Indiana Defensive Lineman Nick James Enters Transfer Portal

Nick James was a prized recruit in Tom Allen's 2022 recruiting class, picking Indiana over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and others, but he entered the transfer portal on Monday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana defensive lineman Nick James announced his decision to enter the transfer portal Monday on social media. He has three years of remaining eligibility. 

Thank you Indiana for the past two years, but I have officially entered the transfer portal as a redshirt freshman with 3 more year of eligibility.

— Nick James¹⁹ (@Njames9999) November 27, 2023

Regardless of who Indiana hires as its next head coach, James will likely be a priority to keep in Bloomington. But if James decides to stay in the portal and head to a new school, this would be a big loss for the Hoosiers.

James was a prized recruit in Tom Allen's 2022 class. He was ranked as a four-star recruit, No. 307 in the nation and No. 39 among defensive linemen, according to the 247 Sports Composite. James picked Indiana over offers from top programs like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and plenty of other Power 5 schools.

James, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive lineman, played four games while maintaining redshirt status during the 2022 season. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, he appeared in all 12 games.

Indiana had a transfer-heavy defensive line in 2023, and that could be the case again in 2024. 

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