Notre Dame is set to host a talented recruit committed elsewhere – Have a chance with a fast riser in the 2027 class

Notre Dame football is set to make a strong push with a current Texas Longhorns commit.

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman warms up during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, in South Bend.

Notre Dame football extended an intriguing offer in recent weeks to 2027 Manvel (Texas) High School defensive back Karnell James Jr., who projects favorably as a playmaking safety on the college level. The most interesting part of “Greedy” is that he has been committed to the Texas Longhorns since this past December. Trying to steal an in-state player from head coach Steve Sarkisian is an intriguing attempt by head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish.

It appears that Notre Dame has made a strong early impression on James, which includes a potential visit to South Bend in the future. There is an indication, which was reported by Sam Spiegelman from Rivals, that the Irish staff is working on getting the Texas native on campus for an official visit on June 13. That trip hasn’t been fully solidified yet, but barring something unforeseen, it seems likely that James does end up making that trip.

As of today, it still feels too early to know exactly where Notre Dame stands with James. They are clearly a program that peaks his interest, along with other programs like Texas A&M, TCU, and Baylor. Whether it is enough to pry him away from Texas remains to be seen. It is also a question about just where James fits on Notre Dame’s target board right now.

Karnell “Greedy” James’ recruiting background

From a recruiting rankings perspective, James isn’t going to blow anyone away. He is currently considered to be a three-star player by each of the major recruiting platforms. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, James is currently pegged as the No. 629 overall player, the No. 59 safety, and the No. 92 overall player from the state of Texas for the 2027 recruiting class. When you consider his offer list and overall talent, the ranking for James does leave some pretty puzzled.

James has seen his offer list continue to expand this offer list, even after being committed to the Longhorns on December 3 of last year. Some of his top offers included the Fighting Irish, Texas, Florida, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Utah, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, TCU, Arizona State, Iowa, Oklahoma State, Houston, Baylor, Cal, SMU, Wisconsin, Oregon State, and Washington State, among others.

As a junior, James put together a tremendous season for Manvel. In 12 games, the 6-0, 170-pound cover man managed to collect 53 total tackles, two interceptions, and six pass breakups. James also recovered a fumble while also returning two punts for touchdowns. This is a fast and fluid athlete who possesses a ton of upside.

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