4-star RB James Peoples breaks down top six schools

San Antonio Veterans Memorial four-star running back James Peoples holds 21 offers. He is now ready to cut down his list.

Peoples announced his top six schools on Thursday. They are Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and TCU.

“Honestly, I feel like the list that I have is pretty set in stone now,” Peoples told On3. “I am considering all of them, but I don’t think anything can change really. I know which schools I am considering.”

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound tailback has built close connections with each of his finalists’ staffs. A program’s environment, coaches, talent, support system and facilities will all impact his choice. Playing time, a college town’s atmosphere and name, image and likeness matter as well.

Peoples expects his five official visits to go to his top programs. Meanwhile, he plans to take an unofficial visit to Ohio State March 30-April 1, around the time of the Buckeyes’ spring game.

“I want to be that lone star, bell cow back for whatever university I go to,” said Peoples, the No. 127 overall prospect in the 2024 On300. “Running backs get beat up and stuff like that, (so) another back that is also talented in that room with me wouldn’t be a bad idea, so we can share the field, but also preserve our bodies for the NFL. The NFL is ultimately my highest goal and college is that next step to getting there. But I don’t want to run my body out short because I’m putting too much of a load on myself.”

Peoples discusses interest in Alabama, Ohio State and Oregon

Peoples has yet to visit Alabama. However, the Crimson Tide are in line for an official this spring or summer after he spoke with head coach Nick Saban and special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler.

“They have a unique process of (coaching) running backs,” Peoples said. “When they explained to me the process of the running backs… and how they really develop the backs, of course, they’ve had a great history of running backs that they’ve produced into the league and are very successful like Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, people like that. It proves that it works.”

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound tailback has also not visited Oregon yet. He likes how the Ducks’ staff, including running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, helps build players on and off the field.

“Talking with Locklyn, he develops both,” Peoples said. “He has a process that he explained to me that I feel like is a process that has been working.”

Peoples is eager to learn more about Oregon. So far, he has only spoken with Locklyn and offensive coordinator Will Stein.

Regarding Ohio State, Peoples is looking forward to his trip to Columbus. He wants to meet with the staff more and get a better feel for the campus.

“Speaking with Ohio State, it’s a very special place,” said Peoples, who has family in Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio. “The coaching staff, from coach (Tony) Alford to coach (Ryan) Day, it’s a very special, loving staff. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with all their staff and they’re all very invested me and hearing things that they have to say, breaking down the things that they like and the constant communication that we’ve had, that place is special. Ezekiel Elliott, you got so many staples athletes that go to that program to get developed and be successful. It’s a special spot.”

Peoples is very interested in Texas and TCU

Right now, Peoples’ interest in Texas is high. The Lone Star State native has traveled to Austin between four and five times.

“Texas is a high-motor place,” Peoples said. “It’s a very energetic environment and the people there are also amazing. They, of course, have that great history of Bijan Robinson and the running backs at that school, so that also plays a factor, in how they utilize their running backs, how much success they’ve had at rushing these past couple years. Going up there and getting more familiar with the environment because it is closer and it is also a team that I’m really looking at right now, it all plays a factor into that. I say mostly it’s because they’re so close that I’m able to get up there ever so often.”

Running backs coach Tashard Choice also plays an important role in Peoples’ recruitment. Peoples called him “a special coach” and shared that “he’s really in line with what I’m in line with.”

“He has league experience,” Peoples said. “But not only that, he understands the hard work and dedication it takes. As he talked about when I went up to the Junior Day, he said, ‘There’s only 96 backs in the league that get to travel…’ He really emphasizes how we have to embrace competition, how to work really hard and how to manage your body as if you were an NFL back right now. He really exercises those things a lot and pours into us knowledge from both ends.”

Like Texas, Peoples has visited TCU multiple times. He was last in Fort Worth for the Horned Frogs’ win over Oklahoma State.

The four-star was impressed by TCU’s run to the national championship this season. He shared that their impressive season “did kind of boost them a bit.”

“I never really look at just the team’s success, of course, but the coaching staff, how they’ve developed and what they’re doing at TCU, that plays a huge part,” Peoples said.

Peoples has known running backs Anthony Jones Jr. for a long time and the two communicate almost weekly. He also feels like TCU was “the first school to give me a chance and get me started.”

“TCU is just a special place,” Peoples said. “They had a special season as well. This new coaching staff has definitely turned around that program completely and I recognize that.”

Peoples sees Oklahoma as a ‘very special place’

Peoples has visited Oklahoma twice. The four-star feels like a priority to Oklahoma, as head coach Brent Venables, running backs coach Demarco Murray and the rest of the Sooners’ staff have spoken with him one-on-one.

He also recalls that Oklahoma has visited his high school four times.

“Me going up there, it was a very special place,” Peoples said. “They talked about many things. They really talk about the development of character and the people that they’re looking for. Even though it was a Junior Day, they only invited about 28 people. They’re very specific on who they want and the character and people that they want.”

While in Norman, Peoples spoke with Venables and Murray. One of the topics he talked with Venables about was the SOUL mission, which is a group of Oklahoma staffers who help student-athletes with multiple matters.

“We just had a great conversation,” People said. “We talked about many important things, about the place, his outlook on the future of what Oklahoma looks like because he’s trying to change that place into something better. He has a vision for that place. I really bought into what he was saying, listening to him. All the things he had to say were great.”