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Isaiah Bean needed the car ride home before picking Kansas

Bean broke onto the scene this year in his first season playing defensive end and recorded 14 sacks. Then college recruiters took notice.

Bean talked about his final recruiting decision on the way home with his parents
Bean talked about his final recruiting decision on the way home with his parents
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When Isaiah Bean left Kansas he had the drive to Houston ahead of him and a lot of recruiting talk to do with his family. The trip to Lawrence was his fifth and final official visit and he said a decision could come as early as Sunday evening.

He held true to his word because late on Sunday he called Kansas head coach David Beaty and defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux and told them he was picking the Jayhawks.

“Tonight I talked to coach Thibodeaux and coach Beaty and made it official,” Bean said. “There was a lot of cheering and hollering. Then they talked to my dad. There was just a lot of excitement.”

When Bean was in the car with his family they broke down the recruiting process and all of the visits. It was important they had time to discuss all of the details from each school.

“During the trip I had a gut feeling,” Bean said of Kansas. “I knew that I would be happy to play at Kansas. I told my dad after the basketball game I really liked KU. We talked about making a decision as a family. On the way back home I put everything down on a piece of paper. I really wanted to make the decision with my parents. They made a lot of sacrifices to be there for me and be on the visits.”

By the time Bean arrived home he had his decision ready to go.

He played quarterback his first three years in high school before moving to defensive end this year. He never played defensive end but he caught on quick. He racked up 70 tackles and 14 sacks and was selected to the all-district team.

At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds he has a seven-foot wing span. He put on 30 pounds between his junior and senior year. When you put those numbers down along with his first year of film at defensive end it wasn’t a surprise he had 10 division one offers. Many schools recognized his potential once his senior film went out in November.

Thibodeaux was one of the first coaches to pick up the recruiting and stayed with him through the season.

“I like the coaching staff and coach Thibodeaux’s cool,” Bean said. “Every time I see him he has a smile on his face and it never goes away. He’s a good dude.”

This puts an end to the recruiting that was hectic over the last couple months since so many schools made a late push. In the last two weeks he picked up offers from Kansas, Iowa State, Cal, and Illinois with only two visits left.

“It is a big feeling of relief,” Bean said. “I know I made the right decision and I’m glad it is all over.”

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