Just some assorted things relating to football that I’ll lump in a short link-dump.

The rest of Coach Wannstedt’s interview with ESPN.com’s Brian Bennett. Kevin Harper will at least take over kick-off duties it seems. Mike Cruz comes in as the #1 tight end with Devlin #2. Mason to no one’s shock will be MLB.

How about the offensive line? You lost three starters but it seems like you’ve been grooming some young guys to take over.

DW: Center will be the biggest position. Left guard will be fine. Chris Jacobson, he started the bowl game and can play. He’s a big, talented kid. Three years ago, he was the most highly recruited offensive lineman in the state of Pennsylvania. So he’ll be fine. There’s competition at right guard and the same thing at center. So we’ve got to fill two spots, but we’ve got some young guys who’ve been waiting for that opportunity. We’ll see. I’m not sure how it’s going to pan out.

Not even a hint as to who will be competing at the center spot. Meanwhile Robb Houser, who did a fine job in his brief time, is gearing up for Pitt’s pro day to show he can play in the NFL.

A major inspiration for him has been former Pittsburgh teammate C.J. Davis, now a guard in the league with the Carolina Panthers. Davis wasn’t drafted last year and like Houser doesn’t have exceptionally imposing size.

Being from the Pittsburgh system evidently provided quite a lift. Dave Wannstedt, with his 22 years worth of professional experience as a former NFL coach and player, runs the program and has been preparing college players well now for the business.

“C.J. couldn’t believe how simple it was when he had to first study the Carolina play schemes,” Houser said. “They’re very complicated at Pitt, it took me a year and a half to get down. I think that some of the coaches and players at Carolina were amazed how C.J. was able to master that system quickly and I’m not surprised because I know how complex the plays we run (at Pittsburgh) are.”

Former players from the school now in the NFL include New York Jets defensive back Darrelle Rivas, Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and Carolina Panthers left tackle Jeff Otah. Those three are considered among the league’s best under 25 years of age and were manufactured by Wannstedt during their college careers.

Needless to say, Houser is hoping to join the tradition…

“Manufactured?”

Nate Byham gets discussed among TE prospects at the Patriots site.

“Smash-mouth football, the kind of guy who’s down in the trenches doing the dirty work,” was how Byham described himself and his game Thursday. “Not too many tight ends are known for getting all gritty and moving d-ends and throwing linebackers. That’s why I take pride in being able to get down there and maybe get out in the pass when people least expect it.”

Byham also pointed out that his head coach at Pitt, Dave Wannstedt (a long-time former NFL assistant and head coach) has been instrumental in molding him into a prototypical NFL blocking tight end. Scouts, he said, have told him that they can see how much more developed he is as a blocker than other college players at his position.

This article on Dickerson raising his stock at the combine also provided unintentional insight as to why Coach Wannstedt struggled with figuring out the right place to play him.

Still, it remains to be seen if he improved his draft stock because, at 6 feet 2, 226 pounds, Dickerson will have to add at least 15 pounds to be a flex tight end or H-back in the National Football League. If so, he thinks he can be a tight end on the order of Dallas Clark of the Indianapolis Colts or Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers.

“They’re smaller type tight ends,” Dickerson said. “That’s what I classify myself as, a smaller receiving-type tight end.

“I think they’re going to look at me as a flex tight end. I’m probably going to put on some weight. I’ll be used in the slot and as a wing, all the H-back stuff. I think that’s how I’ll be used. But some teams might want me as a bigger receiver, I don’t know yet.”

Because of his athleticism and unique skills, Dickerson lined up at a number of different positions at Pitt, including wide receiver, H-back and running back. Nate Byham, who also attended the combine, was more of the natural tight end, primarily because he is a better blocker than Dickerson.

They apparently don’t know where to play him or classify him. It really seems to be an issue in the NFL as to body types and “prototypical” sizes. Coach Wannstedt (and to some degree former OC Matt Cavanaugh) with an NFL background struggled to recognize the potential at the TE spot in college until late.

At SI.com, Andy Staples managed to put together a team of top players who were so missed by the recruiting sites that they had 2-stars or less. Dion Lewis didn’t make the cut because even he got 3-stars. The only Pitt player, Greg Romeus.

Romeus played basketball for most of his life and didn’t take up football until his senior year at Coral Glades High in Coral Springs, Fla. The school was playing its first year of varsity football, so it wasn’t a destination for college recruiters. Romeus was set to sign with Central Florida, but Pitt made a late push and snagged a raw athlete who would grow into a fearsome pass rusher.

Former Big East Commish Mike Tranghese got $30,000 for six months consulting work to Memphis for how they can get into a BCS conference. Tranghese did not have to produce a written report, and his informed, measured advice seemed to boil down to: win more football games.