Veritas’ Hogan Randall breaks loose against St. Mary’s. Veritas fell, 28-20, on Tuesday at the Eagles Nest.

High school football star Hogan Randall says he’s ready for the challenges he’ll face on and off the field next season at Washington University in St. Louis.

A record-setting linebacker at Veritas Christian, Randall will learn to play 11-man ball while taking pre-med courses as a biology major. His father, Jeff Randall, is the head orthopedic surgeon for Kansas University’s athletic department.

Washington is a Division III school, but its strong academic reputation means a high bar on who can play for the team. Washington accepted just 1,426 undergraduates from 22,005 applicants and ranked 12th among national universities in 2008, according to US News and Word Report.

Larry Kindbom, Randall’s new coach at Washington, believes Randall will be able to handle the work.

“He’s just an outstanding person, obviously a great student, and a tough, hard-nosed football player,” Kindbom said.

At Veritas, Randall set career and single-season records in tackles at inside linebacker for the Eagles. He played both sides of the ball for the small private school, switching between inside linebacker, right guard, and even fullback.

“He’s very humble, a quiet leader on the field, except when he’s tackling somebody; then it’s usually followed by a loud pop,” Veritas coach Doug Bennett said.

After watching film, Kindbom said he was excited to have Randall because he played with a presence. He mentioned his toughness, tackling ability, and versatility as keys to becoming successful at Washington, which finished with a 4-6 record in 2009.

Success also will depend on Randall’s ability to adapt from eight-man football.

“It’s all about tackling and blocking, those fundamental skills, which I think Hogan has a very good (foundation on) going to the next level,” Bennett said.

Randall said he was excited about the move up in competition, mentioning the better athletes and faster speed of play as things he’ll have to adapt to. He said the study habits he formed in high school would help him deal with the rigors of his upcoming coursework.