Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson pondered his playing future last weekend during a long Greyhound bus trip from Memphis to Lincoln.

Foremost on his mind: Whether to leave school a year early to enter the NFL Draft.

“He’s thinking about it,” said Ben Jackson, the player’s 28-year-old brother. “Whatever he decides to do, he’ll make the right decision.”

Brandon Jackson, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound junior, was Nebraska’s leading rusher this season, carrying 188 times for 989 yards (5.3 per carry) and eight touchdowns while sharing time in the Huskers’ four-man I-back “committee.” He also ranked third on the squad with 33 receptions (for 313 yards) and two touchdowns.

After Nebraska’s four running backs shared carries nearly evenly during the first five games, Jackson began to separate from the pack. He finished the regular season ranked third in the Big 12 Conference in both rushing (73.2 yards per game) and all-purpose yards (109.8).

Monday marks the deadline for underclassmen to apply for early entry into the draft. Jackson this week declined interview requests.

A native of Horn Lake, Miss. — about 10 minutes from Memphis — Jackson had said in the days leading to the Jan. 1 Cotton Bowl that he wasn’t considering the NFL at all. However, his thinking evidently changed in the days immediately following Nebraska’s 17-14 bowl loss to Auburn.

“He’s going to take his time with the decision,” Ben Jackson said Tuesday from Horn Lake. “He’s patient. The way we were raised, our mom always told us, ‘Before you do anything, make sure it’s what you want to do because you’ll be more satisfied if it’s your own decision.’”

Jackson suffered a broken hand in the Dec. 2 Big 12 Championship Game and was limited throughout much of the month of practice leading to the bowl game. In the loss to Auburn, he rushed seven times for 38 yards — including a 20-yard touchdown — as sophomore Marlon Lucky received the brunt of the action at I-back.

As Jackson mulls an early jump to the NFL, he weighs at least three leading factors:

n This year’s pool of running backs in the draft may not be as deep or talented as next year, when sophomores such as Steve Slaton of West Virginia (134.2 yards per game this season), Darren McFadden of Arkansas (117.6), Ian Johnson of Boise State (142.8), Ray Rice of Rutgers (138.0), Tyrell Sutton of Northwestern (83.3) and Jonathan Stewart of Oregon (75.5) become eligible.

n The assistant coach who recruited Jackson to Nebraska, John Blake, last month accepted an assistant’s job at North Carolina. “I know Brandon was disappointed,” Ben Jackson said.

n Jackson’s versatility probably makes him attractive to NFL teams. “He’s always been a great practice player and he’s a great receiver,” said Larry Gann, Jackson’s coach at Horn Lake High. “Plus, he’s not only a good blocker, he’s willing to do it. I would prefer that he stay in school, but I really can’t argue with the reasons (to leave early).”

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.