Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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at North Carolina, will get the credit for the recruitment, but according to the family he wasn't the sole coach that sold the defensive end on Notre Dame. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder also played a vital role in his recruitment. "We had a relationship with Coach Gilmore for a long time, but one of the guys we really wanted to see and get to know a little more was VanGorder," Ken Kareem said. "We talked to him a lot while we were there and got a chance to meet with him one on one a couple times. "We talked some football, and we talked some life. Oddly enough, he is from West Bloomfield, and we used to live in West Bloomfield, so we had that in common." While the relationships were instru- mental, so were the X's and O's. Ka- FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Khalid Kareem is a perfect fit for Notre Dame's strongside end position that is currently played by junior Isaac Rochell … Possesses a great frame, long arms and the natural power needed for the position … Shows a strong first step off the line, which he combines with his power and girth to be a shut-down run defender … Once he gains more weight room strength and starts playing with more consistency, he could develop into a dynamic run defender … His natural in- stincts as a pass rusher would provide a much- needed boost in that area. Areas For Improvement Kareem has a tendency to play high at the snap, which slows down his ability to get upfield … When he comes off the ball high he loses his power, something he must improve moving forward. — Bryan Driskell