As we get deeper into the summer, thoughts of the upcoming football season slowly start creeping deeper and deeper into our conscience. There are no more than six basketball games left, and not many people care that much about the NBA anyway. I do, and I still think Miami will win this series, but that's not important here. What's also not important here (and by "here", I mean "The United States") is the World Cup. Americans just don't enjoy futbol that much. It will get ratings, there will be some buzz, but it will fade into Bolivian fairly quickly. Then there's baseball, but for most that's a holdover hobby – not an obsession.

What Americans care about is football. We're still a few months out from the season, but already people are craving their football information. On the front page of ESPN.com lately there's been stories about Steve McNair, Ricky Williams, and Greenwood's very own Daniel Stegall. On a local level, there has already been a series of stories in the Log Cabin Democrat, analyzing the UCA Bears unit-by-unit. And now, the roster has been updated at UCAsports.com.

What's new?

Or better yet, who's gone?

It was well documented that, given the transition to Division I, fewer guys would be allowed to come to camp and some scholarships would have to be cut. Additionally, there would be players who were eligible by Division II standards but would not make the Division I cut and would be sent packing.

Comparing the roster, as it stands, on the school's official site to the list printed in last year's media guide, shows there are several gone for what is likely several reasons. Going numerically down the list, here's what I've come up with:

GONE FOR SURE

9- Willie Hopson, RB. Academic casualty, gone to Ouachita Baptist. Might rip off a 2,000 yard season there.

14- Derrick McKenzie, RB. Not sure if this was an academic casualty, if he was let go from a pure ability standpoint, or if was because of a bad attitude. Maybe it was a combination. Regardless, he's out.

16- Richard Strickland, WR. Good ol' Dick Strick saw that, with Norvell and Faires leaving, that White Flight was in full effect and he bailed. Well, and he knew he probably wasn't going to see significant time. I think maybe he went back to Henderson St.

20- Stephen Green, DB. Green came in with a lot of hype, much of that perpetuated by this guy. He was highly touted in high school and went to North Carolina before ending up close to home (Little Rock) at UCA. He's got a half brother in the NFL (Greg Wesley) and another (Broderick Green) committed to play for Petie Carroll at USC. The kid has the genes, and somewhere ... the tools. He just doesn't have a team. Who knows what went wrong?

21- Brandon Rochelle, DB. I believe this one was an eligibility issue, don't know where he's at.

35- Dewayne Hall, DE. Dunno.

36- Otis Walton, DE. Been gone awhile. Couldn't carry the Hooks, Texas flag quite like the legendary Gary Davis.

40- Raynard Heaggans, DB. Not sure if he was even around during the spring or heck, even the fall. I don't know I've ever seen this guy. And, I won't be now for sure.

41- Greg Smith, DB. One time in elementary school, a guy named Greg Smith came and talked to our class about captaining a cargo barge for a living. The only things I really remember from that speech was that it's important to not fall off the barge, do not get caught up in the prop, and my friend Daniel making fun of him for the next eight years. I say that to say this ... I don't know who Greg Smith the DB is. I don't think this one is a crushing loss.

60- C.K. Glassco, OL. Couldn't tell ya.

61- Buke Mardanlou, DL. Guy had the makings of a stud, played in nine games as a freshman and looked to have a good future ahead of him. If he still does, it's not in UCA football.

62- Josh Cade, OL/DL. There's something in the fine print of the NCAA handbook that disallows 49 year-old sophomores to play Division I football. Unfortunately, it took one of UCA's finest.

75- Ryan Robelot, DL. I believe he graduated, emaciated, and got out of town.

78- Thurston Hughes, OL. Not sure what happened to Thurst. Although, since Lane Freiwald has his old number, it may have been something very, very bad.

82- Kasey Young, WR. See Strickland, Richard.

88- Chris Smith, WR. There was a time Smith and Brice Beck (QB) were tearing things up at a blistering pace at Blytheville. Beck went on to Iowa State, Smith on to UCA. Now, it appears they're both in search of new teams. As of the spring, Beck was in the hunt for the No. 2 QB job. That must have turned out bad for him. As for Smith, he wasn't ever realistically in the running for a No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 wide receiver spot. After Fairooz and Jones you've got Cameron "Bad Intentions" Kinard and Eric "Bad Luck" Ware, and Brandon Payne. Mix in Brandon Kennemer and Zach Nance, and Smith had a lot competition just within the returners to work his way in the mix. Add in the newcomers, and it looked pretty bleak. As was told to me: "He's having trouble getting that playbook down. You want Delta State's? He knows it inside and out. Valdosta, he can tell you anything. All he's done is scout team." And, based on repetitions during the spring, it was clear he wasn't exactly one of the coaches' favorites. The writing was on the wall.

96- Gabe Payne, DL. Not sure.

98- Marcus McCoy, DE. He's a DE ... don't know, don't care.

GUYS WHO MIGHT BE DONE
There are a few guys who aren't on the roster, but there's nobody listed with their old number. Maybe it's up in the air based on summer school. Or, maybe it's just a coincidence that nobody has taken their number and they're gone already.

51- J.R. Henderson, LB. Saw his playing time decrease exponentially from 04. Don't know if that was a contributing factor or not, but he's not on the roster for now.

91- Michael Butler, DE. He was in school and working out during the spring semester, so I'm not real sure if he's done or not.

93- Nick Pettus, DE. Uhh ... no clue.

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It looks like all of the signing class will make it to campus in the fall. They're all on the roster, at least.

Some of the guys promoted to the numerical roster this year who were in the "Others" section in last year's media guide:
Chuck Evans, LB, 5-10, 210, Conway.
Lane Friewald, OL, 6-6, 316, 1-0, 1 KO, Little Rock.
Phillip Johnson, WR, 5-11, 190, Memphis.
Jay Salter, K, 5-10, 170, Conway.
Uriah Perry, DL, 6-0, 270, North Little Rock.

A few other additions to the team:
Zach Logan (6-2, 240), a running back transfer from Vanderbilt who starred at Rivercrest High School (Wilson, Ark.) is in the fold. I was told he was coming in a while back and looked for him standing around at the spring game, but never saw him to get confirmation. That he is on the roster would make it official.

Calvin Dumas (6-0, 228) is a familiar name but probably an unfamiliar face for most. He's been out for a spell with some injuries, but he's back for one more go-round.

Steven Moore (6-0, 230) is another fullback transfer, coming from Tech. Moore is pretty well known around Conway, earning All-State honors on some pretty good Wampus Cat teams. He probably should have been at UCA to begin with, but things seem to have a way of working out.

Lastly, for those scoring at home, punter Muhamed Spreco has taken over No. 48, previously occupied by Darren Shaw.