Kansas University’s football team has run out of homegrown talent.

Free State High graduate Matt Heider, the only Lawrence product on the KU roster this season, has left the team.

Heider, who plans to complete his degree in journalism next December, said he wanted to concentrate on academics.

“It was toughest decision of my life,” said Heider, whose former teammates open the season Saturday at Iowa State. “Going in to return my playbook was really hard. This weekend is going to be really hard. At the same time, I have to think logically about my life and where it’s going.”

Heider was a three-sport athlete at Free State and owns the school’s records for passing yards in a season and career. He played one season at Baker University in 1999 before transferring to Kansas. He walked on at KU and red-shirted in 2000. He switched from quarterback to receiver last season and worked with the scout team.

Heider caught three receptions for 31 yards in this year’s spring game, but he never appeared on KU’s preseason depth chart, which goes six-deep at receiver.

Heider wasn’t on scholarship at Kansas, and he’s taken a job at Alvamar since leaving the team.

He said the change in coaching staff’s wasn’t a factor in his decision to leave.

“I just decided my time was up,” Heider said. “I think they’re terrific. They’ll get the job done in the future.”

Freshman Sean Manske, a walk-on defensive back from Winfield, also was missing from KU’s updated roster.

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Green good to go: Coach Mark Mangino said Clark Green has recovered from nagging injuries that slowed him during two-a-day practices. The red-shirt freshman running back, who is a backup to junior Reggie Duncan, should be able to play Saturday.

“Clark Green was nicked up,” Mangino said Thursday on his “Hawk Talk” radio program, “but the last couple of days Clark has looked really strong. He’s running well and blocking well.”