ESPN has been conducting round table discussions regarding some issues that need to be addressed in college football in the aftermath of widespread NCAA violations at some high profile programs.

Rece Davis is hosting the series called "Blueprint for Change." The panelists include college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, former Florida coach Urban Meyer, ESPN's Mark May, former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, ESPN's Robert Smith, ESPN's Rod Gilmore, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, Alabama coach Nick Saban, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese and Tennessee athletic director Joan Cronan.

Issues that the group is addressing include whether college athletes should be able to market their image for profit, the impact that third parties such as "street agents" are having on the recruiting process, recruiting rules and how they should possibly be revised, whether athletes should be compensated beyond tuition, room and board and possible improvements to the present system of determining the national champion.

All of the discussions are well and good but East Carolina coach Ruffin McNeill has some thoughts, too.

"'I'd like for head coaches to be able to go out more, especially in the spring," McNeill said. "One of the things I want to do is make sure I get the right guy here on campus. I want to get the right Pirate in here to join our family. I get a chance to go out during the fall at some designated times but no head coaches are allowed to go out in the spring. I would like that changed. I want to get out and see the players we're recruiting, go to the high schools and watch the kids. We can't talk to them but at least be allowed to watch them practice."

McNeill would also like to be able to talk to potential players' teachers, school administrators and coaches. The more personal information McNeill can obtain, the better suited he feels he can be in making an informed decision about which players to offer scholarships.

"I love the recruiting aspect," said the Pirates coach. "I love going out. That's one of my strong points, I think, is the recruiting part of it. ... I love the coaching part but the recruiting part is what I've made a living on. If I had to make one change I would say let the head coach get involved more in the recruiting, especially during the spring, doing evaluation."

Evaluations start early in college football. McNeill said Harold Robinson, ECU's director of high school relations, has film broken down as far ahead as players in the high school class of 2014, the current rising sophomores. It's just a part of being prepared in college football.

"I want the right guy here," coach McNeill said. "The right character, the right work ethic, the right intangibles. The talent thing we can find on film. We can see if he can run and hit and block and those type of things but to find out the detail things, what kind of person he is, what kind of family he comes from, what do teachers think of this young man. What do administrators think of this player we're trying to recruit. It takes some time to be thorough. I want to be very thorough on that part. In order to do that, you do need a little more time. Whatever can allow us to evaluate the young men more thoroughly, I'm all for."

McNeill is in agreement with those on the "Blueprint" panel who contend that the NCAA book of regulations is almost impossibly detailed.

"It's so thick you can't memorize all the rules," McNeill said. "We're very lucky here we have a great compliance office led by Jamie Johnson."

McNeill said that athletic director Terry Holland and chancellor Steve Ballard set a tone in promoting compliance.

"There are so many rules and you have to stay up on it," McNeill said. "We get tested every year and every coaching staff does on the NCAA rules. They keep changing from year to year and you have to stay up on it. I'm all for the regulations. I'm all for being compliant. ... We rely on our compliance office here to monitor us and tell us what we need to do, what we can do and how to go about our business. It would be hard for our coaching staff to coach this team and do all the things we're asked to do without the help of our compliance office.

"We're very fortunate at East Carolina to have a great compliance office."

Pirates ahead of last year

There was a lot going on last year during preseason camp for McNeill and his first-year coaching staff. With a full season and offseason under their belts, the Pirates are more advanced in this year's camp in a number of areas.

"The camp is running very smoothly," McNeill said. "The coordinators, Lincoln (Riley) on offense and Brian (Mitchell) on defense and Clay (McGuire) on special teams and then Jeff (Connors) and his staff on conditioning are really doing a great job. The team has adjusted to the change (in strength and conditioning), which it has been a change for them. It's more demanding of them. Not that it wasn't a demanding fall camp last year, it's just gone to another level. I know it will pay off for us in the long run. The execution on all three sides of the ball has improved every day we've been there, which during fall camp, you look for.

"We've got to stay healthy, which we're doing. We're getting pretty healthy right now, knock on wood. I keep praying for God to keep blessing us with that, to stay healthy. We're developing depth at different positions, which we'll need. The smoothness of the camp is going well. The continuity of the staff I think makes that go and it's going that route. The addition of Coach Connors and his staff with the lifting and conditioning that we have involved right now I think that's going to benefit us greatly this year."

McNeill is doing much better personally, of course, with surgeries that have helped him lose 130 pounds as well as replace an ailing hip. When the leader of the program is in better shape, the effect tends to trickle down into other areas of the program.

"If the troops see the guy in charge enthusiastic, in shape, paying attention to detail and working hard, it tends to rub off on them," McNeill said. "Everything starts with me and ends with me. I want to make sure I'm in great shape for the kids because they're working very hard. I have to make sure I work hard as well. They've been great. Everybody is supportive out on the field from the coaches, the players, they all help me and support me. I know right now I need to keep pushing and keep working. The family atmosphere, which I've tried to instill here, really comes to the forefront when we're on the field. I'm really thankful for that and the coaches.

"I thank Pirate Nation. When I'm walking, there are people blowing their horns and I know it's Pirate Nation blowing their horns at me and it's an encouragement. I really appreciate that as well."

Thoughts turn from Gamecocks to ECU

The Pirates may be ahead of last year in preseason camp but South Carolina in Charlotte shapes up as a greater challenge in 2011 than playing Tulsa at home to start the 2010 season. The Gamecocks are coming off a 9-5 season that saw them win the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. They're ranked No. 12 in the preseason in the USA Today coaches poll.

"They're a great football team and they're picked to win their division, which means they have a chance to go to Atlanta, which is the SEC championship game," McNeill said. "The last five national champions have come from the SEC. This is a team that has a possibility of being a national champion at the end of the year. We know we'll have our hands full. They're a great football team. They have a great coach (Steve Spurrier) and that's a great team on all three sides of the football (offense, defense and special teams).

"But from this point on, it's not about any of the opponents. That's no disrespect to anybody we play. Everything from this point on will be totally focused on East Carolina. That's us and what we can do to improve us, work on our execution, work on our conditioning, work on our fundamentals. Everything from this point on will be focused on us because we can control that."

McNeill implemented the internal focus concept at a team meeting on Wednesday morning.

"All the focus is on us," he said. "It's not about our opponents anymore. We'll study our opponents. We'll work on film and look and those type things you have to work on but our focus will be on East Carolina. That started (Wednesday) morning."

The running back picture

ECU lost some big backs, Jonathan Williams and Giavanni Ruffin. Their successors are smaller but should fit into what the Pirates want to do with their offensive system.

"It's a four-man team," McNeill said of the present running back competition. "Reggie Bullock is doing a great job. Of course, we knew he would. But also Michael Dobson, Alex Owah and Torrance Hunt. We have four guys there that really have great ability with the ball in their hands. They're doing a good job of picking up the blitz and being a part of block protection up front and they're doing a pretty good job of catching the ball out of the backfield. Those four guys all provide each other great competition."

McNeill noted that running back Damonte Terry, a sophomore out of Scotland County, had left the team with plans to transfer.

"Those four guys really give us a lot of speed there," McNeill said. "We don't have the Jonathan Williams or Giavanni Ruffin type size there but we have so much speed. It's really impressive to see. They work well in space with the ball in their hands. They're also doing a very good job of picking up the blocks and block protection and they're doing a good job catching the football. I like that group."

The battle for backup quarterback

Dominique Davis is obviously ECU's starter at quarterback but there is an ongoing competition to determine his backup.

"Rio Johnson is doing a great job and Brad Wornick," McNeill said. "Shane Carden has done a good job. He's going to be a great young quarterback for us and Cody (Keith), our signee. That position is another position that, as a coach, you feel very comfortable about.

"We've got a great leader in Dominique Davis. Rio is doing a great job of managing the offense. So is Brad and Shane as well. It's a group that Lincoln is just trying to figure out where they fit in. All of them are doing a great job."

The plan is for Keith to redshirt this year.

"He knows it and we knew it when we signed him," McNeill said. " ... He gives us great looks on our defense when we go defensive scout team right now. Lincoln will revolve Shane over there, too, to give us another arm to throw the football or run the offense for us, too.

"Those guys are doing a great job. They're really throwing the ball very well."

Lattimore in camp

McNeill confirmed that defensive end John Lattimore had made it into camp after completing some academic obligations. A Lexington, NC, product, Lattimore played two seasons at Ventura Community College in California.

"He's here," McNeill said. "We knew he'd be late just finishing up his classes in summer school. ... He had graduated but to be admitted to our school he had to have some extra courses that required him to go to summer school a little bit longer. It wasn't because he didn't have his degree. He had to have some other courses in order to meet North Carolina requirements."

Lattimore is going through the acclimation period stipulated by the NCAA before he can put on pads. Another defensive end, freshman Jeton Beavers from Bayside High in Virginia Beach, has finished his academic requirements and is also in the midst of the acclimation period.

Defensive improvement

Lattimore and Beavers were part of the offseason emphasis on improving the talent level of the defensive unit.

"I'm expecting great defensive improvement, so are our coaches and so are our players," McNeill said. "They're working very hard. It won't be magic. ... We'll see improvement each week. We've seen improvement since the spring. The coaches are doing a great job of installing the scheme and the fundamentals. The players are doing a great job of grasping it. They're working very hard on that. I'm looking forward to seeing them play.

"We get tested early by two great football teams."

The Pirates meet South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 3, at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte, where the Carolina Panthers play. ECU will return home to face Virginia Tech in Greenville on Sept. 10.

"Our defense will be tested early but I expect it to rise to the test," McNeill said.