Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino stood by running back John Randle when he was arrested three times during his freshman year.

Mangino said Wednesday at KU’s media day he was considering making the sophomore sit during the Jayhawks’ Sept. 4 season opener against Tulsa.

“I’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Mangino said. “I’ve said privately that I wasn’t going to play him in the Tulsa game. I’m still standing by that, but based on all the information I have and the way he’s handled himself, I’m considering — I didn’t say I changed my mind — I’m considering reducing the amount of time I take from him based on a couple of factors.

“Number one, he’s done everything above and beyond what we’ve asked since this situation occurred. Number two, he’s one of most respected players on our team. Many of his teammates have come to me and asked me not to keep him out of game. He’s one of our most respected players, and it’s because he has a great work ethic and because he does things the right way. But he still made a couple of decisions that were not acceptable.”

Randle was sentenced to two days in the Douglas County Jail in April on charges of attempted theft, disorderly conduct and having a fake driver’s license stemming from separate arrests November 19 and March 5.

Randle also was arrested Nov. 2 on suspicion of domestic battery and criminal damage to property, but charges never were filed in connection with that incident.

“That’s past,” Randle said. “I’m doing the right thing and trying to go forward. I knew right from wrong, I was just making bad decisions. I’m mature, I just made a stupid decision. That’s past, and I just got to look forward to the season, the school season. Get better in school, everything, just get better in everything I do.”

Randle rushed for 503 yards last fall and entered preseason camp as a backup to junior Clark Green. He also is battling junior Greg Heaggans for the role of kick returner.

Freshman running back Gary Green and sophomore Jon Cornish each have impressed coaches in early practices, which means Randle might not be indispensable.

“We ought to be able to win any one game without any one player,” Mangino said. “If we’re depending on one guy to win a game, we’re not nearly as good as we ought to be.”

• No Mo: The Jayhawks aren’t likely to have the services of sophomore receiver Moderick Johnson this fall.

“I haven’t received anything officially, but it doesn’t look good for his eligibility for this season,” Mangino said. “I’m not optimistic at this point and time.”

Johnson (6-foot-5, 190) caught 13 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown last season. The Houston product could transfer to a junior college for the 2004 season, but Mangino said he would talk to Johnson, KU’s academic staff and the compliance office before a decision was made.

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Good company: Safeties coach Clint Bowen — a former Jayhawk defensive back — has been comparing sophomore safety Rodney Harris to former KU standout and NFL veteran Kwamie Lassiter.

Mangino has been impressed by Harris, a junior-college transfer, as well.

“Rodney Harris is 175 pounds and hits like a Mack truck,” Mangino said. “It is unbelievable how he attacks the line of scrimmage and tackles. … He’s not a very big guy, but he’s devastating the way he tackles. He’ll knock the daylights out of you.”

• Thompson a lock: Mangino said Air Force transfer Matt Thompson had “locked up the right tackle position” vacated by graduate Danny Lewis.

Sophomore Travis Dambach and red-shirt freshman Cesar Rodriguez are in a “heated battle” for the left tackle spot vacated by NFL rookie Adrian Jones.

“Cesar is a talented young guy,” Mangino said. “He has some learning to do. Dambach is one of our most improved players.”

• Special teams: After making 14 of 20 field-goal attempts as a freshman, Johnny Beck has struggled the last two years. The senior has made 16 of his last 33 attempts.

Mangino and special-teams coach Clint Bowen each said Beck had looked good in preseason practices.

“I told Johnny it’s his job to lose,” Mangino said of Beck, who is battling freshman Kyle Tucker and red-shirt freshman Scott Webb.

Tucker also is in the running for the punting job. Bowen said senior Chris Tyrrell had the edge on Tucker so far.

• No further review: The Big Ten Conference will experiment with instant replay this season. KU won’t allow the system to be used — if asked — in a nonconference game with Big Ten member Northwestern on Sept. 18 at Evanston, Ill.

“We don’t use it in our conference, and I don’t think we need to do that,” Mangino said. “It’s not something we do every week, so let’s play that game the way we play the other 10.”