Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MARCH 2026 45 2026 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY KYLE KELLY I n Rich Holzer's coaching career, spanning three decades, players like Khary Adams, do not come around of- ten. Even among the rare athletes that Towson (Md.) Loyola Blakefield's head coach has mentored, Adams is still an anomaly. Some of the names on Holzer's ré- sumé include Vanderbilt cornerback Jared Fagan, former Tennessee and current Las Vegas Raiders wide re- ceiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. and for- mer Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Manny Patterson. In an interview with Blue & Gold Il- lustrated ahead of Adams' senior sea- son, Holzer said all those players had exceptional qualities. However, Adams was just different. "Khary is so tall and long," Holzer said. "Khary is every bit of [6-foot-1]. I haven't personally seen in all these years of coaching and even playing football with some guys who made it to the NFL that length. "I played with Lance Schulters, who played in the league for 11 years and was a Pro Bowler. He has that type of length, but at corner. He's not as thick as Lance, but that length — that arm length, that height — is pretty unique for a cornerback." Adams also has exceptional speed, evident by his track times. He runs the 100-meter dash in a blazing fast 10.7 seconds and the 60-meter dash in an equally impressive 6.95 seconds. That velocity translates to the football field. "He has elite speed," Holzer said. "Sometimes, the big, long guys are straight-line guys, like Thornton, who is really fast and athletic as hell. Ob- viously, he's in the league. Khary has agility as well that you don't really see in those tall, long guys. That's what makes him unique." He's unique to the Irish, too. In the Rivals rankings, Adams concluded the 2026 cycle as the No. 3 cornerback and No. 23 overall player in the class. He was also a five-star prospect, Notre Dame's first cornerback signee to receive that rating in the Rivals era, which dates back to 2002. For a coach who has spent 30 years seeing players come and go, Adams stood alone — and the fit he found at Notre Dame mirrored that distinction. "It's a phenomenal school that has a great alumni base," Holzer said. "Every- body's heavily invested. … The connec- tion, the education and all that stuff are top notch. That's something that Khary and his family really value." ✦ Khary Adams Is An Anomaly KHARY ADAMS CORNERBACK 6-1 · 178 LOYOLA BLAKEFIELD H.S. BALTIMORE RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE Industry ✪✪✪✪✪ 27 2 4 ✪✪✪✪✪ 23 3 3 ✪✪✪✪ 44 4 4 ✪✪✪✪ 35 2 4 STATISTICS • Accounted for 34 tackles, 2 stops for loss and 2 interceptions on defense as a senior in 2025. He also contributed on offense and special teams, adding 13 receptions for 208 yards and 2 touch- downs with 5 kickoff returns for 91 yards and 4 punt returns for 44 yards. • Also a two-way star as a junior in 2024, tallying 43 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 fumble recoveries in 11 games on defense. He caught 34 passes for 562 yards and 6 touchdowns as a wide receiver on offense and even rushed 8 times for 32 yards. Also returned 10 kickoffs for 118 yards. NOTABLE • Rivals first-team All-American in 2025. • Invited to play in the Under Armour All-Amer- ica Game, Navy All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl. • Was an all-state honorable mention for Mary- land Independent schools in 2024 and 2025. • Also an excellent track athlete, earning All- MIAA track and field honors in 2024 and 2025. He holds his school's record in the 55-, 60-, 100- and 200-meter races for indoor and the 200 meters for outdoor. RECRUITMENT • Committed to the Fighting Irish on June 20, 2025. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January. • Gave his commitment to the Irish over Michi- gan, Oregon, Penn State and South Carolina. • Recruited by former Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens. • Visited Notre Dame five times, including his official visit on June 13, 2025. 2026 PROJECTION • Adams could provide depth at the boundary and field cornerback positions, and become a ro- tational player later in the season. THEY SAID IT Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power: "A lot of the top cornerbacks in the coun- try are versatile, hybrid players who could play safety in college. Adams is a pure cover corner. On film, you see him turning and running with talented receivers. He's obviously got quality ball skills, and the physical traits are there. Adams has good size and athleticism, with an extensive track background. "Corner is such a traits position, and he has some of the better, high-end traits that you look for in a pure, outside cover corner. It helps him differenti- ate himself in the corner group that has a lot of guys who can play in the slot or maybe be a safety. We know that Adams is a high-upside, pure corner. "He checks a lot of boxes at the position. We love that he's a two-way player. When he gets more technical improvement, he can be one who takes off." Adams is the first five-star cornerback to commit to sign with Notre Dame in the Rivals recruiting era, which dates back to 2002. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS