Schools to Watch for After 4-Star Khalid Kareem Decommits from Alabama

Alabama’s 2016 class took a hit when 4-star defensive end Khalid Kareem announced he was backing off his initial pledge to the Crimson Tide, via his Twitter account.

The 6’4”, 260-pound Michigan native had been committed to the Tide since late June.

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pic.twitter.com/pLPZhiVvA5

— Khalid A. Kareem (@khalid_kareem93) October 14, 2015"

However, the nation’s No. 9 strongside defensive end and the No. 194 player overall had taken an unofficial visit to Michigan State last month. According to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports, he’s already setup an official visit to Notre Dame for this weekend’s game against the USC Tojans.

In lieu of Kareem reopening his recruiting process, which programs are ones to watch for him moving forward?

The Irish and the Spartans figured to be on his short list, as would in-state power Michigan.

With the Irish getting the first crack at him this weekend, head coach Brian Kelly and his staff will get a chance to make a move on the talented pass-rusher.

As Wiltfong noted, Kareem is familiar with South Bend, having already been on campus twice before his initial commitment. However, as his father, Ken, told Wiltfong, the importance of this visit has become magnified.

"We're definitely looking forward to seeing the game," Ken Kareem said. "The atmosphere. We want to get an opportunity to talk to the academic people, see some of the dorms and the living areas. We want to talk to the coaches and really pick their brains. We want to see the defensive line up close and personal. Talk to players, pick some brains. It's real now."

In wake of the news of his decommitment, the Irish certainly look to be the team trending with Kareem at the moment.

With the Spartans recent run of success, and their reputation for producing elite defensive linemen, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make a run at a quality in-state prospect such as Kareem.

However, with stud 4-star defensive ends Auston Robertson and Josh King already committed, it remains to be seen how hard Michigan State will push to add a third player at that position.

Finally, Michigan was believed to be the runner-up to the Tide when Kareem initially committed.

Considering the momentum the Wolverines have amassed under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, it figures that Kareem would give them another chance to convince him of the opportunity he would have in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines only have one defensive end, 4-star Ron Johnson, committed. Adding Kareem, who racked up 85 tackles and 18 sacks as a junior, would give them another potential difference-maker on the defensive line. 

With Kareem scheduled to be an early enrollee, he will have to make a decision on where he will attend school in the next two months. 

Considering he’s already familiar with the campuses and coaching staffs at Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame, one of those three schools figures to have the best shot at landing him in the end.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.