Notre Dame DE target Khalid Kareem commits to Alabama

Tell me if you’ve heard this recently:

A Notre Dame defensive end target has verbally committed elsewhere.

On Wednesday, that prospect was 6-foot-4, 257-pound Farmington Hills, Mich., native Khalid Kareem, a consensus four-star recruit, who pledged to Alabama on a national simulcast.

Kareem chose Alabama over the likes of Michigan, Miami, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, and yes, Notre Dame. His three finalists were Alabama, Michigan and Notre Dame, though Kareem was previously committed to Michigan State.

The Harrison High School standout is ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 9 player in the state of Michigan and the No. 15 defensive end in the 2016 class by Rivals, as well as a four-star prospect, the No. 5 player in Michigan and the No. 10 strong-side defensive end nationally by 247Sports.

"I have a good relationship with (defensive line) coach (Keith) Gilmore," Kareem said of why Notre Dame was a finalist.

Kareem joins Josh King and Auston Robertson, both of whom pledged to Michigan State, as top defensive end targets who have recently spurned the Irish. He racked up 85 tackles and 19 sacks last season at Harrison High School.

Notre Dame does have one defensive end commit in the 2016 class in four-star prospect Julian Okwara, the younger brother of senior Irish defensive end Romeo Okwara. Three-star linebacker Jamir Jones, who verbally committed to Notre Dame on Tuesday, may also eventually shift into the defensive end spot.