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Sunday, August 5, 2012

Heaviest teams in college football by position


A reader asked for weight by position after my post on weight by team, so here it is. Before we get into the table, a few caveats. First, my data has the positions for players reported by teams. Not all teams report positions the same way. I've tried to standardize it in a way that makes sense, but I cannot guarantee that it is foolproof. Second, this is the average weight from the roster, not from starters or letterman. So, if a team has a Rudy, he can misleadingly bring down the average. Third, this is data from 2011. When I get my hands on the 2012 rosters I'll publish an update, but today is not that day. Fourth, these are the weights reported by the teams. I assume I don't need to say anymore about that. That being said, here we go:

The academies are pretty light across the board, but especially on the lines. At 241 lbs, Alabama's linebackers are heavier than Army's defensive lineman and only 10 lbs lighter than Air Force's offensive and defensive lineman. When we control for position, Arkansas emerges as the poundage champion. Only the receivers in Arkansas are small. It is little surprise that Wisconsin has some hefty O-lineman, but Ole Miss edges out the Badgers with a slew of 300+lb lineman themselves. And I consider it further evidence that the glory days in Nebraska are over when the excess weight in Lincoln is not from cornfed lineman but larger than average DBs and receivers. 

Mass is positively (but not all that strongly) correlated with performance for every position but QB. The strongest correlation is for defensive lineman, followed by linebackers and wide receivers.  

Institution DB LB DL OL QB RB TE WR
Air Force 193 13 221 84 251 114 251 120 194 115 192 114 225 106 186 98
Akron 181 118 218 100 269 48 295 64 221 5 224 5 237 81 186 97
Alabama 190 47 241 1 285 4 301 27 202 89 217 16 246 26 188 77
Arizona 193 15 229 14 267 63 296 57 219 8 202 88 235 91 196 19
Arizona St. 179 120 223 69 262 93 295 69 215 14 200 95 234 92 191 48
Arkansas 197 4 233 7 281 7 310 6 215 13 231 1 248 18 190 58
Arkansas St. 185 103 220 93 264 80 296 62 206 63 194 109 238 71 188 75
Army 186 97 210 118 232 120 259 119 199 103 207 60 194 31
Auburn 192 29 219 96 273 28 303 19 208 51 209 49 239 65 195 23
BYU 193 18 228 21 283 6 301 30 205 67 211 41 228 105 187 80
Ball St. 183 114 212 117 260 100 289 99 203 82 203 86 233 96 181 117
Baylor 187 83 218 105 270 45 302 23 209 48 208 59 246 25 186 96
Boise St. 191 41 224 55 268 55 289 100 190 118 208 53 228 104 192 43
Boston College 192 23 225 51 276 17 294 71 212 31 208 52 236 84 198 10
Bowling Green 191 40 213 116 258 109 295 68 206 64 196 107 249 13 188 76
Buffalo 190 45 233 4 268 53 300 31 213 24 215 23 250 9 198 7
California 198 3 232 10 278 13 295 63 213 25 212 38 243 42 197 15
Central Mich. 189 62 225 43 267 66 293 78 216 11 213 33 240 57 190 59
Cincinnati 191 39 226 34 261 96 283 112 214 21 189 116 250 8 184 105
Clemson 192 26 227 26 281 8 307 11 206 60 206 69 248 18 193 38
Colorado 191 37 225 38 268 54 295 67 217 10 206 74 242 45 190 64
Colorado St. 189 66 215 111 250 116 296 59 224 3 220 9 245 32 186 99
Connecticut 188 73 221 79 269 49 293 77 209 48 208 54 248 20 187 90
Duke 192 20 223 70 263 86 290 92 211 36 202 89 239 69 186 93
East Caro. 189 65 225 46 275 19 290 95 200 101 187 120 192 39
Eastern Mich. 188 77 224 53 255 110 296 58 205 71 199 98 234 93 182 112
Fla. Atlantic 184 111 224 52 260 101 278 117 214 20 207 67 218 111 181 116
Florida 189 55 225 47 267 64 302 24 219 9 198 101 251 6 195 21
Florida Int'l 187 82 221 78 263 85 280 116 198 108 189 117 232 100 190 63
Florida St. 197 5 228 18 281 9 298 44 210 42 214 31 247 22 193 37
Fresno St. 187 87 220 93 260 101 286 106 199 106 205 78 240 57 183 110
Georgia 192 27 233 6 293 1 295 66 205 69 215 27 244 34 192 42
Georgia Tech 193 11 225 44 277 14 285 110 201 93 192 115 201 1
Hawaii 186 99 228 23 265 72 299 40 198 110 209 50 180 120
Houston 189 69 218 103 284 5 292 82 203 84 199 99 236 87 186 95
Idaho 187 90 221 87 270 41 308 7 229 1 197 104 240 61 182 111
Illinois 193 16 225 39 269 47 298 47 204 75 212 37 238 76 196 18
Indiana 190 48 223 66 265 71 283 114 213 25 216 19 242 47 199 6
Iowa 192 28 224 59 263 88 285 108 212 28 214 28 238 70 197 12
Iowa St. 190 51 223 62 263 82 300 32 205 65 197 104 230 101 190 56
Kansas 190 44 221 81 255 111 297 49 206 61 206 68 240 63 191 50
Kansas St. 189 56 220 91 270 44 299 42 220 7 216 17 250 9 182 115
Kent St. 189 58 223 65 261 95 294 73 211 32 204 83 230 101 184 107
Kentucky 188 70 230 11 270 43 302 22 209 50 203 84 244 36 193 34
LSU 194 10 220 92 272 30 305 15 205 71 230 3 245 29 190 61
La.-Lafayette 181 117 219 98 261 98 290 97 205 69 199 96 232 99 184 106
La.-Monroe 183 115 221 77 247 118 292 79 198 108 206 71 234 93 181 118
Louisiana Tech 188 74 226 29 271 35 297 51 203 82 194 110 193 35
Louisville 185 104 215 112 270 39 292 85 202 91 201 91 233 97 187 85
Marshall 187 85 224 57 265 72 291 90 200 101 199 97 224 107 195 24
Maryland 193 14 214 113 261 97 291 91 200 98 212 36 248 20 189 70
Memphis 190 49 217 106 270 42 310 5 201 93 203 85 245 31 187 89
Miami (Fla.) 189 57 223 64 271 37 312 4 208 56 216 18 257 1 187 84
Miami (Ohio) 187 87 221 75 265 72 292 80 207 58 188 118 245 29 190 65
Michigan 189 61 229 16 276 16 299 34 189 120 200 93 246 27 187 91
Michigan St. 187 84 233 5 280 11 299 33 202 91 231 2 255 2 194 28
Middle Tenn. St. 187 92 221 76 259 103 286 105 192 116 206 72 238 72 190 62
Minnesota 194 9 227 27 266 70 290 94 228 2 207 64 240 56 189 69
Mississippi 191 34 225 41 275 18 322 1 215 18 214 30 241 52 187 81
Mississippi St. 191 38 230 13 266 69 303 20 221 6 216 21 243 39 197 17
Missouri 193 17 224 61 267 65 290 92 204 75 204 79 240 57 199 4
Navy 188 72 213 115 259 105 269 118 192 117 210 45 194 29
Nebraska 195 6 220 90 271 36 291 89 197 111 212 35 239 64 198 11
Nevada 191 42 228 18 263 84 284 111 211 33 206 73 249 12 199 5
New Mexico 187 95 209 120 263 81 291 88 196 112 202 87 220 110 186 94
New Mexico St. 182 116 225 49 259 107 283 113 210 39 197 103 229 103 184 104
North Carolina 191 35 225 45 271 34 304 17 213 27 223 7 238 74 191 46
North Carolina St. 192 32 228 23 262 91 294 72 216 12 214 28 243 41 185 101
North Texas 190 46 216 110 267 62 292 83 203 81 193 113 236 84 195 25
Northern Ill. 189 64 221 80 265 76 297 54 208 55 217 13 251 5 194 32
Northwestern 189 67 224 58 267 59 296 61 212 30 204 82 190 54
Notre Dame 192 25 240 2 292 2 297 51 208 53 207 63 249 16 198 8
Ohio 186 102 218 104 251 115 295 70 199 104 198 102 241 55 185 102
Ohio St. 193 19 226 32 272 29 307 10 215 16 224 4 244 38 193 36
Oklahoma 187 91 224 56 273 24 301 26 222 4 208 58 244 35 188 78
Oklahoma St. 189 54 219 97 273 27 299 34 204 74 211 39 242 48 187 92
Oregon 184 110 223 63 266 67 291 87 202 88 193 112 238 72 191 47
Oregon St. 194 8 232 8 267 61 297 48 201 93 207 60 246 28 187 82
Penn St. 200 1 226 36 277 15 297 53 215 15 223 6 253 4 188 74
Pittsburgh 186 100 228 20 280 10 313 3 210 40 208 57 236 88 185 100
Purdue 187 96 223 68 268 57 301 28 208 54 216 20 242 48 192 44
Rice 198 2 223 71 258 108 293 74 209 44 215 24 236 86 201 2
Rutgers 193 12 226 33 265 77 293 76 206 62 209 51 245 33 197 12
San Diego St. 180 119 216 108 247 119 285 109 206 59 193 111 239 66 190 54
San Jose St. 188 79 221 86 264 79 286 104 204 78 207 62 242 50 188 72
South Carolina 186 98 226 35 274 20 297 50 211 33 210 48 240 60 194 27
South Fla. 191 43 222 74 271 38 302 25 213 23 217 14 236 89 190 67
USC 185 105 220 89 274 23 298 46 207 57 206 70 238 76 190 59
SMU 189 68 223 67 270 40 296 60 210 38 213 32 190 57
Southern Miss. 184 109 222 72 269 46 297 55 212 29 208 54 234 95 183 108
Stanford 187 93 230 12 273 26 290 96 215 17 215 26 238 75 195 22
Syracuse 191 36 214 114 272 31 304 18 211 35 222 8 241 53 188 79
TCU 188 80 221 85 263 86 299 37 205 66 200 94 242 44 192 41
Temple 189 52 227 25 268 56 306 12 211 37 207 64 249 17 189 68
Tennessee 187 81 225 48 274 21 308 8 200 99 208 56 247 23 190 51
Texas 192 24 234 3 272 33 292 86 208 52 219 11 237 79 190 66
Texas A&M 189 60 226 28 287 3 304 16 210 43 210 47 237 83 196 20
Texas Tech 187 94 221 88 259 104 296 56 201 93 201 92 233 98 191 49
Toledo 187 86 218 99 265 78 292 81 200 97 204 80 249 15 192 44
Troy 187 89 224 53 262 94 281 115 198 107 205 77 240 61 182 113
Tulane 192 29 216 107 267 58 299 39 202 86 217 15 242 46 187 86
Tulsa 184 107 216 109 262 90 298 45 204 73 211 40 237 80 190 53
UAB 185 106 218 101 254 112 288 102 196 114 188 119 222 108 181 119
UCF 191 33 225 50 263 83 299 37 203 85 215 25 239 68 187 88
UCLA 189 62 225 42 279 12 305 14 209 45 205 75 251 7 200 3
UNLV 183 113 221 82 267 59 288 101 210 40 211 44 239 66 184 103
UTEP 189 52 232 9 268 52 299 41 203 79 204 81 254 3 188 73
Utah 188 75 229 15 268 51 303 20 209 46 220 10 250 9 197 16
Utah St. 186 101 222 73 274 22 285 107 190 119 196 106 241 51 182 114
Vanderbilt 190 50 226 31 259 106 290 98 205 68 207 66 241 54 189 71
Virginia 188 76 228 22 268 50 292 84 209 46 216 22 236 90 194 30
Virginia Tech 189 58 210 119 262 92 295 65 213 22 211 43 249 14 195 26
Wake Forest 192 31 225 40 263 88 307 9 202 87 205 76 247 23 190 52
Washington 195 7 224 60 272 32 301 29 199 105 211 41 244 37 193 33
Washington St. 188 78 220 95 260 99 287 103 200 100 195 108 238 76 183 109
West Virginia 192 22 226 37 265 72 306 13 202 89 202 90 197 14
Western Ky. 188 71 226 30 266 68 298 43 196 113 210 46 243 39 187 83
Western Mich. 184 112 221 82 252 113 299 36 204 77 198 100 237 82 192 40
Wisconsin 192 21 229 17 273 25 322 2 214 19 213 34 243 43 198 9
Wyoming 184 108 218 102 248 117 293 75 203 80 218 12 220 109 187 86

2 comments:

  1. Great stuff, Scott. I did similar breakdown last year (PAC-12 Only), yet not scientific - just averaged UNIT SIZE/WT of all PAC-12 Two-Deeps' (UNIT SIZE) as a piece of an overall fingerprint of each team.

    As I believe you are pointing out, the effect of each teams' size variance is subject to differing stylistics of a teams' overall scheme; and OF COURSE DL | OL Size differences will have a lot more to do w/a teams' success rate (in theory) than WR's for example.

    Still intrigued how a Teams' size can be measured vs their INJURY RATE(s), among other things. Many many more questions for you as we dig into this a little more.

    (For what it's worth, I'd like to USE these numbers in a little different way, also....certain conclusions might be drawn from the OVERALL SIZE AVG's of Teams D-Units, ect. i.e., PAC-12 (1) CAL 236 Avg (2) ORE ST 231.5 ....on down to (11) WAZZU 222.7 (12) AZST 221.3 | Just my hypothesis that ORST D will surpass many sub-par expectations, WAZZU will fall short of these....& INJURY RATES might play a part in SIZE DIFF's, ect...and reverse themselves for ORST this season, ect....) I'll be CERTAIN to site your work, or course.

    LOVE to discuss this further, also

    THANK YOU.

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    Replies
    1. I have no problem with you using the data as long as you keep me in the loop/recognize my contribution.

      I hadn't thought of looking for a correlation between weight and injury rate. You could look at that as team aggregate or look at individual hazard rates by weight and position.

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