West Virginia

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL & AWARDS WATCHLIST

Pitt receives all but two first-place votes in pre-season media poll

By Raphielle Johnson

Tuesday morning marked the official release of the Big East preseason media poll, with Pittsburgh being the pick to win the conference. Dave Wannstedt’s Panthers, who lost their final two conference games a season ago to miss out on a BCS bid, picked up the first place vote on 22 of 24 ballots to separate themselves from two-time defending champ Cincinnati and West Virginia by 48 points. The Bearcats and Mountaineers both finished with 142 points, although Bill Stewart’s squad picked up one of the other two first place votes. Connecticut, who won their last four games to end 2009, picked up the other first place vote and finished fourth in the poll. Rutgers, who has won their last four bowl games, finished fifth by twenty points over USF and Syracuse finished one point ahead of Louisville for seventh.

1) Pittsburgh -190 points (22 first-place votes)
2) Cincinnati – 142 points
(tie) West Virginia – 142 points (one first-place vote)
4) Connecticut – 131 points (one first-place vote)
5) Rutgers – 99 points
6) South Florida – 79 points
7) Syracuse – 41 points
8] Louisville – 40 points

Can’t say that this is much of a surprise; on paper well before Tuesday’s release the Big East looked to be a league of three “tiers”: the top four with Pittsburgh leading the way, followed by a pair of teams in Rutgers and USF who have the ability to be positive surprises and the rebuilding projects at Syracuse and Louisville bringing up the rear. Personal pick for surprise team is USF; the Bulls have a lot more talent at the disposal of new head coach Skip Holtz and his staff than meets the eye. The biggest question in regards to personnel has to be Syracuse. What happens if they don’t have the services of either Delone Carter (led the team in rushing last season) or Averin Collier (slated to be the starter once Carter was dismissed from school)? You’d have to drop them behind Louisville, who has RB Victor Anderson back for his junior campaign (look for him to rebound from last season should he remain relatively healthy).

My picks:

Pittsburgh
West Virginia
Cincinnati
Connecticut
USF
Rutgers
Louisville
Syracuse

Preseason Award Watch Lists

July marks the time of the year when the individual awards release their initial watch lists for the upcoming season, and a number of Big East players found themselves honored. Below are the players from member schools who are on these lists.

Nagurski Award: DE Greg Romeus (Pittsburgh), S Robert Sands (West Virginia), LB J.K. Schaeffer (Cincinnati), LB J.T. Thomas (West Virginia), LB Lawrence Wilson (Connecticut)

O’Brien Award: QB Zach Collaros (Cincinnati), Tom Savage (Rutgers)

Outland Trophy: G Art Forst (Rutgers), G Zach Hurd (Connecticut), T Jason Pinkston (Rutgers)

Thorpe Award: S Dom DeCicco (Pittsburgh), CB Brandon Hogan (West Virginia), CB Johnny Patrick (Louisville), S Robert Sands (West Virginia)

More awards watch lists will be released next week.

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL SUMMER SCHOOL: WEST VIRGINIA

Mountaineers look to regain Big East crown in 2010

By Raphielle Johnson  

When the torch was passed from Rich Rodriguez to Bill Stewart (dropping the interim tag) on the heels of an impressive whipping of Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl following the 2007 season, many Mountaineers expected to remain atop the Big East as the league’s national standard bearer. But while West Virginia remains the program the other schools measure themselves against when it comes to winning the league, it is Cincinnati who owns the throne right now. But with a number of key contributors on both sides of the football back in Morgantown, expectations for WVU to take back the top spot are high. What separates West Virginia from favorite status as we approach fall camp? Look no further than quarterback.  

While Coach Stewart has handed the keys to the spread option to a different quarterback in each of his two prior seasons, Pat White and Jarrett Brown both had a wealth of experience running the show. That won’t be the case this season, with four players vying for the job with a combined 32-of-49 for 309 yards and a score (all by Geno Smith) through the air and a paltry 14 yards on the ground (seven apiece from Smith and Coley White). And those two are the veterans; incoming freshmen Barry Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson will both be given every opportunity to earn reps in advance of the season opener against Coastal Carolina. White played for both teams in the Gold-Blue Game, accounting for a total of 189 yards and three touchdowns against a pair of interceptions.  

But fret not for offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen; whoever is handed the keys to the offense will have a very nice array of skill position options to get the ball to, led by running back Noel Devine and slot-S receiver Jock Sanders. Devine racked up 1,465 yards and thirteen touchdowns on the ground in 2009, ranking behind only Pitt’s Dion Lewis (138.4 yards/game) in rushing yards per game with 112.7 per contest. Devine also accounted for 22 receptions with an average of just eight yards per catch, but opponents know better than to think he’s not an explosive option through the air as well. As Gale Sayers once said, “give me 18 inches. That’s all I need” and this applies for the senior from Fort Myers, FL as well.  

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? JASON GWALTNEY CLOSING CAREER AT D-III KEAN

Five years And two significant injuries later, Gwaltney finishes up promising college career in Division III

By Matt Whitfield

The name Jason Gwaltney is one seldom mentioned these days in Morgantown (WV). However, five years ago, the college town had a rabid obsession with the powerful running back as he was thought to be the Mountaineers next great back from Long Island, following in the path of ‘Famous’ Amos Zeroue.

Before Gwaltney even played in his first game in college there was talk of him winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the team to a national championship and becoming one of the Mountaineers all-time great players. None of these lofty expectations came to fruition as Gwaltney only played in six games with WVU.

Gwaltney was injured in a game against Rutgers his freshman season and eventually kicked off the team by coach Rich Rodriguez for, allegedly, skipping classes repeatedly. Gwaltney’s WVU career: 45 carries, 186 yards and three touchdowns in six games.

Gwaltney was hoping to return to the team the following spring, after a brief stop at Nassau CC in January, he returned to WVU for the spring semester attempting to get himself academically eligible. However in June of 2006 Gwaltney was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol, speeding and failure to produce a license in Morgantown.

Despite two comeback attempts with West Virginia, Gwaltney now finds himself getting ready for his senior season at Division-III Kean University in New Jersey. While Kean might not sit too far from the Big East schools Gwaltney once hoped to terrorize on the field, the New Jersey Athletic Conference is light years from the Big East conference.

Today, Gwaltney is once again working on a comeback after a serious ankle injury nearly cost him his football career and wiped out all but one half of a game in his junior season. In Kean’s home opener and first game of the season they faced off against ECAC rival Delaware Valley, a team that beat them in the playoffs the last time they met, 16-7. With Gwaltney and Jared Chunn, who rushed for 1,405 yards in 2008, the offense was to set to revolve around the run. However, on Gwatlney’s eighth carry off the day, which went for 14 yards, something went terribly wrong for the North Babylon native. Gwaltney, who reportedly heard a snap on the play, was carted off the field.

Gwaltney, who transferred to Kean University last season from Division-II CW Post, saw his hopes and dreams nearly dashed with that injury and contemplated life out of football for a time after the injury. However he has recovered and has his eyes set on his final season.

“I’d have to say I’m feeling pretty good,” stated Gwaltney. “I was under the impression I would be out a year, and just be able to start training now. But with the help of the trainers at school and trainers back home I made a speedy recovery and my ankle feels good.”

Though he is not playing for a national power at the Division 1-A level, such as West Virginia, USC, Ohio State or any of the others that tried to lure him their way in high school, Gwaltney finds himself happy at Kean as the journey to this point has helped shape him as the person and player he is today.

“Honestly, I couldn’t be happier about being at Kean,” said Gwaltney. “I’m playing with a great group of guys, great coaches, and the University supports us. It’s definitely a motivational tool I use for myself though, knowing people will look at my competition in a different light than D1.”

With Gwaltney’s last season set to begin in September, the senior-to-be has high expectations for himself and his teammates.

“With this team we hope to play in Salem (VA) come seasons end,” said Gwaltney. “I know it’s a bold statement, but knowing the work we put in as a team this offseason I’d be lying if I said I expected less.”

Salem, to those unfamiliar, is the annual site of the Division III national championship game which culminates the playoffs to crown a national champion on the field. The last five years the game has been dominated as Mount Union (OH) and Wisconsin-Whitewater have played for the title against each other the last five years.

Still, Gwaltney is expecting a big final season on the gridiron and having the chance to show people he is still capable of playing past college.

“Far as I go, I wanna be the hardest working athlete on the field at all times,” said Gwaltney. “Making my weakness my strengths. That’s what I expect of myself.”

Gwaltney, who amassed 135 touchdowns and over 7,800 yards in his high school career knows he’ll always have his doubters, but today feels he’s more mature as a player.

“I respect the game a lot more,” said Gwaltney. “I’ll respond to how I do in football with my actions and not my words.”

For Gwaltney, assuming lightning doesn’t strike three times, the rising senior will likely be a force this season for Kean. Gwaltney led CW Post in rushing in 2007 with 709 yards in just 6 games, and had 45 yards in his first game with Kean before going down with the ankle injury in the second quarter. Assuming all goes well this season, Gwaltney still has hopes of playing on the next level.

“Just to make the most of every opportunity,” said Gwaltney. “Treat football at Kean like I would at the next level and at the next level treat it like it’s my business and handle it likewise. Not to say the game is no longer fun, but the intensity is turned up that much in transition from college to the pros.”

As with any college student, their time in college is a transition where one learns, matures and grows with experience. For Gwaltney, hopefully his experience can be a steeping stone to better things down the road. He certainly seems to be on his way once again.

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CLASS OF 2011 PENNSYLVANIA TOP 25 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS

by CHRIS DOKISH

It’s a down year for talent in the state, both with the number of elite prospects and the overall number of high-major prospects, but there are still some very good players to be recruited.

The glamour positions of quarterback and wide receiver are severely lacking, and there are no elite offensive linemen or linebackers, but there is an excellent running back which is a rarity in the state, three excellent cornerbacks, and a slew of exciting pass rushers.

As always, the final rankings are my own, but only after talking to many high school coaches, college scouts, and independent scouts, such as Joe Butler of Metro Index Scouting.

1. Ben Koyack, Oil City HS (Oil City) TE – It’s not often that a tight end is the best player in the state, but there is little doubt that will be the case this year. At 6′5″ and 230 pounds, he has good size with a frame to get even bigger. He also possesses great hands to go along with good speed and athleticism. More of a threat as a receiver but is a willing and good blocker. Most of all, he just knows how to play football. Committed to NOTRE DAME over Penn State, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Oklahoma, West Virginia, LSU, California, Virginia Tech, USC, and many others. Bottom line – A perfect fit for new coach Brian Kelly and there’s no reason why he can’t be a star at the college level.

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JAMAL MERRITT UPDATES RECRUITMENT

Maryland athlete open in his recruitment, but speaks highly of Rutgers and looks to visit WVU next week

by JOHN TALTY

When a football player gets labeled an athlete it almost always is because of that player’s versatility.

That theory holds particularly true for Sherwood (Md.) 6-foot, 170-pound athlete Jamal Merritt.

Merritt has experience at wide receiver, cornerback and safety for his team and is subsequently being recruited at each position by different schools. He expects to get a better idea of what position he wants to play in college during his senior season, but right now is content to play whatever necessary.

“Right now I’ll just play wherever the coach wants me to play but as the season goes on that’s when I’ll get a better feel for what I want to play,” Merritt said. “That will be one of the main things that will help me choose what school I want.”

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2011 NJ TE JACK TABB TALKS RECRUITING, CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT & MORE

by JOHN TALTY

2011 Red Bank Catholic (NJ) tight end Jack Tabb has been following the story of conference realignment fairly intently and finds the whole story very intriguing.

“I think it’s all pretty interesting,” Tabb said. “I heard Rutgers might be going to the Big 10 and I think it could be a good fit for them.”

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end has proven himself as one of the top tight ends on the East Coast and has already reeled in 18 offers from some top-notch programs.

But none might be bigger than the offer from SEC powerhouse Florida.

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PHIL STEELE’S PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST TEAMS

Phil Steele Releases All-Big East Teams

Daniels, Lewis lead the way for Big East talent in 2010

By Raphielle Johnson

CLEVELAND, OH – May 19, 2010 – Phil Steele sent his Phil Steele’s 2010 College Football Preview to the press. Enclosed is Phil’s preseason All-Big East Team as well as his All-American Team as it will appear in the Magazine, hitting newsstands June 8th.

Phil Steele’s College Football Preview is the nation’s most informative preseason football magazine and has always provided a preseason All-American team as well as preseason All-Conference teams. For more information or to obtain a copy of each of the All-Conference teams, please visit PhilSteele.com

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FOOTBALL RECRUITING NOTES

The Charleston Post & Courier is always a valuable resource for recruiting notes in the southeast. Phil Kornblut delivers many relevent notes once again in his May 11 Notebook, here are some of the notes that Big East fans will find of interest:

WR Justin Scott (5-11, 205) of Camilla (GA) plans to announce his commitment Saturday at the state track meet. ScottWake Forest and South Carolina in the next two weeks. He has offers from the Gamecocks, Wake Forest, Louisville, Georgia, Georgia Tech, East Carolina, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Maryland.
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TE Drew Owens (6-5, 230) of Charlotte has decided to open his recruiting back up after narrowing things a little bit. He had South Carolina and North Carolina as his top two, but now he says there are no favorites. He’s doing this because he recently picked up offers from Louisville, Michigan, South Florida and Illinois. He also has offers from South Carolina, Clemson, North Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, East Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Duke. He plans to have a new top five before this season and those will be his official visits.
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LB Marcquis Roberts (6-1, 205) of Powder Springs (GA) is still favoring South Carolina over offers from Wisconsin, Memphis and Louisville. Gamecock recruiter GA Mangus was in recently, along with recruiters from Florida State and Purdue. Mangus is expected back for his spring game Saturday. He doesn’t plan to make a decision until mid-season.
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DB Geraldo Orta (6-0 180) of Valdosta (GA) has landed offers from Clemson and South Carolina. Orta also has an offer from Tennessee and is also getting interest from North Carolina, Illinois, Central Florida, Georgia, Troy and Louisville. Right now he’s favoring Clemson over Auburn, Tennessee and North Carolina. Orta plays cornerback and safety.
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ATH Ronald Baines (6-1 180) of Voorhees (NJ) is still waiting on that first offer and will be attending camps from May through July to be evaluated by the coaches. One of his camp stops will be South Carolina in early June. Schools showing interest include USC, Temple, Penn State, Michigan, South Florida, Connecticut, Tennessee, Rutgers and Kentucky.
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NBE Sports has watched plenty of Penn Wood (PA) High School big man Shawn Oakman on the basketball court, where he is a Division I prospect at 6-foot-8, 240-pounds. However his future might be on the gridiron at the college level as a defensive end as Oakman is Up to Six Division 1-A Offers (PennLive.com) in football.

Oakman has received offers from Connecticut, North Carolina State, Penn State, Pitt, Rice, and South Carolina. Schools like Michigan, Purdue, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia have shown interest.
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Bowling Green, Illinois, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Syracuse, Texas Tech and West Virginia have all offered Desimon Green as Clairton’s Green is Up to 10 Offers (PennLive.com). Green doubles as both a quarterback and a defensive lineman for Clairton which has gone 30-2 the last two seasons. The 6’4, 215-pound senior-to-be had a productive junior season at quarterback, throwing for more than 1,500 yards and running for more than 800 yards, accounting for more than 20 total touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball he has been a dominant pass-rusher, accounting for more than 45 sacks the last two seasons.
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Dallastown’s Ben Kline has received scholarship offers from Boston College, UCONN, Maryland, Michigan, Pitt, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and West Virginia as WR/LB Kline is Up to 8 Offers (PennLive.com).
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BIG EAST FOOTBALL APPROACHING CROSSROADS?

Expansion possibilities threaten league’s viability

By Raphielle Johnson

The company line following the BCS meetings in Phoenix last month was that the Big Ten Conference would wait until December to issue invites to possible expansion targets, staying on course instead of accelerating the process as rumored. That may have been thrown for a loop if the report put out by 810 WHB in Kansas City on Monday has any truth to it. According to the Kansas City-based ESPN affiliate the Big Ten will invite four institutions to join the league: Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers. Is there truth to the report or is it merely speculation from “sources” that could be wrong? That’s the question and the report was followed by denials from those intimately involved with the process.

All four schools issued denials on Monday and with an issue such as this it’s difficult to find the truth in the midst of so many rumors. But well before this day the Big East had a simple decision to make. Is the league proactive, making a move with the idea of beating the Big Ten to the punch and gaining a little leverage for itself? Or does the Big East go the reactive route, acting only after it knows what the Big Ten’s course of action will be? You can’t blame Big East loyalists who’ve had flashbacks to the ACC’s calling of three schools back in 2003-04 when it comes to the latter course of action.

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL 2009 SEASON AWARDS

Big East Honors Announced with Panthers and Bearcats splitting major awards

By Raphielle Johnson

The Big East Conference announced its 2009 football awards on Wednesday afternoon and there were few surprises with the results. Brian Kelly, who in some circles is rumored to be headed to Notre Dame, was named the Big East Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season. Kelly’s Cincinnati Bearcats finished the regular season 12-0 and will once again represent the league in the Bowl Championship Series, playing Florida in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Bearcats also saw Mardy Gilyard win the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year, the second consecutive award for the senior and third straight for the UC program (Kevin Huber in 2007).

As for the offensive and defensive honors those went to Pittsburgh, with freshman Dion Lewis winning both Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year. Lewis led the Big East in rushing and ranked in the top five nationally in rushing yards per game. Defensively Greg Romeus and Mick Williams shared the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award and as a team Pitt had ten players named to the league’s First Team All-Big East squad. Lastly the conference made late Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard the honorary captain. Howard was tragically lost in the early morning hours of October 18th after playing one of the best games of his career in a win over Louisville.

“As a family, we wanted to respectfully remember Jasper Howard and honor his memory,” said Big East commissioner John Marinatto in the conference’s release. “In naming him the Honorary Captain of the 2009 All-BIG EAST Team, we have memorialized his name in BIG EAST Conference history.”

2009 Big East Football Awards

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