Carter Lavrusky commits to KU, culture and scheme was a factor
The Jayhawks continue to have success in Arizona.
This afternoon offensive lineman Carter Lavrusky from Horizon High School announced his verbal commitment to Kansas.
Luvrasky was one of four official visitors on campus from Arizona over the weekend. He gave his word to Lance Leipold during a pool party at the head coach’s house.
“There was a pool party and then he (Leipold) brought us in to talk,” Luvrasky said. “He has this kind of like beach house, it is in a separate part. It's next to his pool. And we were having a meeting there with me and my parents, and then I said that I want to commit and be a Jayhawk.
He continued: “He was like, ‘All right. Let's go tell the guys right now.’ So, I walked out there and almost everyone was outside by the pool. I announced it. They all started cheering. They told me to jump in the pool and I ended up backflipping into the pool.”
Kansas assistant coach Jordan Peterson arrived in Arizona 14 months ago when it was a new recruiting territory. Lavrusky was one of the early recruits he found. When he arrived on his official visit, Peterson was one of the first to greet him when he walked in the door.
“Coach Peterson, what a guy,” Lavrusky said. “They picked me up from the airport, and then we walked into Jefferson’s on Mass Street he was one of the first people to come up to me. He shook my hand, gave me a hug, and told me how excited he was. He really made me feel welcome there.”
After Peterson started the recruiting with Lavrusky, Kansas offensive line coach Scott Fuchs joined. Over time Lavrusky built trust with Fuchs.
“He just seems like a really honest person,” Lavrusky said. “He told me, ‘I'm always going to tell you the truth.’ He's like, ‘Sometimes the truth sucks. But I would never lie to you.’ He seems like a super down-to-earth person, to me. He just seems like someone that you could really trust.”
His host was offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue. He met several players on the visit and learned a lot about the program.
“We just sat around and talked some football,” Lavrusky said. “I met a bunch of other o-linemen, d-linemen, and they all just seemed like they were super close. We went on talking for a couple hours, and it went by super-fast. We were all just going and going, and we all felt super close to each other. I could tell it was really a good family environment.”
In the end there were several factors that led him to pick the Jayhawks.
"I really liked the culture of the team," he said. "That was one of the biggest things for me when making my decision. I feel like I could really fit in there with the teammates and coaches. And then also the offensive scheme, that Kansas runs was a factor. I feel like that really fits my mold as a player. They run a lot of outside zone and they ask for tall athletic tackles to get on the outside perimeter. That's, in my opinion, one of my best parts about my game."
At 6-foot-7, 275 pounds he has the frame and athleticism that attracted a lot of attention from college recruiters. Over the last couple months, he earned offers from Kansas, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, and Oregon State.
He is happy to make his commitment to Kansas and focus on football his senior year.
“It feels great,” he said. “I'm definitely super happy with my decision. It's also like a relief. Just like it's done. I can just focus on myself, focus on football, and not have to worry about all this recruiting and everything.”