Load Lifted for Luhrsen

The Kansas Jayhawks have made some waves on the recruiting scene in the past week, by landing three offensive line prospects in a matter of days.

It's safe to say Luke Luhrsen was watching this flurry of activity with more interest than that of the casual fan, and for a very specific reason – casual fans don't have scholarship offers on the table.

The 6-foot-4, 285-pound product of Wheaton (Ill.) Warrenville South High School earned one from the Jayhawks after turning in a dominating performance at the program's June 18 'Friday Night Lights' skills camp. With a Kansas offer on the books, in addition to those he already possessed from Bowling Green and Louisville, Luhrsen hoped to make a decision by the end of the summer.

Kansas quickly became the front-runner for his services. However, with the number of slots available for offensive linemen in the Jayhawks' 2011 recruiting class quickly dwindling, Luhrsen decided Monday night to go ahead and pull the trigger.

"I saw that three more linemen had committed to Kansas," he explained. "So I felt a little rushed and wanted to go ahead and get my commitment in, because that was my top contender."

"I liked the campus and I liked the feel of the campus," Luhrsen added, of what made Kansas so attractive to him. "I like the coaching staff, the program and the academics, too."

From the start, the Kansas coaches had a connection to the big lineman, through offensive coordinator Chuck Long. A native of Wheaton himself, Long stopped by the school in the spring and kick-started the recruitment process.

"He said they had a lot of interest in me, and was serious about it," Luhrsen said. "So I shifted around my schedule and found a way to make it out to the camp. He's a nice guy and I liked him at the camp, I liked the rest of the coaching staff, and they kind of had an eye on me (while at Friday Night Lights). I definitely knew they had interest in me."

Already, his decision is paying dividends in the peace of mind it provides.

"I don't have to worry about making a choice," he said. "I don't have to worry about other spots filling up."