Notre Dame Lands 4-Star Khary Adams to Add to Elite 2026 Class

Max Uretsky
Jun 20
5 min read

Mike Mickens continues to add eliteness to the secondary for the Irish, and Adams is no exception. The elite cornerback out of Maryland brings top-100 player talent to South Bend.

Art by The Irish Tribune

To say Head Coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have done an excellent job with the 2026 recruiting cycle would be the understatement of the year. With landing what is now arguably the best class of any school in the country, the Irish's title contention window is ever expanding, as they are now winning the type of recruiting battles against the type of schools people felt they couldn't. The competition to land Towson, Maryland 4-star cornerback Khary Adams was indeed neck and neck until the final whistle, but in the end, he chose to be a part of the special happenings in South Bend. The incoming secondary talent for Notre Dame raises the ceiling for a defense that has perennially been among the tops in the nation already, and a defensive-minded coach like Freeman has to be thrilled.

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Khary Adams is ranked as a top 5 cornerback in the country, and it's not hard to see why teams like Oregon, Penn State, and Michigan were also in heavy pursuit. Everything you want in a defensive back shows up on his film, and after watching his Sophomore and Junior tape, I can't wait to see what he does for his final high school performance as a Senior and team leader. The evaluation process for Adams coincided with his commitment, which made this one that much more enjoyable. As always, each trait will be graded on a scale of 1 (Poor) to 7 (Elite). Let's get into it!

Athletic Ability: Very Good (6)

Adams has elite height for the position, standing at 6'2", with a good wingspan and a frame that will still allow him to bulk up some. He possesses true 4.4 speed, which shows up on both sides of the ball as a cornerback and as a wide receiver, where he was able to average a little over 16 yards a catch during his Junior season. His change of direction is a crucial part of his athletic profile and serves him well, especially when in off coverage. He also possesses excellent stop-and-start ability with top-notch acceleration. Adams has short-area quickness, long speed, and everything in between. He has all the makings of a boundary corner, and his athleticism, paired with more development, gives him the chance to become a true lockdown.

Man Coverage: Very Good (6)

Adams plays with more of a shuffle technique than a traditional back pedal, which hasn't hurt him because he has the hip fluidity to be able to flip and drive, especially on out-breaking patterns. Has the length to play press man, just needs to fine-tune his punch timing at the LOS to slow the receiver's release. Has the foot quickness to be able to mirror his man in a confined area, and shows good patience before turning and bailing. Generally does not allow himself to be stacked on vertical routes, staying on top of the WR, but does have the recovery speed to catch up on deep balls when needed. Khary does a good job of staying on the hip of the WR on slants and in breaking routes, which leads to PBU's. Overall, Adams is the prototypical man-coverage defensive back who can play on an island when necessary. When you have a guy you can trust like that on the outside, it gives defensive coordinators a lot of room to be creative.

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Zone Coverage: Good (5)

Adams played more Man than Zone on film, but there is plenty to be taken away from the reps I saw that would make me comfortable using him as a Zone defender. The route recognition he plays with in Zone is very evident, and is surely aided by the fact that he plays receiver as well. He does a good job shifting from his Zone drop to breaking on underneath routes with top-notch closing speed. When he plays with his eyes on the QB, you can see how quickly he processes where the ball is going to go, especially in regards to check downs, which allows him to blow up things in the backfield. The shuffle technique he uses on his drops is even better suited in Zone, so there would be a natural comfort there. Because he does have borderline elite speed, he would thrive in a Cover 3 look where he could handle getting taken vertical. I also feel he is a very good tackler from the corner position, which means in a Cover 2 situation, there would be no issues in run support or making plays in the flats.

Ball Skills: Elite (7)

Another area of his game that is boosted by the fact that he doubles as a WR is ball skills. Turning errant passes into turnovers can put a game away, or quickly get your team back in it when they are trailing. His hand-eye coordination is elite, as a couple of his interceptions came on tip drills where he had to adjust to a ball that changed direction mid-air. When he is in Man Coverage, he does a great job of turning and locating the ball, which is an area a lot of defensive backs struggle with, and is what leads to penalties for pass interference/face guarding. Adams can also go up on 50/50 balls and win those battles against the receiver, coming down with it more times than not. Because of his long arms, not only does he have a good catch radius, but he is also able to reach around with his off-hand and knock down passes, which leaves a much tighter window for the QB to try to fit it into. Knows how to play through the WR's hands as well. Not only can Adams force turnovers, but once the ball is in his hands, he also has the chance to turn it into a touchdown for the defense. With his vision, shiftiness, and breakaway speed, QBs need to be very careful throwing to his side of the field.

There is still a 2025 season to be played for the Fighting Irish, one that figures to once again be very successful, but the buzz for 2026 is certainly already building thanks to the slew of blue-chip recruits that have landed with the Blue and Gold. Due to the skillset Khary Adams will bring with him to South Bend, he will not have to wait long to see the field in some capacity. Leonard Moore proved last season that Freeman is going to roll with his best guys in the secondary, regardless of age or experience. Adams is the latest special prospect to land under this regime, and the 2026 class as a whole should give Irish fans a lot to be excited about. What do you think? Let us know!