Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 22, 2025 43 BY MIKE SINGER Notre Dame is on track to sign its first top-five recruiting class in more than a decade for the 2026 cycle, and head coach Marcus Freeman and company are off to a hot start in 2027 as well. On Nov. 12, Tustin (Calif.) High four-star safety Khalil Terry announced his com- mitment to the Fighting Irish. Recruiting insiders had the 6-0, 185-pounder pegged to the South- ern Cal Trojans prior to Terry's visit to South Bend Nov. 8-9. But that all changed after the tremendous trip to Notre Dame. "First, I would say the coaches — Mike Mickens and Marcus Freeman — are amazing guys," Terry told Blue & Gold Illustrated about picking Notre Dame. "It's close to where I'm from in Ohio. I can see family, and I took that into consideration. And lastly, the op- portunity there — they can offer things that most schools can't. "The degree is very special, and the coaches are awesome. It was the clear best option for me." He grew up in the Columbus, Ohio, area and moved to California with his immediate family a few years ago. But the rest of his family is still in Colum- bus and Cleveland. Terry's aunt has known Mickens for a long time, which only helped his comfort with his future position coach. Of course, Mickens and Freeman are from Dayton, which is only about an hour from where Terry grew up. Going into the recent Notre Dame visit, committing wasn't on his mind. It was his second trip to campus, with the first taking place back in April for the Blue-Gold Game. "It surprised me by the end of the trip," Terry noted. "During my first visit, I wasn't sure if it was the spot for me, but when I got to know the coaches more and learned more about the uni- versity, I saw that it was for me, and I connected with it way more." Terry saw the Irish destroy Navy on Nov. 8 and returned to campus the next day to spend more time with the staff. "I knew I wanted to commit after my meeting with Coach Freeman," Terry stated. "When I got home, I talked it over with all of my family, and then we called Coach Mickens and said that we wanted to commit." That call to Mickens came that Sun- day night after he got home, and Terry didn't waste much time going public with his choice. He announced the news a few days later Nov. 12. "The Notre Dame coaches were sur- prised and really happy for me," he said. On Dec. 1, 2024, Terry had committed to Michigan State but decommitted on June 15, 2025. Two commitments before one's senior year aren't common, nor was it part of Terry's original plan, but he didn't see value in waiting to com- mit to Notre Dame once he knew it was where he wanted to call home. "I actually didn't want to com- mit this early, but Notre Dame felt like the right spot," he said. Terry will provide versatility to the Notre Dame secondary. "They said I play like No. 8 [redshirt sophomore safety Adon Shuler]," he said. "They'll prob- ably use me like they use him. They put him around the box sometimes, but they also play him in the back as well." Rivals ranks Terry as the No. 13 safety and No. 130 overall player and in the country. He has an elite offer list, with programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Miami, Penn State, Oregon and LSU having extended scholar- ships. He's reported 35 offers. Terry's junior season ended with a playoff loss Nov. 7, but his 2025 campaign was exceptional. In 11 games (9-2 record), he recorded 62 total stops, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 4 interceptions, 16 passes broken up and 1 forced fumble. He's been a varsity starter since his freshman year and has impressive ca- reer numbers: 179 total stops, 10 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hurries, 9 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 29 passes broken up and 3 forced fumbles across three seasons. Terry was a first-team All-Orange County selection by OC Varsity and member of the Prep Redzone All- Southern California Sophomore Team for his efforts as a sophomore. He also was named to the Tustin High Princi- pal's Honor Roll for the fall of 2024. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE KHAHIL TERRY Irish Beat Out Trojans For 2027 California Safety Terry, who is ranked as the No. 13 safety and No. 130 overall prospect in America by Rivals, committed to Notre Dame over offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Southern Cal and others. PHOTO BY CHAD SIMMONS/RIVALS FILM ANALYSIS "Khalil Terry is a safety prospect who has immense versatility and plays with his hair on fire. At 5-10- plus, 175 pounds, Terry isn't the biggest or the longest prospect on the field, but his style of play makes his presence felt by everyone on it. "He flies downhill and attacks ball carriers. He isn't a catch tackler; he's a straight-up striker. Terry plays violently when working downhill and isn't afraid of contact. As a back-half defender, Terry covers ground very well. He shows solid range, but more importantly, he plays with tremendous instincts. "His ability to trigger quickly to the ball and attack the ball in the air allows him to break up passes consistently. Plus, with his twitch and ball skills, Terry can not only break up those passes, he can come down with them and turn them into takeaways." — Rivals national scout Cody Bellaire