Photo provided
Authored by Sydney Fields
Arkansas picked up a big commitment this week from ESPN 4-star defensive lineman Kaleb James.
Out of Mansfield, Tex., James is a 2023 prospect and transferred from Nolan Catholic High School to Mansfield High School this semester. He stands at 6-foot-5, weighing 250 pounds and mainly plays the edge.
He spent last weekend in Fayetteville and announced his decision to join the Razorbacks on his 17th birthday. James said that head coach Sam Pittman sold Arkansas to him as a program while also pitching the beauty of the state and the town of Fayetteville.
“(Defensive line) Coach (Jermial) Ashley is who has really been recruiting me,” James said.
He added that he has become friends with other future Razorbacks.
“Me and Jordan Crook are from the same area, so I would say I consider him a friend,” he said.
Crook is a 3-star linebacker, who signed with Arkansas in the 2022 class. In 2021, James recorded 110 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and four forced fumbles. James hopes to convince others to join the 2023 class for the Razorbacks.
“I am certainly going to try,” he said. “I told Coach Pittman about a really talented quarterback named Jake Strong at Justin Northwest and a beast of a center named Noah Ponce at Duncanville who also played with me at Nolan.”
Listed as a 4-star by ESPN, James is a 3-star, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s ranked as the 354th-best player in the entire country and among the top 60 players in Texas and at his position.
In addition to football, James loves cars, fishing and the outdoors, so we will fit in just fine in Fayetteville. His commitment brings Arkansas’ 2023 class to No. 4 in the country, per the Composite.