I really don't have any inside information when it comes to where these kids will eventually go.
But, I think the Gophers will have a decent chance at getting him. He comes from a really strong academic family, his brother is playing football in the Ivy League (Penn I believe) and his dad is a pretty successful businessman and a leader in the Minnesota African community. James is cut from the same cloth, he is a REALLY hard working, intelligent kid that happens to be a good football player. I think it might be hard to keep him from going to the Stanford or Notre Dame's of the world.
I was talking about him with some other posters around the prep bowl in that he is really a unique kind of talent in that he has the hands to be a WR, but he is a good running back too. I could certainly see him in a hybrid sort of Percy Harvin role at the next level (not comparing his ability to Percy's, just that kind of versatility). I always envisioned that he would end up on offense, but I'm not entirely sure where he will play. I know he is a good football player, he can run, read his blocks, he's deceptively fast, he can catch the ball, and he's tough. So I wouldn't be really surprised if he didn't end up on Defense either.
I'm a little surprised that he already has this amount of offers. I think he is definitely Big 10 caliber, but he isn't ideally tall like McDonald, he isn't extremely explosive, and he didn't put up really gaudy numbers.
I think we have a legitimate shot at him. He won't be the kind of kid that will be too wrapped up in the glitz and glamour of the recruiting process, but I imagine his choice will be extremely pragmatic (which can sometimes hurt a local team). I think he'll give the U a legitimate shot at landing him and be open minded enough to see this is really a great place to be, but I do think that at the end of the day it'll come down to what he thinks would be the best choice for his future.
I'll keep you updated the closer it gets, that's really the only time I ever hear a nugget of inside info. It's usually along the lines of "James really likes the U" or something like that, not very definite. In my personal experience, anyone who comes on here claiming to really know where a kid is heading, unless that person is family, is making things up.
