Quite a fuss was made about the high number of offensive linemen the Kansas University football team signed last February. But recent developments have made adding the extra bodies look like a good move.

Thursday, Bishop Miege offensive lineman and KU signee Phil Ford confirmed to the Journal-World that he did not qualify academically and, therefore, would not join the Jayhawks this summer.

“My ACT wasn’t high enough, and I was disappointed at first,” Ford told the Journal-World. “But the coaches at KU told me to look at it as more of a temporary setback. It may not be in God’s plan for me to go there right now, but I’m just gonna go to junior college, do my thing and maybe I can end up back at KU in the future.”

It didn’t take long for Ford, 6-foot-6, 345 pounds, to find a new landing place. Ford said he would enroll at Iowa Western Community College and report to camp in late June.

“They said I’d probably be the biggest kid on the roster and that I could come in and start right away,” he said.

Ford’s future at Iowa Western marks the third time in the past six months that a connection between KU and IWCC has popped up. Before signing prep QB Brock Berglund, the KU coaching staff heavily recruited Iowa Western QB Zack Stoudt, now at Mississippi. Around the same time, Bo Adams, an offensive lineman at IWCC, committed to walk on at KU but later turned elsewhere after a couple of class credits didn’t transfer.

Ford was one of the most boisterous KU supporters in the Class of 2011, attending as many games and events as he could and even going as far as to recruit other prep players to come to Kansas with him. The loss of the versatile tackle leaves KU with five offensive linemen in the Class of 2011, including Dylan Admire, who graduated high school early and already is on campus.

Other O-linemen expected to join the Jayhawks next week are: Travis Bodenstein, 6-5, 295; Luke Luhrsen, 6-5, 275; Damon Martin, 6-5, 265; and Bryan Peters, 6-5, 305.

It remains to be seen if Ford will resurface at Kansas down the road, but, for now, that’s his goal.

“That’s definitely a possibility,” Ford said.

Asked if returning to KU was his desired outcome, Ford said, “Yes.”