Coach | 2022 Notre Dame RB Target Jordan James "A Complete Back"

To hear Kevin Creasy describe Jordan James‍, what the 2022 Tennessee running back does is simple.

But it’s certainly not easy.

“He's just a complete back,” Creasy says of James. “He's a guy that can run inside, tough enough to run inside, fast enough to run outside, skilled enough to catch passes out of the backfield. And then tough enough to block.

“So, he's one of the most complete backs we've ever seen and that's probably why he's getting national attention.”

The 5-foot-10, 205-pound James recently added Notre Dame to an offer sheet that also includes schools like Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, Nebraska, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech among others.

“When you get offered by Notre Dame, that means you're definitely being recruited nationwide,” says Creasy, James’ coach at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro.

“He understands the history of Notre Dame and he understands what kind of run they've been on here lately and the great season they just had. It definitely means a lot to him. And I really think it's one of those schools that he will definitely consider.”

With a pause on in-person recruiting that will end up lasting more than a year because of COVID-19, Creasy is advising his players to do everything they can to stay in touch with college coaches.

“The biggest thing is just trying to build relationships with these guys that are recruiting you,” says Creasy. “I think it's important that you make sure that you conserve some time every day to try to build relationships with these coaches.

“It's definitely a different year and there's definitely a different way in which people are having to recruit players. So, I just tell my guys, they need to embrace it and set aside some time in the afternoons to kind of get to know these guys and see if there's not ways that you can learn more about each school.”

Off the field, Creasy calls James “a good dude and a real good teammate.” 

“He comes across as kind of quiet, but once he gets to know you, he gets comfortable around you,” the coach continues.

“He's a great kid. Everybody in the locker room, is attracted to his personality. He's got a magnetic personality that has people attracted to him. People want to always hang out with him.”