Notre Dame lands commitment from four-star WR Braylon James

The Fighting Irish are back on the board in the 2023 class with a commitment from Round Rock (Texas) Stony Point four-star wide receiver Braylon James who announced his pledge to Notre Dame on Tuesday evening over finalists Stanford and TCU.

It was a long journey for James who prioritized life after football during his recruitment, a trait that he felt Notre Dame couldn't be beat with.

"It's life after football," James said. "Thinking about education and thinking about NIL, they got all that. The only school that could really compete with that was Stanford, but when you look at football, Notre Dame has the edge in that."

James describes his relationship with head coach Marcus Freeman as the best coach relationship he has had in his entire recruitment as he looks forward to playing for a coach that he believes can bring a national championship back to South Bend.

"In terms of speaking to a head coach and genuinely getting to know them, I feel like Coach Freeman was the one I got to build the best relationship with," he said. "Every conversation we have, he's genuine. Every question I have, he's honest about it. Notre Dame has the right person in there to get that program up to a national championship team, and it's definitely something I want to be a part of."

The coach relationships at Notre Dame extend to wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey who had a prior relationship with the four-star Texan from his time at Baylor.

"He's somebody I have prior relationships with even when he was at Baylor," James said. "As soon as he got to Notre Dame, the intensity in the recruitment just turned up. He really cares about my interests, we talk about things outside of football. In terms of relationships, there's no better way to put it, he's just awesome."

On his recent visit to Notre Dame during his school's spring break, James was able to soak in the "college town" feel while seeing the beauty of the campus in South Bend.

"You can't really describe South Bend until you get down to South Bend," he said. "It's a college town feel. Being on campus, there's beautiful architecture. I walked into the Basilica and just thought it was awesome. It's just a special place, for sure."

It's been a busy offseason so far for James as he closes his recruitment shortly after transferring high schools. But now with everything in the rearview, his eyes are set on getting college ready ahead of his senior season.

"Just getting college ready in terms of building my body up," he said. "I'm just trying to be as polished of a route runner as possible. A college-level route runner is where I need to be. Speed is huge, especially in college football, so that's what I'm gonna emphasize on."

James joins the 2023 Notre Dame class as the Irish's ninth commitment and second pledge from the state of Texas, joining Denton (Texas) Guyer four-star safety Peyton Bowen.

James is a big-bodied, sure-handed receiver that combines smooth route running with elite high-point ability. His ability to go up over defenders and come down with a reception matches some of the best receivers in the country, as his vertical makes it difficult to reach his status up top over defenders.

His speed provides an option offensively that can take the top off of a defense in the defensive backfield, and with a surefire quarterback that can hit him in stride, James' deep-play ability can increase tenfold.

The four-star affects the game both on offense and on special teams where he recorded two kickoff returns for touchdowns during his junior season. His long strides in the open field make him tough to catch once he's out in the open which may give him the ability to star as a special teams contributor at Notre Dame.