Continuing the countdown of the top 25 players in the Big East for 2010, taking into account past performance and potential for this coming season ...
No. 2: Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia, Sr.
2009 numbers: Carried 241 times for 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns. Caught 22 passes for 177 yards and a score.
Postseason ranking: No. 3
Making the case for Devine: YouTube should probably just start a site or a dedicated channel to Devine. He became an Internet sensation for his high school highlights, and that's only continued in Morgantown.
Simply put, there's no player more capable of producing a spectacular play at any moment than Devine. Witness his seven runs of at least 50 yards last season. You can't leave your seat to buy popcorn when Devine is lined up in the backfield or you might miss something unforgettable like his 88-yard touchdown run against Pitt or his 56-yard score against UConn.
Devine became a workhorse in 2009, battling through some injuries to put up nearly 1,500 yards. He then made everyone from Bluefield to Buckhannon rejoice when he decided to come back for his senior year. Devine seems determined to make this his best year yet, and coach Bill Stewart has promised to feed him the ball relentlessly. Devine is already one of the best players in the conference and the country. If he fulfills every bit of his potential, he could make this No. 2 ranking seem laughably low.
Previously:
No. 25: Zach Hurd, OG, Connecticut
No. 24: Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse
No. 23: Tino Sunseri, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 22: Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse
No. 21: Steve Beauharnais, LB, Rutgers
No. 20: Vidal Hazelton, WR, Cincinnati
No. 19: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 18: Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut
No. 17: Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia
No. 16: Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati
No. 15: J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia
No. 14: Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
No. 13: Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia
No. 12: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
No. 11: Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
No. 10: Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati
No. 9: Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut
No. 8: Robert Sands, S, West Virginia
No. 7: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
No. 6: B.J. Daniels, QB, South Florida
No. 5: Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati
No. 4: Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 3: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh