The trail of senior Jamel James college football decision came to an end last Sunday when he finalized his commitment to Texas State. After decommiting from Notre Dame last December, James reconsidered his possibilities and chose Texas State five days before National Signing day on Feb.1st. The running back will spend his college days in San Marcos and try to upstart a Texas State team that finished 4-8 last season.
For the past four years James has built a reputation as the identiy of Cinco Ranch Football. The team has piled up a record of 27-9 in the past three years; all years in which the offense has predicated it’s attack on the ground. With James gone the team will have a brand new look, but James will always have a spot in his heart for the high school he played for.
“Friends, the football team and the school,” James said. “I’ve been here along time.”
Ever since his sophomore year James has been heavily recruited by schools all over the nation. With twelve division one offers James has had to look at many colleges for the perfect fit. Now with the recruitment process behind, him James can look forward to his days as a bobcat.
“I’m excited, I loved the campus when I went out there this past weekend and just being able to visit old coaches and family from my old school,” James said.
Many people questioned James decision to decommit from Notre Dame. At the time they were the number one team in the country and had their first BCS appearance since 1988. In the end James wanted to be closer to home and he realized that Notre Dame was not the right school for him.
“I chose to decommit because I felt that I needed more time to know where I really needed to be and see more places,” James said.
The recruitment process can be either stressful or exciting. In the end the student must be committed to both the academics of the school and the athletics. Throughout the journey, James has had to make the right decision for him.
“Being able to stay level-headed and focus on what needs to be dealt with,” James said.
Texas State a member of the Sunbelt Conference is in its third year as a Division 1 school. As a fairly new team, James believes he will bring a certain attitude to the team and make them believe they can compete with anyone.
“[I will bring] a lot of character and making guys realize that it’s not always about the big schools,” James said.
In the mean time James can look back at his high school career as a success. Cinco Ranch has become a powerhouse in District 19 and has made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons. With one semester left of high school James dream of playing college football is right there.
“Right now I need to focus on my second semester of senior year and get ready for college football,” James said.
