Mark Mangino might not name a starting quarterback during spring drills, but Kansas University’s football coach wants to make sure he has plenty of choices.

“We’d like to know we have three dependable guys when we leave spring,” said Mangino, whose team went through its second workout Wednesday afternoon. “I hope we can do that. That’s our goal for spring.”

Injuries have forced Mangino to use seven quarterbacks in his first two seasons. Adam Barmann, who started three games last fall as a freshman in place of injured senior Bill Whittemore, has the edge in experience over junior-college transfer Jason Swanson, junior-to-be Brian Luke and others.

“Adam, even though he played last year, he still has a lot to learn,” Mangino said. “His head’s spinning right now, too.”

Swanson (6-foot, 190 pounds) appears the most likely candidate to unseat Barmann (6-4, 210), but the new arrival will have to make some adjustments.

“It’s not overwhelming because I came from a program that’s similar,” Swanson said. “We ran the same type of offense, same formations and things like that. The things I have to pick up on are different play calls and different signals.”

Barmann and Swanson will have 12 more practices before the April 18 spring game at Memorial Stadium.

Kansas University quarterback Adam Barmann (7) passes as transfer QB Jason Swanson waits his turn. KU held an open spring practice Wednesday.

• Randle and Gordon: Running back John Randle and receiver Charles Gordon played cornerback for the final four games as freshmen in 2003. Mangino said Randle would be sticking to offense, but Gordon’s status remains uncertain.

Kansas coach Mark Mangino watches practice in spring 2004.

“Charles today worked offense, but Sunday he worked defense,” Mangino said. “We’ll continue to work and study that and see how things play out for us at the cornerback position.”

• Etc.: Shawnee Mission Northwest linebacker Mike Rivera, who signed with KU last month, attended practice as a spectator. … Running back Clark Green spent most of the three-hour practice stretching and running and was held out of drills. … Linebacker Gabriel Toomey, who was KU’s second-leading tackler last season, was working with the No. 2 defense. … Defensive back Kenneth Thompson was held out because of what appeared to be an arm injury.
• Coming up: The Jayhawks, who worked out in shorts, jerseys and helmets in their second practice, will practice in pads for the first time Friday. The NCAA mandates that teams have three practices without pads. Mangino said that Monday’s practice, which was postponed by rain, would be made up April 17 — the day before the spring scrimmage — and that would be the team’s third practice without pads.
• Jones’ stock rising: Mangino said about 18 scouts from 13 NFL teams turned out Wednesday to watch KU’s seniors work out on Pro Day at Anschutz Pavilion.

The main attraction was tackle Adrian Jones, who had “10 or 11 offensive line coaches watching him,” according to his agent.

“There’s a lot of interest from the entire league,” agent Craig Domann told the Journal-World. “There aren’t a lot of tackles available right now, and they’re looking at him real hard.”

Jones (6-4, 302) helped his draft prospects last month at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indianapolis. Domann said the lineman improved his times in both agility drills Wednesday.

Jones is expected to be taken in the first three rounds of the April 24-25 NFL Draft.

“He’s a serious day-one consideration,” Domann said, “but it’s impossible to say what’s going to happen draft weekend.”

Wednesday morning’s workout was closed to reporters.

6Sports video: Former ‘Hawks perform for scouts