Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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56 MARCH 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2023 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY TODD D. BURLAGE When it comes to diverse interests, unique talents and big dreams, nobody in this Irish recruiting class can stand next to wide receiver Braylon James. Initially planning to study mechani- cal engineering at Notre Dame, James' music pursuits later pulled him into a marketing curriculum, which he says will serve him well if his singing, rap- ping and music mixing career takes off. And if you think James is just another wide-eyed teenager chasing an impos- sible dream, think again. The Round Rock, Texas, native has already compiled and shared a catalog of his music with some talent agents and record labels, and James said the response has been good. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Free- man even took notice and put James in touch with a talent scout he is friends with. "I believe music is something that is going to take me to the next level," said James, who grew up singing in the church choir and later added rap music to his talent list, as both a performer and a producer. "I'm blessed to have that in my life for sure." And if a music career doesn't hold together, James explained that he's be- coming increasingly interested in me- dia, either behind the microphone or in front of the camera. Engaging, well spoken and good look- ing with a million-dollar smile, James has already been told a media career would suit him well. "Everybody has been telling me they like the way I handle interviews, they like the way I communicate," he said. "So, working in media is definitely climbing my list of interests." But make no mistake, both of those career options can wait until after James finishes what he expects to be a long and lucrative football career. James arrived on campus in January as one of 12 Irish early enrollees from the 2023 class. And among all 24 recruits in the class, James is being projected by many as a player who could play early and often. "The way the wide receiver depth was looking, I just felt like I could come in and potentially make a quick impact," James said. "But all of this is still un- believable. This has all been a dream come true. "I feel like I've come so far already, and it's only just beginning." ✦ Braylon James Is Ready To Start A New Chapter James, a 2023 Under Armour All-American, notched 38 receptions for 727 yards and 5 touchdowns as a senior at Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM BRAYLON JAMES WIDE RECEIVER 6-2 · 191 STONY POINT H.S. ROUND ROCK, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 51 59 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 60 9 12 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 156 28 28 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 125 20 24 STATISTICS • Across 28 career high school contests, received 128 passes for 1,795 yards and 17 touchdowns. • Hauled in 38 passes for 727 yards and 5 touch- downs during his senior campaign. • As a junior in 2021, caught 47 passes for 568 yards and 6 scores. NOTABLE • 2023 Under Armour All-American. • 2022 Texas All-District 25-6A first-team offense. • 2021 Texas All-District 26-6A first-team offense. • 2020 Texas All-District 26-6A second-team of- fense. • Played basketball and participated in track and field, boasting a 22.82 200-meter time and personal-best high jump of 6 feet, 4 inches. • Played at Del Valle (Texas) High before trans- ferring to Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point for his senior year. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on April 19, 2022. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Committed to the Irish over Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Southern Cal, Stanford and others. • Recruited by receivers coach Chansi Stuckey. • Visited Notre Dame three times, including his official visit on June 10, 2022. 2023 PROJECTION • James has the potential to make an impact as a freshman. THEY SAID IT Former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees: "Braylon is like Tobias [Merriweather] — long, rangy and can run. He has a great frame where you can tell he can add 10 or 15 more pounds and be a physical presence on the outside, and he has the speed to play out there." On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "James is one of the more athletic receivers in a combine setting in the 2023 cycle. He had a very strong performance in the testing portion at the Under Armour Dallas camp. James is very twitchy, which helps him win vertically on the field. "He's still developing in terms of technical acuity, ball skills and route running. I think James adds a considerable injection of athleticism to Notre Dame's wide receiver room. This is another impres- sive get out of Texas for Marcus Freeman and staff." National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming: "Bray- lon shows similar ability to his more heralded for- mer teammate [2022 four-star Ohio State signee Caleb Burton]. He's a little bit taller and just as explosive. The scouts are in love with James' height, hands, body control and balance. "He has the athletic ability to become an im- pact player at the wide receiver position. Has been blessed with very good speed, runs precise routes, can create after the catch and does a good job of finding openings."