LSU's unique pitch to Greedy James was able to separate them from Notre Dame for the former Texas DB commit

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Notre Dame missed out on former Texas defensive back commit Greedy James. LSU’s unique pitch proved to be the difference.

Notre Dame football and head coach Marcus Freeman came up short in their pursuit of 2027 Manvell (Texas) defensive back Karnell “Greedy” James, who flipped his commitment from Texas to LSU on Thursday.

The Fighting Irish had been one of the programs making a strong push for James over the last couple of months, earning both an unofficial and official visit to South Bend. Despite those efforts, the talented defensive back chose the Tigers, a decision that was not a huge surprise to those following Notre Dame recruiting closely.

As I have written in the past, LSU became the team to beat during the official visit window. James’s roots in Louisiana played a significant role in his affection for the LSU program and were a driving force behind the flip.

LSU’s unique pitch separated them

After conversations with multiple sources, it appears that LSU made a unique pitch that separated them from both Texas and Notre Dame. The Tigers didn’t sell James on just one position. There wasn’t a debate over whether he’s just a cornerback, a safety, or a nickel at the college level. LSU pitched the ability for him to cross-train at multiple positions.

The thought process behind that approach is straightforward. The NFL has become much more fond of versatility on the back end, with defensive backs who can line up in multiple spots carrying added value. LSU is going to play him at corner, play him at safety, and maximize that versatility to showcase just how diverse of a defensive back he is.

Notre Dame saw James more as an outside corner who had some flexibility if needed but didn’t necessarily sell the ability to play multiple spots at one time. Texas viewed things similarly, though they pitched him more as a safety. That distinction in vision for his development gave LSU a clear edge, on top of his roots in the state.

Notre Dame was a distant third, per source

I’ve been on the record that I believed James was going to flip at some point, whether it was to LSU or Notre Dame. He wasn’t going to stay with Texas. While that turned out to be true, according to a very trusted source, the two options actually ended up being LSU or staying with Texas. Notre Dame became a somewhat distant third in this conversation.

That’s no shot against the Irish or secondary coach Aaron Henry. Everyone on Notre Dame’s side did a good job in this recruitment. From the sounds of it, staying somewhat close to home meant a lot to James. It was either going to be the Tigers or the Longhorns in the end.

What this means for Notre Dame and LSU

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin gets a nice victory on the recruiting trail here, and it appears there’s a ton more to come. For now, he adds a versatile defensive back who can do a little bit of everything on the back end for his secondary.

For Notre Dame, this is a recruitment where Freeman and his staff did the work. They got James on campus multiple times and made a compelling pitch. Sometimes the geography and the fit with another program’s vision win out. The Fighting Irish hold commitments from top-100 cornerbacks Xavier Hasan and Ace Alston, as well as talented safeties Zayden Gamble and John Gay III, so they are still in a great spot with defensive back recruiting.

James was a want, not a need. Notre Dame is just fine in the secondary for the 2027 class, despite missing out on James.

This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: LSU’s unique pitch to Greedy James was able to separate them from Notre Dame for the former Texas DB commit

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