Karnell “Greedy” James has given Texas a clearer picture of why his recruitment ended with a flip to LSU, and the answer starts with culture, coaching, and home.
The four-star defensive back officially moved his commitment from Texas to LSU on Thursday, ending a battle that stayed close until the finish. James said the Tigers checked the biggest boxes for him, from the people around the program to the feeling he got in Baton Rouge.
“It has been a really tight race and it was a hard decision. I couldn't go wrong with any of those schools,” James told Rivals.
“What mattered to me most was being where I wanted to be the most. At LSU, I loved the culture on and off the field.
They have a great coaching staff and they feel like father figures, especially Coach Raymond. He's one of the best in the game.”
For Texas, that stings because the Longhorns were in early and stayed involved all the way through. They offered the Manvel standout in June 2025 and later landed his commitment that December, only for LSU to keep pushing and eventually win the fight.
Corey Raymond played a major role in that late swing. James said the LSU defensive backs coach laid out a plan that made sense to him, especially with how he could be used in the secondary.
“It has been really real with me how he sees me at corner, playing a lot of safety, how he can develop me, and how I just need to get in his hands,” James said.
There was also a personal pull that LSU simply couldn’t ignore. James was born in New Orleans, still has family there, and grew up rooting for the Tigers.
“All my family and I grew up LSU fans,” James continued. “It's cool that they can watch me there.”
James is rated the No. 319 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting class and the No. 47 player in Texas, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.
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