Offense

Big East Offensive Player of the Year- Noel Devine

Quarterbacks

Grade D+

1^st Team

#12 Zach Collaros JR Cincinnati

Collaros stepped in midway through the 2009 season when Tony Pike was injured against South Florida. He went a perfect 4-0, completing 75% of his passes. He has good athleticism and mobility, but lacks the prototypical size for an NFL QB.

2^nd Team

#4 Zach Fraser SR Connecticut

The Notre Dame transfer emerged as the starting QB last season over Cody Endres. He plays in one of the most balanced offenses in the country and the 'Huskies pattern its identity after a pro style offense.  While he has the measurables, in his delivery he short arms throws, resulting in less velocity on many of his passes.

Running Backs

Grade B

1^st Team

#7 Noel Devine SR West Virginia

One the most creative backs in the country in between the tackles.  Small and shifty, with the ability to break the big run anytime he touches the ball. Could draw comparisons to Dexter McCluster come draft time. The All-Big East performer averaged 6.1 yards a carry in 2009 and had 7 runs of 50 plus yards from scrimmage.

#23 Jordan Todman JR Connecticut

Despite splitting time with Andre Dixon, Todman rushed for a team high 1,188 yards and 14 touchdowns.  His deceptive speed and balance could make him the top RB prospect in the conference by the end of the season.

2^nd Team

#3 Delone Carter SR Syracuse

One of the most underrated RB’s in the Big East.  He packs a punch as a runner with his 215 pound frame, but needs to improve his agility to elude more tackles.

Wide Receivers

Grade B

1^st Team

#82 Jonathan Baldwin JR Pittsburgh

There hasn’t been this much excitement surrounded on a Pitt receiver since Larry Fitzgerald donned the blue and gold.  Baldwin is equipped with speed, athleticism, and a 42 inch vertical leap.  Baldwin was 3^rd in the conference with 57 receptions for 1,111 yards and 8 touchdowns.

#80 Armon Binns SR Cincinnati

Emerged as a downfield threat for the Bearcats offense last season.  The more he plays, the better his confidence gets, which could be scary considering he has yet to reach his full potential.

2^nd Team

#81 Dontanvia Bogan SR South Florida

Fleet-footed receiver that has all the tools necessary to develop into a top-flight wideout.  Demonstrates lack of consistency at this point and needs to develop into a much more efficient route runner.  Should see more balls come his way after losing big play threat Carlton Mitchell from a year ago.

#14 Bradley Starks JR West Virginia

Starks started his career at QB before making the transition to WR.  Though he dropped a ton of passes last season, he is the best WR prospect on the Mountaineers roster.  With Arlic Arnett and Wes Lyons out of the picture, it’s time for Starks to put his superb athleticism to use.

One to Watch

#7 Vidal Hazelton SR Cincinnati

The former USC transfer will be one to watch this upcoming season. Compliments WR mate Binns with his 6’3" 210 pound frame.

Tight End

Grade D-

1^st Team

#83 Cameron Graham SR Louisville

Named 3^rd Team All Big East last season, Graham has yet to fully produce as a pass catching TE. He does display talent as a run blocker similar to former Pitt TE Nate Bynum from a year ago.

H-Back

Grade C

1^st Team

#19 Ben Guidugli SR Cincinnati

An undersized TE that was primarily used as a slot receiver in Brian Kelly’s offense last season.

Offensive Tackles

Grade C+

1^st Team

#77 Jason Pinkston SR Pittsburgh

Aided the Big East Rookie of the Year Dion Lewis to 1,799 yards rushing last season. Pinkston is a good run blocker that will most likely project as a RT (right tackle) in the NFL.

#64 Don Barclay JR West Virginia

Athletic LT that protected the backside of QB Jarrett Brown. Arguably the best OL on West Virginia’s front five last season. Graded out higher in more games than any other OL on the team.

2^nd Team

#77 Art Frost JR Rutgers

Will make the switch from RG to RT this season after losing two All-Big East performers. Frost is 6’5" 310 pounds with the wingspan to re-direct rushers off the edge.

#52 Lucas Nix JR Pittsburgh

Started all 13 contests last season for the Panthers.  Needs to improve his flexibility when on an island with DE’s.

Offensive Guard

Grade C-

1^st Team

#78 Zach Hurd SR Connecticut

Mammoth OG that paved the way for two 1,000 yard rushers last season.

#77 Josh Jenkins JR West Virginia

Surprising athletic ability.  Adequate zone blocker in WVU's spread option attack.

2^nd Team

#59 Alex Hoffman JR Cincinnati

Hoffman started 13 games last season in the Bearcats' run to its second straight Big East title.  He is a versatile player that has experience at both guard and tackle.

#60 Jason Kelce SR Cincinnati

Named 2nd Team All-Big East last season after protecting one of the most efficient passers in the country.  Kelce plays both OG and C for the Bearcats.

Center

Grade C+

1^st Team

#57 Moe Petrus SR Connecticut

Doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty in the trenches. Doesn’t always use great technique, but is physical enough to get the job done.

2^nd Team

#70 Ryan Bartholomew SR Syracuse

Appears to have the command of the offensive front. Knowledgeable player with hidden potential.

Defense

Big East Defensive Player of the Year- Greg Romeus

Defensive Ends

Grade B

1^st Team

#91 Greg Romeus SR Pittsburgh

Last season, Romeus was selected Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year along with teammate Mick Williams. He led the Panthers with 8 sacks and was second on the team in TFL’s with 11.5. He is a ferocious athlete off the edge, with the ability to dominate a game.

#99 Jonathan Freeny SR Rutgers

This speedy Floridian possesses great speed off the edge. He has natural pass rush ability, but needs to improve against the run.

2^nd Team

#97 Julian Miller SR West Virginia

Miller had a silent productive season for the Mountaineers.  He recorded 14 TFL’s and 9 sacks.  Plays in a 3-4 system where he has some flexibility for a two way go as a pass rusher.

#97 Jabaal Sheard SR Pittsburgh

Solid defender against the run. 10.5 TFL’s in 2009.  Suspension clouds status at this point and it remains to be seen whether we will see Sheard for a full season.

One to Watch

#94 Craig Marshall SR South Florida

Had it not been for the arrival of Jason Pierre-Paul, Marshall was penciled to start at DE for the Golden Bulls a year ago.  Although South Florida lost two great DE’s in the 2010 NFL Draft, Marshall should step in to provide the same type of pressure off the edge this season.

Defensive Tackles

Grade C-

1^st Team

#93 Scooter Berry SR West Virginia

Plays the strong DE position for the Mountaineers, but will move to the inside in obvious passing situations. Will either project as a 5 technique in a 3-4 defense or a 3 technique in a 4-3 defense.

#95 Derek Wolfe JR Cincinnati

This 6’6" 298 pound specimen could be the best DT in the conference.  He is a good two gap defender that can cloud the QB’s passing lanes.

2^nd Team

#90 Chris Neild SR West Virginia

A true 3-4 NG with 27 career starts.

#97 Terrell McClain SR South Florida

Athletic interior lineman that required double teams for much of last season. Although he was overshadowed by Selvie and Pierre-Paul, he should draw major attention this season.

One to Watch

#4 Twyon Martin JR Connecticut

Came on strong for the Huskies at the end of last season.  Expect him to be a dominant force in the Big East this season.

Outside Linebacker

Grade C+

1^st Team

#8 Lawrence Wilson SR Connecticut

Tremendous sideline to sideline player that registered 140 tackles to lead the Big East.

# 30 JT Thomas SR West Virginia

Second generation Mountaineer exhibits good awareness and football savvy as a defender.

2^nd Team

#37 JK Shaffer JR Cincinnati

Displays great cognitive ability, which allows him to play faster than he will time. Needs to improve strength and speed, but will head up a defense that was embarrassed by Florida in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

#31 Pat Lazear SR West Virginia

Aggressive player that plays the game with passion. Shows the ability to cause disruption as a blitzing LB.  Led the Mountaineers last season with 78 tackles.

One to Watch

#32 Doug Hogue SR Syracuse

Undersized LB that made the transition from RB last season.  Hogue still has to get over the LB learning curve, but Hogue plays with great anticipation because he knows the offensive side of the ball.

#11 Sabbath Joseph SR South Florida

Has a great LB’s mentality, but has yet to put it all together.

Middle Linebacker

Grade B-

1^st Team

#25 Derrell Smith SR Syracuse

Smith led the Orangemen with 84 tackles and 10.5 TFLs last season.  He has the best intangibles of any middle linebacker in the conference.  He shows good redirect ability in the box and plays to the flow of the offense.

2^nd Team

Scott Lutrus

After the making the switch to the middle last season, Lutrus' numbers dropped significantly.  While stats aren’t everything, Lutrus suits better as a MLB than OLB because of his pedestrian speed and range.

One to Watch

Greg Lloyd Jr. SR Connecticut

Lloyd will make the switch to DE this season in order to get him on the field more. The son of former Steelers great Greg Lloyd, the younger version is an exceptional run stuffer at MLB.   Just ask Notre Dame’s RB Armando Allen.  He leveled him with back to back pad popping hits on the goal line last season.

Cornerbacks

Grade B

1^st Team

#22 Brandon Hogan SR West Virginia

Despite only coming up with one pick last season, Hogan displays a shutdown mentality on the island.  He plays with great body disposition and exhibits the footwork to go along with it.  Hogan led the conference with 11 pass breakups a season ago.

#8 Keith Tandy JR West Virginia

Not quite as athletic as Hogan, but compliments him in their zone schemes. Appeared lost at times last season, but with a year under his belt he should have a much better season.

2^nd Team

Johnny Patrick SR Louisville

Emerged as the team’s best defender last season.  Does a good job of anticipating the QB’s next move, but is vulnerable to the double move.  Could emerge as a top CB prospect in the Big East under new head coach Charlie Strong.  

#9 Dominique Battle JR Cincinnati

Made 12 starts last season, coming up with 60 tackles (44 solo). He does a good job of diagnosing plays, and plays with a Floridian type swagger outside.

One to Watch

#2 Quenton Washington JR South Florida

Should be the next South Florida CB to follow in the footsteps of Mike Jenkins (Dallas Cowboys) and Jerome Murphy (St. Louis Rams).  Superb athlete, but needs to understand that can’t get him by forever.

#4 David Rowe JR Rutgers

Became more noticeable on film last season when watching the secondary of Rutgers.  An athlete waiting to come out of his shell.  Needs to capitalize more on the opportunities he gets from game to game.

#26 Kevyn Scott JR Syracuse

Appears on the field at both CB and S.  Fast twitch defender with great closing speed.

Strong Safeties

Grade D

1^st Team

#31 Dom DeCicco SR Pittsburgh

Presents a great physical presence at 6’2" 230 pounds.  He lacks fluidity as a secondary defender, but shows great range when in half field coverage.

2^nd Team

#12 Sidney Glover SR West Virginia

Glover is a cross breed secondary defender that plays the bandit/spur position in the Mountaineers defense. He’s a physical player with average coverage ability.

One to Watch

#5 John Lejiste SS South Florida

Hard hitting defender that is filled with potential.

#15 Jerome Junior R-So Connecticut

Started 12 of 13 games last season for the Huskies. Breaks down well when tackling.

Free Safety

Grade B-

1^st Team

#22 Robert Sands JR West Virginia

Sands tied for a league leading 5 interceptions last season.  He displays the size, range, and ball skills to be rated as one of the top free safeties in the country.

2^nd Team

#35 Mike Holmes SR Syracuse

Recorded 77 tackles and 3 interceptions last season to lead the Orangemen defense. Pesky defender that appears to be valuable when defending mid-range routes.  As was evident vs. Penn State last season, he needs to work on not rounding his angles as a tackler in the open field.

One to Watch

#16 Mistral Raymond SR South Florida

Junior College transfer that started 4 games last season.  Saw most of his action as a spot player behind Nate Allen at FS.  Talented player  will have one final season to showcase his talent.

Specialists

Special Teams Player of the Year- Jock Sanders

Punter

Grade C+

#47 Rob Long SR Syracuse

The 2^nd team All-Big East performer averaged 43.9 yards a punt last season. Consistent placement punter.

Placekicker

Grade B

Tyler Bitancourt R-So West Virginia

Clutch kicker that became a scoring weapon for the Mountaineers.  Hit the game winning kick in the victory against Pitt last season. 13-15 on field goals in 2009.

Returner

Grade B

Jock Sanders SR West Virginia

Explosive and shifty returner. This is the position he will mostly likely to project at the NFL level.

All-Purpose

Grade A-

Jock Sanders SR West Virginia

Sanders averaged nearly 10 catches in the first 3 games of last season. He also serves as the team's RB and primary return specialist.