Oprah has nothing on these guys

Before we get to fun with roster weights, I want to report a little bit of non-news: former receiver Johnny Peyton won't be at Akron this fall. We'd reported this spring that he'd requested and been granted a release from USF to talk to Akron, but whether it's attitude or academics, the Zips aren't taking him. I checked with their sports information department Tuesday, and nobody at Akron, from the receivers coach to the compliance coordinator, was aware of any concerted effort to bring in Peyton. I've covered him since his sophomore year in high school, and he seems to have dropped off the radar, not in communication with any of the old coaches and teammates I've talked to. He's talented enough that he can play somewhere, but I don't know if it'll ever be at the Division I-A level again.

Now on to the roster silliness. Want to know which Bulls have added the most weight in the past year? Four have bulked up by 20 pounds or more, and leading the effort is defensive tackle Tavarious Robinson -- I think we can stop calling him an end -- who now is listed at 290 pounds, up from 255 last year. That 35-pound bump gives him the trophy over offensive tackle Marc Dile, who has added 30 pounds to reach 305 this fall. Two more offensive linemen are next: 6-7 tackle Jared Carnes is up 25 pounds to 310 and center Nick Capogna put on a crucial 20 pounds to get to 275.

Five Bulls actually lost weight: former quarterback Courtney Denson has dropped 10 pounds, with speed a more pressing need at defensive back, and another crossover, tight end turned defensive end Shane McElwain has dropped 15 to 240. Walk-on fullback Mike Padilla is down 15 to 230 pounds, and center Jake Griffin has slimmed down 10 pounds to 290. Perhaps from all those spring reps he got, walk-on running back Walt Smith dropped five pounds to 175.

I'm all for honesty in media guide measurables, so kudos to USF for taking an inch off the heights of five players: quarterback Matt Grothe, who added 10 pounds his first year on campus, is down to 6 feet even; McElwain and Padilla are down to 6-4 and 6-0, which might explain their weight loss; tight end Ben Busbee is now 6-3 and running back Ricky Ponton is now listed at 5-foot-10. The only Bull who got taller? Safety Carlton Williams, who's now 6-foot-4 and arguably skinny at 205 pounds.

In a continuing effort to ease the oft-difficult transition to new jersey numbers, we offer the following numerical developments, some of which we already detailed in spring:

- Jackie Chambers, once 83, has Andre Hall's No. 2, as he wore at Miami Edison.
- Courtney Denson switched from No. 1 to No. 8. (There's a line there somewhere.)
- Grant Gregory, once No. 12 and then No. 20, is now back up the charts to No. 15.
- Back in spring, Matt Grothe went from No. 13 to No. 8. Yes, the same as Denson.
- Walk-on Jamaal Jenkins goes from 10 to 23, closer to brother Aston Samuels (20).
- Moving from offense to defense, Shane McElwain trades his No. 86 for No. 97.
- Linebacker Sam Miller trades his 15 for Terrence Royal's old 56, a good LB number.

OK. Next time, we do multiplication and division ...

Comments

[RTB]

I'm OK with multiplication and division, just no more subtraction, please.

[Greg Auman]

(Rim shot). Very nice. Do I get an assist for that?

[RTB]

It was a high, hanging curve ball I couldn't resist swinging at.