Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson had 31 carries and five touchdowns last season for Kansas University. He likely will get more touches this fall.

August isn’t known for producing storms in Kansas, but the beginning of football season is here, and with it comes Kansas University’s version of “thunder.”

“People say that. They said the same thing in high school,” senior fullback Brandon McAnderson said. “But I don’t know what thunder is, actually. If I’m a big sound, then I’m thunder.”

After averaging 12.5 carries per season during his first two years with the program, McAnderson saw his production boom last fall.

In 12 games, “B-Mac,” as he’s known to teammates, carried 31 times and scored five touchdowns. Despite career highs in both categories, McAnderson’s main contribution came as a blocker as he paved the way for Jon Cornish’s single-season rushing record.

But Cornish is gone now, and talk around camp suggests a larger role for McAnderson.

As a senior at Lawrence High, B-Mac ran for more than 1,500 yards for the Lions. While it’s not likely that he’ll break Cornish’s record of 1,457 yards, McAnderson is ready to play a larger role.

“It’s very exciting,” McAnderson said. “That’s what I came here to do when I committed here, and I was sure that it was going to happen. It just took a little longer than I would have expected. But I’m still excited about it, and if the opportunities come, I will embrace them.”

First-year offensive coordinator Ed Warinner has all but guaranteed the opportunities will be there. But instead of being slotted as the No. 1 tailback, McAnderson joins Salina sophomore Jake Sharp, red-shirt sophomore Angus Quigley and true freshman Carmon Boyd-Anderson on the list of those most likely to take Cornish’s carries.

“If it’s committee, that’s fine with me,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “If one guy proves he can do everything in the package all the time, that’d be great. I don’t foresee that happening, early in the season at least.”

Neither does Warinner, the architect behind the Jayhawks’ new offense. He plans to utilize all of the running backs, but admits that McAnderson and Sharp appear to be the most reliable options.

Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson had 31 carries and five touchdowns last season for Kansas University. He likely will get more touches this fall.

“We have a lot of different types of guys at the running-back position,” Warinner said. “Jake Sharp has great speed and the ability to do some things in the open field, and he’s developing as a pass receiver, as well. Brandon McAnderson is a little bit more of an inside runner, but still can do some things on the perimeter and in the passing game. He provides a big-back approach in there at 235 (pounds), so we like him. And he’s a real smart player, a veteran player. We kind of have a 1-2 punch there with a bigger back and a quicker, niftier, change-of-direction guy.”

Call it KU’s version of thunder and lighting, the two-back approach the New Orleans Saints used with Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush to make it to the NFC title game.

While McAnderson and Sharp provide the Jayhawks with known commodities at running back, the team isn’t changing its offensive approach.

“Our offense is an offense that provides opportunity to run the ball because we throw the ball well,” Mangino said. “That’s going to be our philosophy.”

And that’s fine with McAnderson. He’s used to working hard without receiving much fanfare.

As a junior, McAnderson quietly created lanes for Cornish and earned an All-Big 12 second-team nod from league coaches. He also landed a couple of team honors. Along with tight end Derek Fine, McAnderson received the Gale Sayers Award, given annually to the team’s most courageous player. He also won the Bruce Kallmeyer Award, which goes to the top special-teams player.

As a senior, McAnderson’s honors have come early. His hard work and leadership earned the respect of teammates, and he was named one of KU’s four captains.

“I’ve always considered myself a leader, but to be elected a captain is something even bigger, and it gives you some more responsibility, that this win or this loss is something you have more of an impact on,” McAnderson said. “That’s all you can ask for as a college player, is to have an impact on the outcome of the game or the success or failure of the team.”

The honors don’t stop there. A series of team polls published in this year’s media guide conveyed that McAnderson was one of the team’s most popular players. In addition to receiving votes for the “nicest player on the team” and “most likely to succeed,” B-Mac was voted the top comedian.

It’s a title he has no idea how he earned.

“I’m a different kind of funny,” McAnderson said. “I’m a little more subtle, and I think they like that a little bit.

“It’s definitely the greatest honor,” he added, flashing a taste of his dry humor. “I might become a comedian now just because I have the confidence of my teammates.”

That confidence doesn’t stop with cracking jokes. With Cornish gone, McAnderson knows that his leadership, experience and ability will be more important, and he couldn’t be more excited about being asked to deliver.

“I wouldn’t call it pressure, I call it opportunity,” McAnderson said. “Any opportunity, you’re going to take advantage of. If it’s three or four (carries), and you get four yards, then how can you ask for 30? You get whatever you get, and you have to take advantage every time you touch the ball. That’s all I’m looking forward to.”