Alvirne's Brendan Graham, shown during a game this past fall vs. Bishop Guertin, has committed to the University of New Hampshire. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

One of the area’s best high school basketball players has decided on his college for 2022 — for football.

And he won’t be going too far.

Alvirne High School’s Brendan Graham, who was a two-way force for the Broncos despite their 2021 0-8 struggles, announced Thursday on social media that he has verbally committed to the University of New Hampshire.

“After a great talk with Coach (UNH assistant/Recruiting coordinator Ed) Borden,I have decided to commit to the University of New Hampshire to play football,” Graham said in a statement posted on social media. “I am very excited to get to work.

“Much thanks to Coach (UNH head Ricky) Santos, my family, my friends and all of my past coaches who have guided me down this path. Go Cats.”

At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Graham was tough for any defender to cover playing tight end, and he was also just as tenacious on the defensive side, playing defensive end and one of the Broncos’ top tacklers. He had a monster 24 tackles in a game this past season vs. Nashua South.

It was a tough decision for Graham, perhaps not as far as choosing a school, but the sport. He’s been the Broncos’ top scorer and rebounder on the hardwood all winter, averaging around 20 points a game and has been a steady shot blocker as well. Some Division III schools such as Plymouth State and New England College had been talking to him about basketball. And for football, Plymouth, Trinity, Mass Maritime and Wingate (N.C.) University were interested.

In the end, football and UNH won out. The Wildcats, Graham said, recruited him as a tight end.

“It was tough, but I had to go with my heart, and in my heart I’ve always wanted to play Division I football,” Graham said last night. “Plus it’s where my parents went (Patrick and Jennifer Graham), so that was a big factor too.”

Graham was a freshman when the Broncos played in the Division II championship game, and was in awe of Wildcat Stadium, the site of the event.

“It was awesome, just to see how many people could watch a game there,” he said. “It was surreal.”

And when he returned to the UNH campus for a recruiting visit, he said “It felt like home.”

For Brendan Graham, who will study business administration, UNH will soon be just that.

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