2016 RECRUITING ISSUE
BY ANDREW OWENS
Khalid Kareem always remained a
priority for the Notre Dame coach-
ing staff while it assembled its 2016
recruiting haul.
It's rare for the Irish to pluck away
talent that had pledged to a south-
ern powerhouse — more often it's
the other way around — but Notre
Dame's persistence paid off this time
around.
The Farmington Hills (Mich.) Har-
rison defensive end committed to Ala-
bama in June, but decommitted four
months later. Then, a visit to South
Bend sold the four-star talent on sign-
ing with Notre Dame.
"I just felt the true emotions and
how the coaches treat their players
and how everyone interacts with each
other," said Kareem, who added that
the visit "exceeded" his expectations.
"That's the feeling I got during my
official visit."
The visit, which coincided with
Notre Dame's 41-31 win over archri-
val USC Oct. 17, helped defensive
line coach Keith Gilmore, defensive
coordinator Brian VanGorder and the
Irish lure an elite pass rusher to the
program.
"We really liked it," Khalid's father,
Ken Kareem, told Rivals after a follow-
Khalid Kareem Eyes
Early Playing Time
