Texas emerging as front-runner for 4-star RB James Simon
LSU looked to be a slam dunk in the recruitment of Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist four-star running back James Simon entering this spring.
The in-state Tigers have had Simon on campus numerous times and were making the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder a major priority in Baton Rouge. As Simon’s recruitment moves into May, however, a different SEC program is emerging.
LSU added a commitment from Alexandria (La.) four-star RB JT Lindsey on April 13. He became the second tailback in the Tigers’ 2025 class, joining Metairie (La.) St. Martin’s five-star Harlem Berry, the top-ranked burner in the cycle.
With two players at Simon’s position already in the fold for LSU, the door has opened for Texas to gain some serious momentum. Simon returned to Austin for a visit last month and the Longhorns made another positive impression. On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons likes where Texas sits for one of the top RBs on the board with a commitment potentially on deck.
“It almost seemed like a matter of time, we were kind of on the countdown a few months ago, saying ‘when will James Simon stay home, join Harlem Berry and go to LSU?’ Things have shifted. Early in April, LSU decided to offer running back JT Lindsey, who committed a few days later. They now have two in this class at the RB position. Does Simon want to go be a third running back at LSU? They would take him, no doubt about that,” Simmons said on ‘The Inside Scoop’.
“Or does he want to be that second guy, that counterpart to Rickey Stewart at Texas. There’s other schools involved like Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Georgia. But since that last visit to Austin earlier this spring, the Longhorns have been trending. Tashard Choice has done a great job here. He has one OV set, that’s to Texas for June 21, and he’s mentioned the possibility of committing in the month of May without taking any other trips. I like where Texas sits right now for James Simon.”
Longhorns looking to add to top-10 recruiting class
Texas added a pair of pledges in April. Tyler (Texas) Chapel Hill four-star RB Rickey Stewart Jr. is a former SMU commit but opted for the Longhorns while on a visit to The Forty Acres. Dallas Skyline four-star linebacker Elijah Barnes is a top-100 recruit and provides some major defensive firepower to Steve Sarkisian’s pledge list.
The class was kicked off with a bang back in June, as Saraland (Ala.) four-star quarterback K.J. Lacey pledged to the Longhorns. The gunslinger has continued to rise in the On3 Industry Ranking and now checks in as a top-10 player at his position.
Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove four-star athlete Lance Jackson pledged in January to add some in-state defensive flair to the pledge list in Austin. Jackson is the top-ranked commit in the class, checking in at No. 47 overall and No. 4 at the athlete position.
Simon is the No. 116 overall prospect and No. 8 RB in the 2025 On300. Texas’ class currently ranks No. 8 in the nation, and adding the touted runner out of The Boot would help the Longhorns push for top-five status in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.