Senior safety Darrell Stuckey, junior cornerback Chris Harris and senior running back Jake Sharp admitted Tuesday that this season just didn’t go the way the team expected.

For sophomore cornerback Daymond Patterson, nothing has gone as expected in his career at Kansas.

He was switched from wide receiver to cornerback last year just three weeks after an eight-catch, 130-yard performance against Louisiana Tech. Patterson said he thought he was moved because of a dropped pass and a fumble in Kansas’ loss against South Florida in the third week of the season.

He opened this year as a starter at cornerback but has been seeing less time on the field in recent weeks. Mangino said Patterson’s hobbling ankle injury, suffered in the Oct. 31 loss at Texas Tech, is a cause for concern, and other cornerbacks are playing better.

“We’re also getting a lot of competition at that position,” coach Mark Mangino said. “I was hoping it would play out that way and it is.”

Sophomore Anthony Davis and freshman D.J. Beshears have both seen significant time at cornerback since the Colorado game. Davis started the first game of the season but barely saw the field until Saturday’s loss at Kansas State. Beshears took a redshirt until he saw the field on special teams against Colorado and replaced Patterson at cornerback on Colorado’s second possession.

Patterson said he doesn’t want to jump back in the revolving door that is the left cornerback position before he’s recovered from his ankle injury. Freshman receiver Bradley McDougald also replaced him at punt returner against Kansas State.

“It’s not going to do us any good going out there trying to hop around and make plays when you’re not 100 percent,” Patterson said.

Patterson said he is unsure if he will play this weekend against Nebraska. He is working hard with athletic trainers and said he badly wants to play. His struggles with the injury and the competition grabbing his spot haven’t brought him down.

“I keep going out there and working hard every day,” Patterson said. “When I get a chance to come in the game, I feel like I’m going to do the best I can to help this team.”

When asked if he would ever welcome a position change back to wide receiver, Patterson said he would be more than happy to help out on the offensive side of the ball. He said he wants a chance to make up for the two mistakes he made in the South Florida game.

Mangino said the team is living for today and not considering future positional changes at this time.

“When the season’s over, we’ll reassess things,” Mangino said. “We need him where he is right now.”

— Edited by Sarah Kelly