vinson) from a unit that ranked seventh in the league against the pass last season. To avoid a drop off, they need better play from Royce Adams and continued production from David Pender. If safety Torri Williams can finally stay healthy after a rash of ailments, Purdue's secondary should be stable. 

9. Northwestern -- This unit no longer has any excuse to be a liability. Safety Brendan Smith returns from a shoulder injury to provide the playmaking punch the Wildcats sorely lacked last season. Smith and Brad Phillips form an experienced tandem at safety, while junior cornerback Sherrick McManis should benefit from an inconsistent first season as the starter. If Justan Vaughn or a redshirt freshman (Jordan Mabin, Michael Bolden) solidify the other corner spot, Northwestern should be respectable. 

10. Indiana --  Leading tackler Austin Thomas returns at strong safety, but cornerback is the biggest question on the team. The Hoosiers lost both starting corners, including all-conference performer Tracy Porter, who ranked second in the league with six interceptions. Six players are in the mix for the two jobs, including senior Chris Phillips. If the cornerback spot is stabilized, Indiana should leapfrog several teams. 

11. Minnesota -- The personnel is there for a turnaround, but it's tough to rank the Gophers much higher without seeing junior-college transfers Tramaine Brock, Trae Simmons and Simoni Lawrence. If those players perform like coach Tim Brewster thinks they will, Minnesota will be much improved. Brock brings a much-needed edge to the back four. But the Gophers can't rely much on returning players after last season's disaster.