Secondary starters still being sorted out

Despite spending much of last Saturday’s game against Texas Tech on the bench, senior cornerback Kendrick Harper is expected to be a factor for the Jayhawks throughout the rest of the season, according to KU coach Mark Mangino.

The coach said Wednesday that Harper’s benching was due in large part to his falling behind following an injury that forced him to miss multiple games earlier this year.

“We just wanted to give him a little break,” Mangino said. “He’s had a bunch of injuries, and we threw him in there, and we just needed to give him some breathing room. He’ll be a factor for us.”

In other secondary developments, former safety Justin Thornton will start at one of the cornerback positions against Kansas State, Mangino said, while the other starter at cornerback had yet to be determined. Recently converted receiver Daymond Patterson and cornerbacks Corrigan Powell and Chris Harris are also expected to factor into the team’s secondary rotation.

Johnson, Jr., unlikely to play Saturday

Defensive tackle Richard Johnson Jr., who was injured during the Jayhawks’ 63-21 loss to Texas Tech last week, will likely miss Saturday’s game against Kansas State, Mangino said.

“It looks unlikely unless he really feels great on Saturday,” said the coach. “The lack of repetition on the practice field would limit him anyhow. If there’s a chance tomorrow he could get reps, we’d be excited. But it’s not looking that way at this point.”

Fellow defensive tackle Caleb Blakesley, who didn’t play last week after sustaining an undisclosed injury against Oklahoma two weeks ago, is expected to play against the Wildcats.