Maybe, maybe not

Kansas coach Mark Mangino was noncommittal when asked if cornerback Kendrick Harper would return from an undisclosed injury this week.

“We don’t give status reports,” Mangino said Tuesday, “but if I did, I’d say he’s probably questionable for this week’s game.”

Harper suffered the injury Aug. 3, the first day of preseason camp. He started to practice on a limited basis last week, and will continue to inch more and more toward full workouts before Saturday’s game against Florida International.

Another spot for Aqib?

Mangino was asked an interesting question Tuesday: With KU struggling in the punt-return department against Toledo, would the playmaking Aqib Talib ever be considered?

“We have worked Aqib there in the past,” Mangino replied. “He’s not bad at that. His personality is such, though, that he is an attack player.”

That overaggressiveness could cause unneeded mistakes, Mangino said.

For now, Raimond Pendleton and Dezmon Briscoe will continue to get the work returning punts. Pendleton returned one 77 yards for a touchdown in the opening week but struggled retaining possession Saturday against Toledo.

No more tickets

The Oct. 6 game between Kansas and Kansas State is a sellout, the K-State athletic department announced Tuesday.

The 50,000-seat Bill Snyder Family Stadium will be full for the game, as it usually is when KU travels to Manhattan.

The start time for the Sunflower Showdown will be announced Monday. There is a chance of it getting picked up for a live television broadcast. That, too, will be announced Monday.

Stuckey, Sharp honored

KU’s coaching staff picked Darrell Stuckey as the defensive player of the week for the Toledo game, after Stuckey recorded three tackles and the team’s first interception of the season in KU’s 45-13 victory.

Jake Sharp, who had 127 yards on 13 carries, was cited on offense, while Micah Brown earned the honor on special teams.

New commitment

Rivals.com reported Monday that Kansas received a non-binding oral commitment from Ben Lueken, a 6-foot-5, 318-pound offensive lineman from St. Louis.

Lueken is rated by Rivals as the 20th-best prospect in Missouri for the class of 2008. He was in Lawrence for the Toledo game as an unofficial visitor and committed after he returned home.

“The coaching staff believed in me before anybody else,” Lueken said. “They offered me a scholarship early on, and that meant a lot to me.”

KU has eight known commitments for the 2008 class. Lueken is the first offensive lineman.