KU football releases depth chart

Patterson named punt returner; still no decision on kicker

With the release of the Kansas University football team’s Week 1 depth chart Monday morning, some of the team’s biggest positional questions were answered abruptly.

And some weren’t.

While true freshman Daymond Patterson is listed as the Jayhawks’ No. 1 punt returner – a position at which the Jayhawks struggled mightily last season – coach Mark Mangino and his staff apparently haven’t yet determined who the team’s starting placekicker will be in Saturday’s 6 p.m. season opener against Florida International.

Sophomore transfers Grady Fowler and Alonso Rojas, the latter of which has been previously listed only as a punter, are both listed as possible starters at kicker heading into Saturday’s game.

Another position – right defensive end – has come down to two players, as well. Senior John Larson, who started all 13 games last season and finished second on the team in tackles for loss, is battling junior Jeff Wheeler for the starting spot.

At tight end, the biggest remaining question mark heading into the season, sophomore Bradley Dedeaux earned the starting spot over red-shirt freshman A.J. Steward.

Johnathan Wilson will join a receiving corps that features Dexton Fields, Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier, and Jake Sharp, at least for the moment, will be the team’s starting running back. Junior-college transfer Jocques Crawford is listed at No. 2.

Fab Five?: Of the 26 true freshman listed on the Jayhawks’ preseason roster, at least five could forego a red-shirt season, Mangino said Monday.

In addition to Patterson, Mangino mentioned Corrigan Powell (listed No. 2 at the right cornerback spot behind Chris Harris), Darius Parish (No. 2 at right defensive tackle) and tight end Tim Biere as true freshmen that have the potential to play immediately this season.

The coach reserved his highest praise, however, for Ben Lueken, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound offensive lineman out of St. Louis’ Chaminade High.

“We haven’t decided exactly (what to do with him yet),” said Mangino. “If we have a need to play Ben, we’ll play him. If not we’ll redshirt him. But what he’s done in training camp is hard to overlook, and he may be ready to contribute now.”

LB Tharp commits to KU: Huldon Tharp, an outside linebacker from Mulvane High in Kansas, has orally committed to play at Kansas next season, according to the Web site rivals.com.

A three-star recruit, the 6-foot, 208-pound Tharp selected the Jayhawks over Illinois, Boise State and Stanford.

Rated as the seventh-best player in the state of Kansas, Tharp endured an ACL injury earlier this summer that caused some teams to back off in recruiting. His decision to attend Kansas, he said, was based largely on the school’s persistent interest even after the injury.

“I never had any doubts that I would play college football, but it was a stressful time for me,” Tharp told the site. “After I tore my ACL, I just kept praying. Kansas is the only school that checked in after my injury. I just felt that Kansas was a great fit for me.

Depth chart breakdown

Here’s a breakdown of the Jayhawks’ Week 1 depth chart:

What should surprise you

¢ Arguably the team’s top pass rusher, defensive end Max Onyegbule – who as a reserve last season managed to finish with a team-high 3.5 sacks – is nowhere to be found on the team’s two-deep depth chart. On the right side, Jeff Wheeler and John Larson appear locked in a battle for the starting spot, while Jake Laptad will back up Russell Brorsen on the left side.

¢ Based on Monday’s depth chart, punter Alonso Rojas apparently has elbowed his way into the race for starting placekicking duties. Following the loss of kicker Stephen Hoge to transfer – and the eligibility issues that threaten to keep sophomore Jacob Branstetter out for the season – Grady Fowler appeared to have the job wrapped up by default. Rojas, who also will start at punter for the Jayhawks, has not kicked regularly since high school.

¢ Another depth-chart no-show is transfer Nathan D’Cunah, a former four-star prospect expected to see playing time on the offensive line this year. Listed second at right tackle on the preseason depth chart, the 6-foot-6, 307-pound D’Cunah now sits behind – at least – Jeremiah Hatch and Matt Darton at the position.

What shouldn’t surprise you

¢ Jake Sharp is listed ahead of Jocques Crawford at running back. Coach Mark Mangino has said all along that Crawford must earn his playing time, and while he appeared to make big strides during summer training camp, it looks like he has a bit farther to go. That said, expect him to see significant carries throughout the nonconference schedule before eventually battling for a starting spot by the team’s Big 12 opener.

¢ True freshman Daymond Patterson will be called upon to fix Kansas’ horrid punt-return game of a season ago. Coaches seem to love Patterson, and it was clear from the number of reps he took in practice that he was a favorite to handle the duties over red-shirt freshman Isiah Barfield and receiver Dexton Fields. A speedy Texas native who is also listed as a second-string receiver, Patterson averaged 21.6 yards per punt return as a senior in high school on the way to earning first-team all-state honors.

¢ Richard Johnson, Jr. The red-shirt freshman had a strong spring and has carried that through with good workouts during the summer, advancing from a second-string defensive tackle on this summer’s preseason depth chart to a starting role at right tackle entering the 2008 season. Johnson will replace second-team all-American James McClinton.