After being courted by some out-of-town colleges, Lawrence High senior Brandon McAnderson decided home was the best place for him.

So Saturday he orally committed to the Kansas University football team instead of other schools like Kansas State, Iowa, Missouri and Wyoming  even after watching the Jayhawks get drubbed, 64-0, by K-State.

Why go with the program that lost?

“At first I didn’t think KU was that interested,” he said. “But as the season wore on, they were the only team that was still calling me consistently.”

It also helped that McAnderson, a 6-foot, 210-pound running back, plays with LHS senior quarterback Tommy Mangino, son of KU head coach Mark Mangino. Needless to say, McAnderson has put on some impressive performances with KU’s coach in the stands.

An All-Sunflower League running back and linebacker as a junior, McAnderson has been even more impressive this season. He has racked up 1,524 yards on 194 carries this season, including 21 rushing touchdowns. That’s nearly eight yards a carry and 170 yards a game.

“If you line up to hit him, he’ll go around you. If you take away his moves, he’ll run over you,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “The greatest thing about Brandon is, no matter what he gets positive yards.”

He’s the first Lawrence player since 1999 Free State High graduate Dijon Dillon to receive a scholarship from KU, and the first LHS player since 1994 graduate Jason Thoren.

The Jayhawks have had former Lions in that time  most notably 1995 grad Chris Enneking, a three-year starter at center  but it’s fitting that McAnderson is the first scholarship player straight out of high school since Thoren.

Thoren was a tough, physical player who was just as good on defense, anchoring the Lions from middle linebacker, just like McAnderson.

But it’s 1992 graduate Michael Cosey  another big, bruising runner  who McAnderson is chasing in the LHS record book.

“None of them had unbelievable speed,” Wedd said. “But all of them had the same type of speed where they don’t get caught from behind. They’ve got football-pad speed.”

With 2,787 career yards on 446 carries, McAnderson’s within 500 yards of Cosey’s career LHS record and within 330 yards of his single-season record.

Not that he cares. He wants the other things Cosey and Thoren had  state titles.

“I guess I’m pretty close, but it’s not something I think about,” he said. “I don’t care if I get the record. I just care about winning a state title.”

It’s that team attitude that bumped up his profile among college coaches. That and his football instincts.

“The thing I like about him is he’s so football-smart,” Wedd said. “Some people recruited him as a linebacker, some as a strong safety, some as a running back. It’ll be interesting to see where he fits in KU’s program.”

When it gets down to it, McAnderson doesn’t care where he plays. He’s just happy to be a Jayhawk.

“I’ll probably go in as a running back, but I don’t know,” he said. “I just want to play football.”