Arizona State Makes Top 8 For 2027 Safety
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Arizona State has been on a heater in the 2027 recruiting cycle. While head coach Kenny Dillingham is still awaiting his first commitment in the class, the Sun Devils have been making steady progress with several prospects.
One of those prospects is a three-star safety from Texas, who recently named Arizona State among his final eight schools, giving the Sun Devils a real chance to secure his commitment.
Three-Star Safety Names Arizona State in Final 8 Schools
On Nov 23, Rivals' Sam Spiegelman reported on X that Karnell "Greedy" James, a three-star safety from Manvel High School in Manvel, Texas, had named Arizona State as one of his final eight schools alongside Florida, Missouri, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Vanderbilt.
NEWS: Touted 2027 safety Greedy James is down to eight top schools, he tells @Rivals
— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) November 23, 2025
Inside on the top contenders: https://t.co/JMFAqY7G9p pic.twitter.com/vSMkSiNErz
The Sun Devils have been targeting James since the start of summer, first offering him on June 15 and hosting him for a game-day visit this season.
After naming his final eight, the young safety discussed Arizona State's recruitment of him with Spigelman. He mentioned that he had the chance to meet with Dillingham and defensive coordinator Brian Ward during his visit, and that the staff clearly explained what they are looking for in a player.
- “I got to go down for a game and take a facility tour and met with the head coach [Kenny Dillingham] and the defensive coordinator [ Brian Ward],” James told Spiegelman. “They really explained how they operate and what they look for in a player.”
James isn't a blue-chip prospect, but he's still a good player and would be a fantastic addition to Arizona State's 2027 class. Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 589 overall recruit in the country, the No. 66 safety, and the No. 79 prospect from Texas.
During his tenure as Arizona State's head coach, Dillingham has established a strong pipeline in Texas. In the Sun Devils' 2026 class, eight of their 18 commits are from Texas, and the program is already on track for similar success in the 2027 cycle.
While Arizona State will face tough competition from TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M to attract James out of the state, they have a strong chance to secure his commitment and should aim to get him on campus in Tempe for an official visit this spring or summer.
James is one of several 2027 prospects who have named Arizona State as a finalist in their recruitment process, joining recruits like four-star cornerback Jerry Outhouse and four-star wide receiver Zerek Sidney. Although it's too early to determine exactly what the Sun Devils' class will look like, it has a strong chance to be one of the best in program history.
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Max Dorsey serves as the Western United States College Recruiting Beat Writer On SI. He graduated from the prestigious Syracuse University – S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Before that, he worked for the Pro Football Network and was part of the recruiting department for Syracuse University's football program.
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