Add another horse to the Kansas University football team’s intriguing backfield.

KU coach Mark Mangino said Wednesday that sophomore Angus Quigley will enter the preseason as a running back, not a wide receiver as originally planned.

“We have visited with Angus, and we have looked at our depth chart,” Mangino said. “Angus said he’d do whatever he needed to do for the team, but he felt much more comfortable going into two-a-days as a running back.”

The coaching staff obliged, meaning the backfield could be an interesting mix-and-match with a number of capable weapons, specifically Quigley, sophomore Jake Sharp and senior fullback Brandon McAnderson. Incoming freshmen Carmon Boyd-Anderson and Steven Foster will be shooting for early playing time, as well.

In addition, quarterbacks Kerry Meier and Todd Reesing continue to battle for the starting job, meaning the lineup behind center is an interesting puzzle – one with multiple solutions, perhaps.

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Quigley, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound Texas native, was recruited as a running back and expected to back up Jon Cornish a year ago. His season was derailed, though, when he suffered a torn muscle in his thigh during preseason and had season-ending surgery. Sharp ended up being the backup for Cornish, who rushed for a school-record 1,457 yards in 2006.

In the spring, Quigley was moved to wide receiver to help shore up KU’s depth. In the spring game, he caught two passes for 17 yards and was listed on the post-spring depth chart as a second-team wideout.

That has changed. Sharp probably remains the front-runner to start at running back, with McAnderson locked in as the starting fullback. Quigley, though, will be striving to make the decision-making difficult before the Sept. 1 opener against Central Michigan.

“He can help us at wide receiver, and there’s concerns about depth at both positions,” Mangino said. “We feel at this time, this will be best for everyone.”