KU lands recruit: Kansas University’s football team picked up a junior-college wide receiver this weekend – and he’s coming soon.

Rivals.com reported Saturday that Rod Harris, a 6-foot-2 receiver out of Blinn Community College in Texas, committed to Kansas and will sign Monday.

He plans to move to Lawrence by Tuesday to enroll in classes, making him eligible for spring practices.

Harris was a qualifier out of high school, meaning he could leave junior college whenever he wanted. He played just one season at Blinn, meaning he will be a sophomore at KU.

“There were other schools that called when they found out I might leave,” Harris told Rivals. “But I didn’t pick up the phone much. I kind of had my mind made up on Kansas.”

Harris cut his official visit short so he could go home and pack. He will join a group of receivers looking to fill the shoes of Marcus Henry, who graduates after compiling 1,014 receiving yards for the 12-1 Jayhawks.

“I know if I go in and work hard,” Harris told Rivals, “I hope to fit into the position he was playing.”

Kansas expects to have several newcomers showing up this week. Besides Harris, juco offensive tackle Nathan D’Cunha plans to enroll in time for spring ball. In addition, two high school seniors – quarterback Kale Pick and defensive end Nicholas Plato – are graduating early and moving to Lawrence this week.

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Washington eyeing Young?: The Seattle Times is reporting that KU defensive coordinator Bill Young is a possible candidate for the same job at Washington.

The Huskies went 4-9 in 2007 and the contract of defensive coordinator Kent Baer was not renewed. Head coach Ty Willingham was retained, though he’s thought to be on the hot seat heading into 2008.

The Times also mentioned Tom Williams, the special-teams coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, as a possible candidate for the Huskies’ defensive coordinator opening.

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Why No. 1?: Miami Herald reporter Israel Gutierrez was the lone voter in the Associated Press voting panel to pick KU No. 1 in the final Top 25 poll.

So why the Jayhawks?

“I just thought they had the best body of work compared to all the other teams in the running,” Gutierrez wrote in an e-mail. “I don’t care what the combined record of their opponents were. They lost only one game, and that was a close game against a top-five team.

“Of all years to reward a team for keeping its record clean, regardless of the level of competition, it was this one.”