Kansas has more than one kicker who knows a thing or two about hitting.

But like placekicker Johnny Beck  who was misidentified by media as a member of the Jayhawks’ return team earlier this season  punter Curtis Ansel won’t be taking on any additional duties.

“You’re going to laugh about this, but I came from a smaller school so I played O-line and D-line,” the Lakin senior said.

Ansel is much smaller than the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Beck, who played safety and linebacker at Kansas City Piper. In fact, KU coach Mark Mangino said Beck “has got to be the most physical-looking kicker in the conference  maybe in America.”

A recently released depth chart listed Ansel, a Garden City Community College transfer, at 6-1, 210-pounds. But even with his pads on, the slender Ansel doesn’t look like he’d tip 200 on the scales.

The punter, however, is getting the job done.

“Curtis Ansel is doing exactly what we want in the punting game,” Mangino said. “We spend a lot of time on punt protection, punt coverage and punting the ball because I really believe when you’re building a program you have to get all the field position you can.”

Lately the communications major has certainly understood his role.

In last weekend’s victory against Southwest Missouri State, Ansel pinned three punts inside the Bears’ 20-yard line.

“I would say last game would be the most memorable,” he said. “The three I put down inside the 20, those kicks really helped our team out.”

While Ansel  who is averaging 41.9 yards per punt heading into tonight’s game against Bowling Green  has been playing Mangino’s “field-position game” to a tee with six punts landing inside opponents’ 20-yard line in three games, he’s also boomed some bombs this fall.

Against Nevada-Las Vegas, Ansel popped a 67-yarder before unleashing a career-best 82-yard boot.

“It felt good,” Ansel said of the punt, which tied for third-best in school history. “But I caught the returner off guard and it went over his head. If he had been able to get back there, it maybe would have only been 60 yards.”

Ansel has been a bright spot on a team that has lost two of its first three games.

But that wasn’t the case during spring drills.

“It looked like duck season out on the field,” Mangino quipped. “I was worried somebody was going to start shooting at us.”

While Mangino was able to crack a joke about his punter’s poor performance in the spring, Ansel had trouble talking about it.

“It was frustrating for me,” said Ansel, who played in just four games last year after suffering groin and hip injuries. “It really got to me. I knew I was better than I actually was in the spring. I knew I could do it, but I wasn’t performing.”

So the former All-Jayhawk Conference punter, who helped lead the Broncbusters to the national championship game in 2000, went to work.

“Going back to doing the basics,” Ansel said. “Just getting back there and relaxing was the main thing. Taking the right steps, catching the ball and getting a good drop.”

While Ansel said Mangino has always backed him 100 percent, even when he struggled, the KU coach showed faith in him during the season opener at Iowa State. Mangino elected to pass on a 49-yard field-goal attempt by Beck, a Lou Groza Award candidate, to pin the Cyclones in their own territory.

Ansel, however, punted the ball through the end zone for a touchback.

“I knew what I did wrong as soon as I did it,” Ansel said. “I barely kicked it, but it just sailed. I just went off to the side and forgot about it.”

It sure looks like he has. Mangino hasn’t dawned a flak jacket, and Ansel hasn’t been pushed into the trenches up front.

“I wouldn’t trade him for any punter in America right now,” Mangino said.