It wasn’t easy for Marcus James to leave his coaches, teachers and teammates behind when he chose to transfer from Bishop McGuinness to rival Carl Albert before his junior year, but he stands by his choice.
“It was hard leaving some of the friends I had made, but I knew I was making the best decision for myself, and I don’t regret leaving,” James said.
Both James and his sister transferred this summer. James, an impressive Division I college football prospect, and Carl Albert, the most storied football program in the 405 area code, were a match made in heaven. Before he ever donned a Titans jersey, his recruiting skyrocketed.
“Really, it began last year when I was a sophomore at Bishop McGuinness, then after the season, I got my first offer to Tulsa,” James said. “I transferred right in the middle of a live period so once I got to Carl Albert, my recruitment sky-rocketed and I was talking to Power 5 colleges on the daily.”
James, now staring his Nov. 2 commitment date in the face, narrowed his choices to Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Utah, Arkansas and TCU recently. He knows where he’s going. You don’t. But he lobbed a hint about his future.
“After talking to all these coaches, I found out quick who really wanted me to come be a part of their program, and one school stood out in particular by the brotherhood, legacy, coaching and just all elements, which led me to release my top five, which led me to where I am now, and I believe I found the place where I can call home,” James said.
The gratification of joining the Carl Albert brotherhood may have come before his first game, but it could have evaporated in an instant — He had to play a game, eventually, and prove his worth. While that may have been an intimidating task for most, James has handled it like a pro as the Titans have started 9-0 with a No. 1 ranking in Class 5A. James and his teammates are the favorites to win a seventh title in eight years.
“It was really easy, to be honest,” James said. “I knew a lot of people that went to CA because I grew up playing football or basketball with some of them, and the new teammates I didn’t know were cool and hit it off pretty smoothly. The coaches treated me very well, and they were very happy to have me there as well, so I could say the transition probably went as smoothly as it could have went.”
James fits in nicely with an already stacked crew that features several other Power 5 recruits. Just last week, James caught a go-ahead touchdown from teammate Kevin Sperry, an Oklahoma commit, to lift the Titans to a 24-21 victory over No. 2 Guthrie. It’s the success he expected but not enough to satisfy him.
“After going through this offseason and going through all the work that prepared us for a tough season, I could say yes,” James said, “but we don’t focus on going undefeated or rankings or anything like that. Our main goal and priority right now is to win a Gold Ball.”
James has big dreams for his football career, but more than he is an impressive athlete, James is an impressive kid.
“I have a goal to go to college and, most importantly, graduate with a degree in biology, and I want to go to medical school and become an orthopedic surgeon in case, God forbid, football doesn’t work out for me,” James said. “On the field, I want to go to college and put myself in a position to go to the NFL and win the Butkus award. Most importantly, I want to go on and do big things that will make my family and friends proud.”
