AMES, Ia. — Joel Lanning is the best interior linebacker in the Big 12 Conference.

There, I said it.

Joel Lanning is college football's most versatile player.

There, I said that, too.

Joel Lanning for Heisman? That’s a huge stretch, but check out what’s supposed to be the official definition, courtesy of the Heisman web site:

The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.

Best running back in America?

I don’t see those words mentioned.

Best quarterback?

See above.

Again, Lanning for Heisman?

The award is typically reserved for college football's best running back or quarterback, save for the occasional Charles Woodson or Desmond Howard.

So let’s settle for Joel Lanning, the All-American linebacker. A few more games like Saturday at Oklahoma, and he’ll be in that conversation.

“I’m a big Joel Lanning fan. I have been since I watched him play two years ago,” Kansas coach David Beaty said on the Big 12 teleconference Monday. “That’s a tough, tough guy, man.

“He moves to linebacker and winds up being a terrific player over there, comes back over to quarterback and looks like he didn’t skip a beat — and from what I understand, he’s one of the finest young men that they’ve had there.”

Beaty, whose 1-4 team plays in Jack Trice Stadium at 11 a.m. Saturday, wasn’t quite finished.

“You like to see those stories about guys like that,” he continued. “He’s a guy that’s tough to deal with because he runs with the ball so well. He’s like an extra running back — and a good one at that — but he also can throw the ball well.

“He understands the offense. You give him two weeks to get prepared — you know a kid like that’s going to be even better, so obviously, there’s a challenge there.”

How many college football players have thrown 51 passes in a game, ran for five touchdowns in a game, sacked a legit Heisman contender, recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and recorded 20 tackles against Texas?

Let me help you...

One. And his name is Joel Lanning.

Ridiculous statistics for this real-life Iron Man who’s played just five games on defense — in his college career?

Absolutely.

Did I mention that Lanning’s fumble recovery against Oklahoma was deep inside ISU territory in a Cyclones' victory that was decided by seven points?

He’s sixth nationally in tackles per game at 10.8. His 20 tackles against the Longhorns is the most this season by any Big 12 player.

How much more can this 6-foot-2, 235-pounder withstand in one game? He played 57 snaps on defense, 13 on offense and eight on special teams against the Sooners.

“I don’t think we were over-bearing in that aspect of it Saturday,” Campbell said. “My fear of doing it any earlier than last week was the fact that here’s this kid who’s been a key contributor to our defense and was growing into the leader of our defense — and now we’re asking him to play a position (quarterback) that he hadn’t played in a while.

“It would have been way too early (to do it before last Saturday), and I think it would have had a real negative effect on our football team — and certainly, maybe, his performance.”

He’s a linebacker first. He’s a quarterback second. He also plays special teams. He plays significantly in all three roles.

Name me someone else who’s calling both offensive and defensive signals in the same game?

You could wait years before hearing another name.

“We have to be smart,” Campbell said. “I try to gauge him the best I can.

“I don’t want to deplete our defense. I don’t want to put our defense at a disadvantage.

“There’s constant communication between me and him. There always will be.”

I spotted Lanning and Campbell talking alone on the sidelines during various moments Saturday. It resembled those moments in which baseball managers ask their pitchers how much oomph they’ve got left in their fastballs.

“Like Tito Francona,” Campbell, a fierce Cleveland Indians fans, shot back when I asked about those coach-player sideline moments Saturday.

If Campbell is the Indians’ manager, then who’s Lanning?

I’ll take this one.

Lanning is the most Paul Hornung-like college football player since Paul Hornung, the multi-position star who did everything for Notre Dame back in the mid-1950s.

He was so good that there’s a Paul Hornung Award given annually to the most versatile player in major college football.

Right now, it should be Lanning in a “Lan-Slide.”

“We’ll continue to play around with different roles for him,” Campbell said. “We’ll package that as we go.

“You can’t ask him to do too much; you can’t put him in a position where all of a sudden he’s doing too much ... and he’s ineffective and he’s the jack of all trades — and the master of nothing.”

Right now, he’s the master of everything.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been with the Register for parts of five decades. Randy writes opinion and analysis of Iowa State football and basketball. You can reach Randy at rpeterson@dmreg.com or on Twitter at @RandyPete.