Ray James Jr. holds the SLB · Backup spot in North Dakota State Bison’s linebacker room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Ray James Jr. is a redshirt sophomore linebacker for North Dakota State. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native graduated from DeLaSalle High School in 2024, where he was a four-year starter at linebacker and running back. He earned all-conference honors twice and served as team captain twice. As a senior, he averaged 9.1 yards per carry with five touchdowns and was named team MVP. James redshirted the 2024 season with the Bison. In his 2025 freshman campaign, he appeared in four games and recorded eight tackles, including a career-high four stops against The Citadel, where he also registered a quarterback hurry. He was named to the MVFC Honor Roll in 2024.

North Dakota State2024 — present