Kareem recaps East Coast tour
Farmington Hills (Mich.) Harrison four-star defensive end Khalid Kareem made his way east to see several of the 40-plus schools that have offered last week, including a pair of Ivy League programs.
In fact, one of the main priorities of the trip was to get on the campuses of Harvard and Yale and see how they stacked up to the Power Five schools that are recruiting the student-athlete with a 3.9 GPA.
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"I just wanted to check out their campuses and facilities," Kareem said. "I wanted to meet their coaches and just see what Harvard and Yale are all about.
"They are built on history, and that is one of their key things. Everybody (looks at) Harvard as this key educational school and it really is. I am definitely going to consider them just because of the education factor alone."
The trip also gave Kareem a chance to see a pair of Big Ten schools. The first of those stops was to Rutgers.
"I really didn't know much about Rutgers' tradition and football, and they basically showed everything they have to offer. It was actually a good surprise," Kareem said. "I am talking to Coach (Jim) Panagos there. I feel like he is really all for his players and really cares for his players."
Penn State was not a part of the original itinerary for Kareem's trip, but when he and his father realized how close they would be to State College they called and arranged a visit. With just an hour's notice, the Nittany Lions were able to set up and welcome the four-star.
"They embraced me as soon as I got there," Kareem said. "How they set up everything - I didn't think they were going to do all that for me with an hour's notice.
"I had a chance to meet all the coaching staff, the academics counselors and everybody involved in the football program. They gave me a trip around the campus, I saw the stadium and they pretty much rolled out the red carpet for me."
Following the visit to Penn State, Kareem said his interest in the Nittany Lions changed for the better. He is still looking at all his options, though, and has a couple more trips planned for later this week.
"I am going down to Bama and Tennessee this weekend. I am excited. I think it is Alabama's A-Day, so that should be good. I have been talking to (Tennessee's) Coach (Steve) Stripling for awhile, so I just want to get down and check out their facilities because I hear it's brand new."
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Kareem registered 19 sacks as a junior. He plans to make his college selection either just before his senior season or a few weeks in.