Kansas University football player Ben Lueken, a sophomore who played in nine games for the Jayhawks as a true freshman last season, has left the program.
According to a source close to the program, Lueken, an offensive lineman, has left the university to “pursue other opportunities.”
Lueken was injured in April during an early-morning incident outside Lawrence’s Jayhawker Towers, when he was either struck by or fell from the hood of a vehicle. He was later hospitalized, while Kansas running back Jocques Crawford, who left the program last month, was questioned immediately following the incident.
During last month’s Big 12 Media Days in Irving, Texas, Mangino said Lueken’s status was up in the air, adding that he’d be in discussions with Lueken, the team’s medical staff and the player’s family.
“Anytime you have a situation where players are not conducting themselves the way they should, it’s disappointing,” the coach said. “But Ben, his situation is such where he still needs attention (physically). His health, we’ve got to confer with our doctors and his family, and we’ll just see. We’ll do what’s best for Ben.”
As a true freshman last season, Lueken played in nine of the team’s 13 games and saw significant action as a backup on the offensive line, although he was not listed on the team’s preseason two-deep depth chart.
