Former Kansas University commitment Phil Ford, a 6-foot-6, 330-pound offensive lineman from Bishop Miege High in Roeland Park, appears to have a growing fondness for BYU, according to a blog on the Deseret News’ website.

Ford, who signed with KU in February 2011 but failed to qualify academically, has been in constant contact with coaches from Kansas since leaving the state to play junior-college ball at Iowa Western CC, where he red-shirted during the 2011-12 season. A recent change in religion, however, has Ford strongly considering BYU.

“BYU sounds like the perfect school for me,” Ford told the blog earlier this month. “Everyone I talk to absolutely loves the place and now that I’m a member of the church (of Latter Day Saints), I want to go there and play football for them more than anything. I’m hoping that the coaches there get in touch with me and offer me a scholarship because it’s really the only school I want to play for right now.”

Future NFL prospects

Although the 2012 NFL Draft is not even a month old, many experts and analysts have begun looking ahead to next year and beyond.

Mel Kiper Jr., of ESPN, recently released a quick-hitter look at his top five seniors- and juniors-to-be at each position. Two Jayhawks made the list.

Senior left tackle Tanner Hawkinson, a co-captain and multi-year starter, was listed as the fifth-best offensive tackle available in next year’s draft. And junior Ron Doherty was penciled in as the fourth-best punter of the bunch.

While those were the only Jayhawks who made Kiper’s top fives, this year’s team figures to have several more guys who will draw interest from NFL scouts throughout the course of the 2012 season. Included among them are: quarterback Dayne Crist, offensive lineman Duane Zlatnik, safety Bradley McDougald, defensive end/linebacker Toben Opurum, cornerback Greg Brown, receivers/return men D.J. Beshears and Daymond Patterson as well as a few other fifth-year transfers in defensive end Josh Williams (Nebraska), tight end Mike Ragone (Notre Dame) and linebacker Anthony McDonald (Notre Dame).