Kansas University’s football team will be short one safety this fall.

Junior Rodney Harris decided to leave the team because of what’s believed to be serious family issues.

Reached Monday, KU coach Mark Mangino confirmed Harris’ departure but declined to comment further.

Harris, a 6-foot, 185-pound free safety, is from Fontana, Calif., near Los Angeles. He played just one season at KU, registering 62 tackles and intercepting four passes, earning him honorable-mention All-Big 12 Conference honors.

He started all 11 games as a sophomore at KU after one season at San Bernardino Community College, but dropped to second on the depth chart at free safety to Rodney Fowler following spring drills.

Fowler, a senior who’s about to play his third year at KU, and Aqib Talib, a red-shirt freshman, likely will stay atop the depth chart at safety when the season starts Sept. 3 against Florida Atlantic.

Harris could not be reached for comment Monday.

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Media picks KU sixth: The Big 12 Conference media predicted the order of finish in the North and South divisions, with Kansas coming in sixth in the North. A ballot of 50 sports media members picked Colorado to win the North and Texas to win the South.

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Media day on tap: KU will be the first to go at Big 12 media days starting today. Mangino, linebacker Nick Reid, cornerback Charles Gordon and offensive lineman David Ochoa will take the podium beginning at 1 p.m. at the JW Marriot hotel in Houston.