Notre Dame football misses out on dynamic wide receiver target despite strong attempt to lure him away from Sooners country
The 2026 wide receiver recruiting cycle has been a bit of a roller coaster for Notre Dame football so far. They currently have commitments from Dylan Faison and Georgia standout Bubba Frazier. That is a very solid start for Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and wide receivers coach Mike Brown, but finding a couple […]
The 2026 wide receiver recruiting cycle has been a bit of a roller coaster for Notre Dame football so far. They currently have commitments from Dylan Faison and Georgia standout Bubba Frazier. That is a very solid start for Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman and wide receivers coach Mike Brown, but finding a couple of high-end players to finish out the class is a necessity. There are some options on the table, but that board continues to shrink.
One player that Notre Dame pushed for a while was Norman (Okla.) North wide receiver Mason James, but things have faded over the last several weeks. On Monday, the Oklahoma native released his top five finalists ahead of his commitment on June 25. Those finalists include Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Washington, and Kansas State.
Notre Dame hosted James earlier this offseason for the first time, and did an admirable job trying to lure him away from Sooners country. Unfortunately it was an uphill battle, and weren’t able to continue that momentary momentum. As of today, the in-state Sooners are the assumed favorite to land James. They will have to close on James amidst a ton of demand from other prominent programs.
James is considered to be a four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. He ranks as the No. 181 overall player, No. 25 wide receiver, and No. 2 player in the state of Oklahoma in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports recruiting ranking. The Rivals ranking also has James ranked inside the top 200 overall players, currently sitting at No. 198 overall.
The Oklahoma standout has been recruited by a long list of prominent programs. Some of the top schools that have offered him include the Fighting Irish, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Penn State, Miami, Florida, Nebraska, Michigan State, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Washington, Arizona State, Kentucky, Kansas State, Baylor, Kansas, Cal, Arizona, SMU, and Purdue among others.
In 12 games as a junior, James made a ton of plays for Norman North. The 5-11, 170-pound pass catcher hauled in 56 receptions for 1,233 yards and 17 touchdowns. That average of 22 yards per reception showcases the type of big play potential that James brings to the table.
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