Kansas football has the Four Cows?

“They went out,” Dan Lewis said, “and found some beef. I’ve never felt so small.”

Collectively, they’re more than a half ton of massive football players. Individually, they’re Lewis, Jawad Pearson, Brock Teddleton and John Harvey, four junior college transfers who made their way to Mount Oread at the semester break.

And they’re big. Real big.

Lewis is the smallest at 6-foot-5, 295 pounds, while Teddleton is the biggest at 6-6, 340.

“I was a little shocked at the size of these guys,” said Lewis, a transfer from Phoenix College. “I’m the puppy in this group.”

And a group they are. Because of the similarity of their stature and position, the four spend plenty of time together.

“We figured since it’s us four, we might as well get to know each other, because someday we might be leaning on each other,” Lewis said. “Lots of times we walk to class together. People get out of your way. You know there’s some size when two of you don’t fit on the sidewalk together. Three of us were walking to class the other day, and I had to walk in the street.”

How much any or all of the four will play next fall remains to be seen, but they were brought in to shore up a line that was outmatched at times last season and that lost three regular starters to graduation.

“I just want to contribute as much as I can,” said Harvey, a 6-6, 305-pounder from Mesa (Ariz.) Community College who knows Lewis from high school and junior college. “If I’m not starting, that’s fine. If I’m needed, that’s fine. I just want to contribute.”

“We’ll see what spring ball brings,” added Pearson, a 6-5, 300-pounder from Chaffey (Calif.) College. “I just want to get a fair opportunity to show my ability. I plan on doing well, but it’s all about what happens in spring ball.”

That’s one reason Kansas was so eager to land this foursome and the three other juco transfers who enrolled at semester. By going through spring ball, the semester transfers will have an easier adjustment to NCAA Div. I-A ball next fall.

“It’s that and lifting weights, getting stronger,” Pearson said. “If I got out in May or over the summer, it would have been worse. I’m not in shape right now, but I’m getting there.”

Teddleton sat out last season as a medical red-shirt, so he’ll have three years of eligibility to play three seasons, while the other three still have red-shirt years available and will have three years to play two seasons.

Tony Damiani, a juco transfer last season and former teammate of Harvey’s at Mesa CC, red-shirted last season and also could figure into the mix.

Damiani’s presence helped lure Harvey.

“Tony’s a great guy, and that had a lot to do with why I’m here,” said Harvey, who currently is rehabilitating from surgery to repair scar tissue on a finger on his left hand. “There’s a chance we’ll be playing together again. That’d be good.”

Because of their height, all four newcomers could play tackle or guard. Kansas lost its starting left guard, center and left tackle to graduation.

Lewis, who said a red-shirt season might be in his future, prefers tackle, while Harvey prefers guard. Pearson professes no preference.

“Tackle, guard it doesn’t matter to me,” Pearson said. “As long as I get a fair shot.”

Are the Fab Four the future of Kansas’ line? Time well tell.

“It’d be nice if next year, two years from now we’re all starting together,” Lewis said. “That’d be neat.”