Mark Dantonio Back in Illinois on the Hunt for Another 2014 Great Player: RB Chris James!

Mark Dantonio Back in Illinois on the Hunt for Another 2014 Great Player: RB Chris James! Michigan State University recently revealed a branding campaign

Mark Dantonio Back in Illinois on the Hunt for Another 2014 Great Player: RB Chris James!

Michigan State University recently revealed a branding campaign called “Spartans Will.” One student-athlete who fits right in with the school’s new image is Chris James. The class of 2014 running back recruit has the drive and determination needed to be a Spartan, as well as the talent and a love of the game needed to be a special football player.

Though the MSU football program has not underwent a major rebranding effort or regime change, the program has certainly attained a positive reputation. With Mark Dantonio at the helm, the Spartans have not only become known for having a lockdown defense, but for having spectacular running backs. Jehuu Caulcrick, Javon Ringer, Edwin Baker and LeVeon Bell have all experienced success at Michigan State and moved onto the pros under Dantonio.

The reputation has helped the Spartan coaching staff lure in great running backs year after year. Chris James is one such special recruit. A promising prospect from Niles, Illinois, James is a running back who not only utilizes his speed to burst through holes, but uses his body to crush opposing defenders.

He recently joined Hondo S. Carpenter, Sr. on Spartan Nation Radio to talk about Michigan State and his recruitment.

The rising senior at Notre Dame College Prep has drawn the attention of numerous scouts and coaches around the Midwest and beyond. Many of the performances James has turned out are hard to ignore. One such example is his stat line from his team’s Homecoming game against St. Viator on September 21. James churned out 268 yards on 26 carries, racking up a total of six touchdowns in a 49-20 victory for the Dons.

Thoroughly impressed, numerous programs such as MSU, Pitt, Wisconsin, Arizona State and Syracuse offered the 5’9, 212 pound product a scholarship. All are vying for the young back’s talents and limitless potential. Each of the aforementioned programs would love to have this hard-hitting back who drives through defenders before using his 4.48 speed to burst into the open field and his slick moves to evade the opposition’s last line of defense.

Luckily for the Spartan Nation, master recruiter Mark Dantonio is in MSU’s corner, as he and his staff have James dreaming of Green and White. “Right now, they are in the lead, I’m not going to try to hide that,” James stated. “They are in the lead and I’m enjoying the process, getting the chance to visit some schools and be with my family. As of now, Michigan State is in the lead.” In a different portion of the interview, James even went as far to say, “I love Michigan State.”

One of the major reasons for the competitive youngster’s interest in MSU is the coaching staff’s interest in him as not only an athlete, but a student and a person. James seeks a coaching staff concerned with his development off the field as well as on it. “I got the chance to sit down with some of the coaching staff. Coach Dantonio is just a great coach. He’s a really blunt guy, but he’s just tremendous,” James said.

Another factor, besides a Michigan State campus that James calls “tremendous” and “unbelievable,” goes back to the program’s reputation of developing running backs. James was quite impressed with the team’s “great history of running backs, the coaching staff, the head coach Mark Dantonio, the offering, [and that] they have that belief that running backs mean a lot and they can do a lot of things.”

James also shares a passion for the game with the MSU coaching staff. “It is my life,” James said bluntly. “Every chance I get, every play I get, I go all out…You have to live every day as if it’s your last, so every chance I get to go out and play football, something I love, I go out there and go all out.”

James is the ideal back for Michigan State. A multi-dimensional back with a competitive edge, James has a hunger in his heart that the best Spartans possess. “It was something I was born with,” he said of his competitiveness. “Every time I get the chance to compete, I’m out there, screaming, trying to get everybody pumped up.”

James admits that his competitiveness occasionally leaks from the football field into his everyday life, but defends his tendency to compete, as he looks at it as a strength. “Sometimes some of my friends tell me that I’m a little too competitive, but I think that’s why I’m starting to stand out from an athletics standpoint.”

The Illinois native’s drive has certainly helped him to become a better player. A runner with a style similar to players such as Trent Richardson, Javon Ringer and Edwin Baker, James has worked hard on his athleticism and balance. “My father was a Division I tennis player. My mom was a model so I’m not sure if I got any balance from them,” James said jokingly. “Everything else I’d have to say has definitely been all work.”

By now, many college coaches and fans are eager to discover where James will be attending school in the fall of 2014. Every team needs a running back, and having a talented player in the backfield can do wonders for a team, even make an above average team a title contender. Luckily for those anxiously waiting, the decision is not far away. “I definitely want to connect before the season. I want to focus on my team this year,” James explained. “I really want to become a leader this year and try to get my team to states this year. Definitely before the season, I definitely want to be on campus with my family.”

Wherever the youngster winds up, he is bound to bring both coaches and fans alike joy on Saturdays. His different running styles make him a dangerous player to face and a pleasure to watch. Chris James would fit well into the Green and White, as his will and competitiveness are quintessential characteristics of a Spartan. The Spartan Nation sincerely hopes that the talented back will choose Michigan State, but wishes him well regardless of the school he chooses to attend next year.