It’s rare to see an in-state prospect with more than 25 scholarship offers, but that is the case for Little Rock Parkview junior running back James Jointer.
“I really feel like I’m just now just starting to get recruited," Jointer said. "I hear from a new school every day showing interest in me and getting to know me. It’s all a blessing. I try not to let that stuff get to my head because I know different guys not saying in Arkansas bu all over they let that stuff get to their heads. I just try to stay humble."
Jointer, 6-1, 210 pounds, has seen an influx of offers from Virginia, Utah, Michigan State and Purdue in January to go along with ones from Arkansas, Florida State, Missouri, Tennessee, Colorado and others.
He said he hears from about 10 to 15 schools per day, which keeps him busy while also going to school, working out and hanging out with friends.
“I try to get to them or answer back as soon as possible,” Jointer said. “Coaches understand recruiting. They know I'm not just sitting around by my phone all day. Sometimes it might just be, ‘Hey, James, give me a FaceTime call.' They try to work around their schedule, too. So it’s kind of hard to manage my social life and talk to my friends and all. It’s kind of hard but I’m adjusting to it.”
With LSU, Illinois, Texas A&M Nebraska and Vanderbilt reaching out to him last week, Jointer said he has no plans to narrow his list.
“I’m nowhere near to narrowing down,” he said. “ Every time I think about dropping some schools or what not different schools come in I’m trying to give everybody a chance.”
He rushed 162 times for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns, and had 8 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown as a junior. He missed most of his sophomore season because of an ACL injury.
“His sophomore year he was hurt in the last play of his first game against Marion after rushing for 180 yards,” Parkview coach Brad Bolding said. “This year he was big and physical considering we had such a long time off from the initial pandemic. He has really matured on and off the field. Really impressed with his power and explosion and now his change of direction. He’s an A-B student. He’s a true student-athlete. He is going to make a college program better in a lot of different ways.”
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates him a 3-star plus prospect. Jointer is talking to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and running backs coach Jimmy Smith.
“Every other day I talk to Coach Smith,” Jointer said. “We have a pretty good relationship. He does a good job trying to recruit me and my family, not just me. That’s what I look for in a school."
Smith is also talking to his mother and little brother.
“That means a lot,” Jointer said. “That’s what I’m looking for. It’s just not about recruiting me. You have to make sure you’re recruiting me and my little brother and mom.”
He said Arizona State, Michigan State and Missouri are also recruiting his mother and brother.
What is Jointer looking for in a school?
“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know," he said. "Whoever is recruiting me and my family the hardest and give me an opportunity to get on the field the quickest."