Less than two weeks before the Kansas University football team starts its season against Tulsa, head coach Mark Mangino answered questions from kusports.com readers Thursday. Mangino discussed the Jayhawks’ secondary, defensive line, special teams and many other topics during the 15-minute chat.

Moderator: We’ll begin our chat with coach Mark Mangino in just a few moments. Thanks to both coach and our readers for their time this afternoon.

Tim, Overland Park: Can we expect to see more carries from John Randle this year?

Coach Mangino: John Randle and Clark Green compliment each other very well. With John Randle having a year of experience under his belt you will likely see him have more carries than he did in 2003.

Beau, Denver: Hello coach! My favorite players the past few years have been Donnie and Ronnie Amadi. Could you talk a bit about their progress and the defensive backfield in general (Gordon, Baines, Harris, Fowler, Thompson)? Thanks!

Coach Mangino: Ronnie and Donnie Amadi are two extremely hard-working players. They have a great attitude and come to the practice field every day with a business-like demeanor. That is why they are two highly improved players and will have an impact on our team this season.

The rest of the secondary is coming around, but it will still be a couple of days before we decide who will be starting back there. There are a lot of talented guys back there, especially at the cornerback position. I think we’re going to be very much improved in the secondary this season.

Dan, Derby: Hi Coach, I was wondering how the Derby Guys are doing this year? There was a nice article on Travis Watkins but I have not heard much on Nick Reid. Is Nick having a good fall?

Coach Mangino: Nick Reid is having a very good fall. He’s a very solid, dependable player. We’ll rely on him a great deal this season.

Travis Watkins is healthier than anytime since I’ve been at KU and we’re looking for him to have a big, big season at KU.

Kenn, Lawrence: What are your expectations for our defensive line this year?

Coach Mangino: I have high expectations for our defensive line. I think with our returners and some newcomers, the defensive line will be better than any other time since I’ve arrived. I’m really excited about the players we have their now, and I think we’re much more athletic and much more physical than we have been.

Michelle, Shawnee: It looks like Kevin Kane is getting a lot of work at middle linebacker. Where are he and Gabe Toomey on the depth chart at this point?

Coach Mangino: Kevin Kane and Gabe Toomey have really developed into very good players for us and helped strengthen our linebacking corps. Gabe has looked good lately and Kevin has developed into a very consistent player. They are both going to be out there playing a lot.

Mark, Wichita: Great job with the football program. How happy are you with the progress of Adam Barmann learning your system? And where has he shown the most improvement?

Coach Mangino: Adam has had a very good training camp. He gets better nearly every day. He is really learning out system inside and out and is really getting a feel for the looks and covers the defense bring. I’m really comfortable with him and I look for him to put up some very good numbers.

Randy, Strong City: What goals have you set for the team going into the season as far as regular season win/loss records & postseason accomplishments? At the end of the season, where would you like this team to be in developing the KU football program?

Coach Mangino: I always have high expectations for our team. We believe that if we are to be a very good football team, we have to beat very good football teams. I’m not into predictions, and I don’t have a crystal ball — and if I could I wouldn’t be coaching, I’d be out making money on the lottery and making predictions about things — but what I can promise you is that we’ll have a very intense, hard-nosed football team on the field each Saturday and they’ll play very, very well.

Randy, Lawrence: Coach Mangino, there’s been lots of press lately about how well stacked the team is when it comes to kickers & punters. How do you plan to use each of your kickers going into the season?! Thanks! Good luck this year!

Coach Mangino: We have had very intense competition at the place kicker position, and we’ll head into the season with Johnny Beck as the No. 1 kicker and Scott Webb a very close second. Both are very capable.

We’ve also had very good competition at the punting position. Right now it’s too close to call and I’ll make a decision early next week.

Todd, Lenexa: Hey Coach, Now that you are going into your third season as a collegiate head coach, what has been the most difficult part of your job?

Coach Mangino: The coaching aspect of the position is a lot of fun, and that’s what I enjoy the most. It’s all of the things you have to deal with outside of football that take up your time and energy, but that’s all part of being a head coach. You have to be able to multi-task. Being a head football coach at the collegiate level is not for a person who likes to focus on one issue at a time. If you’re too focused on one issue, the rest will get away from you. You have to be able to focus on multiple issues at a time, and I’m comfortable doing that.

Matt, Omaha: How early does the coaching staff begin to evaluate potential recruits?

Coach Mangino: As far as evaluations are concerned, we look at kids as early as their sophomore season. Recruiting now is a 12-month-a-year job, and the recruiting classes actually overlap each other. It’s not uncommon for us to be recruiting seniors now, but also looking at juniors and sophomores. You’re always recruiting. It’s a constant stream. It never ends.

Kirk, Overland Park: Coach Mangino: What are your biggest concerns for the team as you head into the season?

Coach Mangino: Every coach goes into a season with concerns, whether you’re ranked No. 1 in the nation or you’re trying to be ranked in the top 25, and I’m no different. I’m looking for our team to improve greatly in the special teams area. I think we’ve made progress ever year and I want to be very efficient in special teams because I think that gives us an edge in close games. Also, we have a lot of young players who need to step up but haven’t had a lot of playing experience in the past. I’m not worried about those areas, but those are things that we need to improve in and will have an impact in our program.

Michael, Olathe: How big of a role do you see the Heaggans brothers having this season? Do you anticipate them stepping up and contributing?

Coach Mangino: Gary is one of our most improved receivers. I look for him to make a contribution this year. He and Greg play on a lot of our special teams as key players and we’re counting on them to have a big year. We’re certainly happy with the progress of Gary. He’s made great strides and should have an impact.

Moderator: That does it for today’s chat with coach Mangino. Again, thanks to coach and our readers for their time today.