LaMichael James, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound three-star running back from Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas, has rushed for 1500 yards and 19 touchdowns in eight games for a 4-4 team.
James, ranked as the No. 83 running back in the country by Scout.com, says he can bench 305 pounds, squat 485 and vertical jump 36". "I have great speed and vision," James said. "I'm an all-around back. I play like Reggie Bush because I'm not very big, but can catch and am very fast (claims a 4.4 forty).
"I know I can't do anything about my size, but I'd love to be taller," he said. "Also I want to keep working on my speed and footwork."
James says he has around 20 scholarship offers and continues to deny a leader. "I'm kind of wide open," he said.
He has taken official visits to Minnesota (Sept. 22) and TCU (Sept. 1). "My trip to Minnesota was good, but it's a long way from Texas," James said. "It was also pretty cold there. I had fun, but I don't think it's for me. I think I'd rather stay somewhere a little closer to home.
TCU, where he visited for the Baylor game, is only three hours from James' house. "It's not too far away and I think I'd fit in pretty well there," he said. "I also really like the academics at TCU. It's a private school so you're not going to have a class with 500 people in it. I want to graduate from college because you can't play football forever."
He says the Horned Frogs are recruiting him the hardest.
Although he doesn't have any other official visits set up, he does plan to attend the Nebraska/Kansas State game on Nov. 10. "I grew up liking Nebraska," he said. "I was always a big Eric Crouch (former Husker Heisman quarterback) fan. I liked how he played and how elusive he was.
"I also really like the tradition at Nebraska," he said. "They were really high on my list earlier this year and I even thought about committing, but I'm pretty iffy about them now. There's a lot of talk about the coaches not being there and I don't want to get into that kind of situation. They haven't really talked to me about it, so we'll see what happens."
Despite not having a favorite, James says he plans to choose a school in December. "Right now I don't feel like I've got enough time to really sit down and think about everything," he said. "After our season ends I'll be able to compare all the schools and make a decision."
The other schools that James is still considering and has offers from are Houston, Oklahoma State (first to offer) and Arkansas.
He reports a 2.9 core GPA and a 16 ACT, which he is retaking on Dec. 8.