The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/480355
PREP PROFILES In early February, Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison defensive end Kha- lid Kareem thought he had his re- cruitment all figured out. The 6-4, 240-pounder committed to Michi- gan State over offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama and others while on a trip to East Lansing. Just days later, how- ever, he realized he'd moved too soon. "I just loved the a t m o s p h e re o f it," Kareem said of East Lansing. "We went to the basketball game, and there was a great atmosphere with all the fans. I really liked it, so I committed. "The next day I was talking to my mom and dad, and they wanted me to make sure I didn't rush it. They wanted me to slow down the process just a little bit more. I'm enrolling in January 2016, so the recruiting pro- cess has to be sped up a little bit, but not quite that fast." The decision to be more patient with his process could pay dividends for Michigan in their pursuit of the state's No. 5 player. He's already been on multiple visits to Ann Arbor, but they came when the previous ad- ministration was in charge. Now that Jim Harbaugh has arrived, Kareem wants to see what's in store for the future of the Wolverines' program. "I knew the offer was coming, but it was good to get it," Kareem said of U-M. "I think it's going to be a good situation. Sometimes there is a need for change, and I just really want to see what Coach Harbaugh does in his first year and what changes with the program." The program could get a boost with a commit- m e n t f r o m a player like Ka- reem. After play- ing his first two years out of place as a defensive tackle and mid- dle linebacker for West Bloomfield ( M i c h . ) H i g h School, he had a breakout year in his first season at Harrison playing his natural position defensive end. He made an eye-popping 85 tack- les, including 19 sacks, enough to earn MHSAA Divisions 1-2 all-state special mention from the Associated Press. Although Harrison bowed out in the Division 2 state semifinals, Ka- reem is poised to take them to the next level during his senior cam- paign. Along the way, he'll make his col- lege decision — with the Spartans still standing out, but U-M poised to make some noise with a good first year under Harbaugh — with dozens of options on his plate. — Tim Sullivan ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ Harrison High School Farmington Hills, Mich. Class: 2016 Position: Defensive End Ht.: 6-0 • Wt.: 195 Rivals.com Rankings: No. 5 player in Michigan, No. 13 weakside defensive end nationally and No. 248 overall player in the country Khalid Kareem Local Standout Will Consider All Options