After picking up an offer from the Tigers on June 19th and following that up with an official visit this past weekend, Francis-Howell (Mo.) athlete Jude James is now the latest commitment in the Tigers' 2024 class.
"I just felt like before coming to campus I hadn’t realized what I was coming into because that was my first time really visiting and talking to all the coaches," James said moments after he announced his pledge. "When I first got there it felt right. I felt it in my gut. I just felt that was the decision that had to be made.
"Me and my mom were talking about it during the visit. I’m like 'I think we can get this done, I think this is the place I want to be.'"
Five days later, James is Missouri's fourth public commitment.
His conversation with Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz also stood out during his time in Columbia.
"It was pretty good, he brought me and my Mom in his office and said how they feel about me and they are really excited about me. He pretty much left me with a quote, 'opportunities of a lifetime must be seized within the lifetime of the opportunity.' That really stood out to me."
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound prospect camped at Missouri earlier this month and returned with his high school team recently to compete in Missouri's 7-on-7 tournament held on campus, where he picked up his offer after impressing the coaching staff.
The Tigers' staff haven't stamped a position on James and are recruiting him as an athlete.
"It depends on how I grow and how I get built," James said. "They’re gonna either put me at an H-Back, tight end or a linebacker/safety hybrid. They don’t know yet."
He admits he does have a slight preference between the two.
"If I had the opportunity, I'd love to play offense," he said. "But I just love football."
Missouri was James' first power five offer, but he also had notable G5 offers from the likes of Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Colorado State, Memphis, Toledo, and others.
During his junior season, he hauled in 27 catches for 584 yards and eight total touchdowns. He was also outstanding at safety, tallying 119 tackles and four interceptions while being named All-State Class 5 and All-Metro while helping lead his team to a state championship.
James also has a couple of former high school teammates on Missouri's roster that include freshman tight end Brett Norfleet and junior offensive lineman Drake Heismeyer. There will be no drama with James this falll.
"This is the place I’m gonna be. I’m shutting it down. I’m ready to be a Tiger."
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