Seven straight wins to end the season, a national ranking and 18 returning players gave Tulsa fans a lot to feel good about after the team thumped Hawaii for a bowl win. With so many key pieces returning, the clear progression was to be Conference USA champion.

The bump in the road came suddenly when coach Todd Graham resigned, leaving to take the Pitt job, which became vacant twice this offseason after some controversy.

Success in 2011 will hinge greatly on how the Tulsa players adjust to a new coaching staff, headed by Bill Blakenship -- and how Blakenship transitions in his first experience as head coach.

The Tulsa World reported that eight recruits committed to the program after Blakenship took over, so that should help the progress.

Tulsa returns most of its top playmakers, and adding those recruits was crucial to Blakenship.

"In this class you'll see players from winning programs -- a lot of championships won by these guys," Blakenship said. "There are a lot of state champions, district champions and conference champions in this group. In a lot of cases, we feel like we've gotten the guys off of those championship teams that were the playmakers and leaders of those teams."

Blakenship most recently headed up the Tulsa special teams, so that area shouldn't take a big hit, especially with the return of Damaris Johnson, the NCAA's all-time leader in all-purpose yards.

No matter what changes are made, the offense has to be elite for Tulsa to be competitive. Much of that will fall on the capable shoulders of quarterback G.J. Kinne, the reigning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year.

TOP OF THE CLASS

OG Garrett Clad (Sallisaw High, Sallisaw, Okla.) -- The offensive line has been an issue for Tulsa in recent years primarily because of a lack of depth. Clad should add to that depth and might be able to make some contributions this season. He is known for toughness and power. Clad initially committed to Stanford, but he changed his mind when coach Jim Harbaugh resigned.

CB Jeremy Ratliff (Southwest Mississippi Community College, Summit, Miss.) -- The most glaring weakness Tulsa had last season was in pass defense. The Golden Hurricane gave up a ton of yards but made some key plays to save important wins. Ratliff is the only juco transfer in this recruiting class, and he should make an impact immediately in the defensive backfield. He led all of junior college players in interceptions.

RB Michael Sorrells (McCallum High, Austin, Texas) -- He's known for his speed and hands, which should make him a commodity at a school known for its offense and having many versatile weapons. He could also play a role on special teams, returning kicks.

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