Freshman Running Back Sampson James Feels At Home At IU
It's roughly a 35-minute drive for his family to come watch him play. The program's Director of Athletic Performance, David Ballou, redshirt sophomore safety Bryant Fitzgerald and redshirt freshman wide receiver Luke Shayotovich both played major roles in his high school's success.
Quite simply, IU feels like home for freshman running back and Avon (Ind.) High product Sampson James.
"Throughout the recruiting process, the bond was always there," James said. "They always had a lot of love. Even when I was committed to Ohio State, showed a lot of love. It's always been strong between myself and the program, I can definitely say that."
A former Rivals250 prospect and four-star recruit, James was regarded by Rivals.com as the No. 9 running back nationally and No. 3 player in Indiana. He caught the attention of several schools after tallying 243 carries for 1,782 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. By the end of his high school career, he collected 3,451 yards on 573 attempts (6.0 average) with 38 rushing touchdowns and 41 total scores and was a two-time Indiana Football Coaches Association All-State selection and two-time IndyStar Super Team member.
Initially, he committed to Ohio State in March 2018 before flipping to Indiana last October in what was hailed as a massive recruiting win for the Hoosiers. James said it was a decision he had been mulling over for a couple of weeks.
"I was just thinking about my future and what was best for me," James said. "I felt like this was the place to best develop me as man and a football player. It feels like home. Definitely a brotherhood here. More of my family members can come see me play, friends and loved ones (as well). It means a lot to me to stay home and do it for the home-state team."
The decision to head to IU instead came the day after James was in Columbus for the No. 6 Buckeyes' 49-26 victory over the Hoosiers. While Indiana lost, it showed James enough to convince him to take his talents to Bloomington.
"I see how close we are to definitely being there, one of the top programs in the Big Ten," James said. "I definitely saw it that game. We competed well, just fell short that last quarter. I see the potential, I definitely believe in the program 100 percent. I believe in Coach Allen, I believe the strength staff, I believe in the players that are around me. A lot of young talent. I believe we're going to do great things."
An early-enrollee, James joins a competitive Indiana running back room with several other talented players, including classmate Ivory Winters. Stevie Scott set true freshman program records with 1,137 yards, 228 attempts, 10 touchdowns and six 100-yard games in 2018. Sophomore Ronnie Walker rushed 32 times for 141 yards and a pair of scores in nine games last fall. Although Cole Gest suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the season-opener at Florida International, he second on the team with 428 yards on 93 attempts in 2017, his last healthy season."
"It's a lot of talent. I feel like we're going to push each other to be great every day, which is great," James said. "That's what you want out of a running back room. I'm excited to work with those guys."
James has gotten settled on campus after arriving in early January.
He said his classes are going well and he has good grades in them. The workouts are challenging, but he knows they're making him better. The coaching staff has been very welcoming, too, and he's also developing a good bond with his teammates.
Safe to say his new home is treating him well.
"It was his decision to come back and to say you know what, this is where I want to be; this is where I want to call home and this is where I want to play and I can achieve all my goals at Indiana, which is the things we told him all along," IU head coach Tom Allen said. "Once he came to the realization that's what he believed, too, this is where he called home. Just think getting an in-state guy to come to Indiana of his caliber is a big deal."
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