North Augusta, S.C. — Being the namesake of his Hall of Fame father is one of Edgerrin James Jr.’s greatest joys. Edgerrin Sr. was one of the most dominant running backs in NFL history, racking up more than 12,000 rushing yards in 11 seasons.
“He was tough,” Edgerrin Jr. says. “No doubt.”
That said, in his quest to become one of the most dominant point guards in NBA history one day, James Jr. and his dad wanted his clout earned not inherited. To that end, James Sr. appointed his middle son his old moniker, "Jizzle," at just 3 years old.
“That’s what they used to call me back in the day,” James Sr. says of James Jr. “I always said my son is gonna be made into a man. That’s why we added Jizzleman to it; creating a real man.”
Robert Beck/SI
The “man” add-on is only used in-house by his immediate family, but after a productive summer in the Nike EYBL loads of college coaches are calling James Jr.
“I always wanted to create my own lane because of the things that I do,” James Jr. says. “I never wanted anything handed to me; that’s how my dad always taught me. Now coaches are coming harder because of the hard work I’m putting in. It feels good.”
James Jr.'s older brother, Eden, followed his father’s path on the gridiron and will suit up as a freshman running back for Howard this fall. James Jr. started out playing both basketball and football, and excelled as a young quarterback but had a natural lean toward the hardwood.
“My dad was big on choosing the sport that we loved,” James Jr. says. “By the seventh grade I picked basketball and I put everything into it.”
The culmination of that decision came last week in the fourth and final Nike EYBL session in Kansas City, where James Jr. turned in his most dominant showing of the summer, averaging 20 points while shooting 56% from the field, 3.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals a game for the Florida Rebels.
The EYBL is widely regarded as the country’s most grueling shoe circuit league.
Battle at the Beach
That production earned him MVP honors for the session and prompted LSU, South Carolina and Kansas to come calling, all of which have been parked courtside at his games this week at the 2022 Nike Peach Jam. Georgia, N.C. State, Ole Miss, Florida Gulf Coast and Cincinnati also remain in constant pursuit.
Now, James Jr. is hoping to continue to reel in offers this week at Peach Jam, specifically from one school.
“I’ve always wanted to go to UNC,” James Jr. says. “I want them to jump in on my recruitment. I’ve always loved the culture there, the respect they get and the love they get. I would love to have them as an option for sure.”
In order to increase the likelihood of the Tar Heels and other schools jumping into the race, James Jr. plans to implement a strategy his father has drilled into his head ever since he picked up a basketball.
“Compounding consistency,” James Sr. says. “No days off and he’ll be right where he’s supposed to be. He has everything it takes to be great, now he has to put in the consistent work to achieve greatness.”
James Jr. remains completely locked in to building his reputation on dependability, charting his own identity while Edgerrin Sr. offers guidance throughout the recruiting process.
“He always tells me when you can’t be motivated be consistent,” Jizzle says. “That’s what I want coaches to always be able to say about me, and I’m proud that all these things are coming to me based on my work. I’m always gonna be Edgerrin James’s son, but for the coaches I’m Jizzle first.”
