Kansas University football coach Mark Mangino chatted with KUsports.com readers for about 15 minutes Friday, answering questions about who will replace Gabe Toomey, the KU-OU game in Arrowhead Stadium and the Jayhawks' depth, among other topics.

Moderator: Our chat with coach Mangino will start in just a few minutes. Thanks to coach and our readers for their time today.

Riley, Baldwin: Do you think Charles Gordon could become a shut-down corner on Sundays?

Coach Mangino: I think Charles Gordon has unlimited potential; however, we're getting way ahead of ourselves talking about what he'll be able to do on Sundays. I think Charles is more focused on what he can do to help KU football more than anything at this point.

Dave, Overland Park: What is your focus for the 2005 season and beyond?

Coach Mangino: Obviously we have great expectations for ourselves for 2005. However, there is much work to be done before we get to next season. Next year's success will greatly depend upon the work that we do in the offseason.

Roger, Lawrence: Is there a possibility that Todd Haselhorst will be moved to offensive line next season, or is he firmly in place at defensive tackle?

Coach Mangino: Todd is coming off a good freshman season as a defensive tackle. As it stands right now, it is our intent to go into spring ball with Todd on the defensive line. However, we will continue to study all our personnel and make any moves necessary that will strengthen our football team. But, Todd right now is at defensive tackle and has proven to be very versatile.

Thad, Washington: What are your feelings on the Oklahoma game being played in Kansas City?

Coach Mangino: Our players are looking forward to playing the Sooners at Arrowhead Stadium. We believe KU fans will pack Arrowhead. It also may be a match-up where we are playing the defending national champions, which would really make it exciting for our team. We are confident that our fans will turn out in big numbers for this game.

Larry, Wichita: With the large number of QBs, any chance some will be shifted to other positions? Perhaps wide receiver?

Coach Mangino: It is too early to tell whether we will make any personnel changes on our team. Our coaching staff has been busy recruiting for the last month and are not really focused on personnel changes at this time. Those issues won't come to the table until at least February and in some cases into spring ball.

Wacky, Overland Park: Will Rivera be an inside backer with the absence of Toomey in the middle?

Coach Mangino: Mike Rivera plays prominently in our linebacking corps for next season. He is a very talented young man, with great football instincts, and he certainly will help our linebackers in a big way.

Tim, Shawnee: Has there been any update on the chance John McCoy could be back for this coming season?

Coach Mangino: We have no idea when John's tour of duty will be completed. When John finishes his tour and gets back stateside, he and I will talk about his future as a player. If he is up to competing, he certainly will play, I know that. If he is not up to it, we will pay for the rest of his education.

Chris, Hays: Hey Coach, I was wondering how the depth of your team is evolving. I was hoping you could elaborate on what percentage of depth the team has at the level you expect, and how much deeper you hope to develop the team in coming years through recruiting to establish your program among the top notch elite.

Coach Mangino: We are starting to get some depth at a few positions on the field, but we still are not a solid two-deep at every position. If some of the players in this recruiting class live up to expectations, that will help us in a lot of ways. But we're still a couple years from being a solid two deep at every position on the field. Therefore, we have some players we refer to as "swing players" who can play more than one position to create depth for us.

John, Hays: What is your preference, a run-pass quarterback like Bill Whittimore, or more pass-oriented like the last few OU quarterbacks?

Coach Mangino: Our system and our program at this point and time prefers a quarterback who throws well but has great mobility. We don't have the luxury at being two-deep at every offensive position and we are still developing our offensive line, which we think will be very good this season, but we still need a quarterback with very good mobility to keep the quarterback off balance.

Coach Mangino: In closing, I'd like to wish all of our loyal KU football fans a happy and safe holiday season. Thanks for your support.

Moderator: That wraps up our chat with coach Mangino. Thanks again to coach and our readers for their time today. Our next chat will be with men's basketball coach Bill Self at 10 a.m. Jan. 4.