James recruitment picks up pace

Now that the senior season of Niles (Ill.) Notre Dame running back Chris James is complete, things are moving fast in the three-star's recruitment.

Just days after his team was knocked out of the Illinois state playoffs, James told Rivals.com his decision could be coming "any day now." James went on to expand on where he was with the process.

"Now that the season is over, I'm trying to get this thing over with," James said. "My grandmother gave me the green light that I could commit if I want to and she would be behind me 100 percent. It takes the pressure off my shoulders if I know where I am going, and can just focus on school."

Though there is no set decision date, James said he expects to have it wrapped up before December. Several official visits were planned over the coming weeks, but all visit plans - including one to Wisconsin this upcoming weekend - are up in the air.

"I was planning on visiting this weekend, but I'm not 100 percent sure," James said. "If I do, it would possibly be as an unofficial. That would be great if I could make it out, but I don't 100 percent know yet."

James said he keeps up with the Wisconsin coaches "from time to time," but they are not his outright favorite.

"I wouldn't say they're the team to beat right now," James said. "I don't want to put them as my No. 1 school because if I had a No. 1 school I'd be committed. It's mainly between Pitt and Wisconsin."

An official visit to Pitt was likely to take place in December, but now that his recruitment is progressing quicker he may move that visit date forward.

"I think I have been to Wisconsin five times, and I'm definitely going to try to get out to [Pittsburgh] first before I do anything else because that is a school I have only seen once," James said. "They play Miami at home [Nov. 29] and I know Jamil Kamara is going up that weekend too, so we're trying to plan for that weekend."

An official visit to Tennessee had been planned for the weekend of Nov. 23, but the status of that trip is also in the air.

"If it stretches out that far, then I'll visit [Tennessee], but I'm focusing on these two and really trying to narrow this down," James said.

Michigan State had been the fourth team in James' top group, but the Spartans landed a commitment from Florida running back Madre London last week.