Big Ten Football Morning Coffee: Is Devin Gardner 'Michigan's Best Receiver'?

Rise and shine, friends. Here's what's going down in the Big Ten today.

There's been some talk about moving Michigan backup quarterback Devin Gardner to wide receiver for 2012, on account of Gardner's size (6'5") and athleticism—not to mention that Denard Robinson gentleman currently atop the depth chart at QB.

Brian Cook over at mgoblog has a source "who has seen Gardner at all of Michigan's practices" that says Gardner would be—and these are his source's words—"instantly Michigan's best receiver." There's always a confounder, though, and this one's pretty important: Gardner is still taking all the second-team QB reps. Stay tuned.

Speaking of Michigan, spring football is in full effect in Ann Arbor, and according to Nick Baumgardner one of the main themes emerging is that Will Campbell—the mammoth but underwhelming defensive tackle—is turning into the leader of the defensive front, leading D-Line meetings and bringing a better attitude to his on-field play.

Urban Meyer and new cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs would like to remind Cincinnati that it's part of the Buckeye State too, writes Bill Rabinowtiz of the Columbus Dispatch. Meyer is a Cincinnati grad, while Coombs was hired from there. 

Minnesota's got a bevy of new faces around incumbent QBs MarQueis Gray and Max Shortell, per the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. Shortell's 15 pounds heavier and benefiting from his first spring practice, but Gray's going to start as long as he's healthy.

According to Pro Football Weekly, former Northwestern QB Dan Persa is determined to impress NFL scouts despite concerns about his height and lingering leg issues last year. Word to the NFL: you underestimate this man at your own peril.

Ever looked at a spring roster and lamented a mass exodus of starters from the previous season? According to College Football Matrix, statistics show there's barely any difference between returning four starters or nine on offense when it comes to predicting win totals for next year. Additionally, would you rather return your starting quarterback, or both the starting punter and kicker? You said QB, didn't you? Yeah, you might want to give that link a read.

John Infante at NCAA.org delved into the New Orleans Saints' illegal bounty program and figured out how many NCAA violations would be committed if a college program did exactly the same thing. Hint: it is stunningly inadvisable.