Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Al-Quadin Muhammad Update
By Andrew Hall
Dec 17, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head football coach Brian Kelly addresses the media at the Notre Dame BCS national championship media day at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Al-Quadin Muhammad, a 4-star DE/OLB from Ramsey, New Jersey, was slated to make a decision at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on January 5th. That decision appears to be in some doubt now. Muhammad was originally supposed to visit Notre Dame this weekend. Notre Dame was considered to be the leader prior to this weekend. Rumors abounded in late November that Muhammad was silent commit to Notre Dame. Muhammad, in an article with Star-Ledger, said, “”Other schools still have a shot, to be honest. They just have to continue to show interest and provide the academic support I need. Those two things are very important.”
Miami (Fl) received a visit from Muhammad last week. He told CaneSport.com that the visit was a “10”. Could this be the reason for the canceled visit? Maybe. Other rumors have surfaced that Muhammad may not be academically approved by the admissions staff at Notre Dame yet. This has not been confirmed by Muhammad at this point.
Rutgers is the other school that Muhammad was looking at closely. It is his “in-state” school that he has been around a lot. Staying home is important to Muhammad but does not appear to be a deciding factor. The familiarity that Muhammad has with Rutgers could help sway him in the way of staying in state.
Notre Dame is recruiting Muhammad at the CAT linebacker position. This is the position that is currently held by Outside Linebacker Prince Shembo. At first glance, Muhammad looks like a dominant athletic force. He is quick off the ball and pursues well. Muhammad plays as well standing up as he does with his hand down. Rivals.com ranks him as the 4th best Weakside Defensive End in the 2013 class and the 97th best player overall.
What will happen with Al-Quadin Muhammad? A once sure commitment for Notre Dame appears to be moving into the questionable category. He has not visited campus. He does not have a vist schedule before his scheduled announcement date of January 5th. There is nothing forcing him to make a decision on that date. He can always wait until National Signing Day before deciding which college to attend. This maybe the course of action for Muhammad. An answer should be given on who his leader is when he tells NBC whether or not he will make his declaration. Al-Quadin Muhammad told The Star-Ledger, “I may there, and I may not. I’m thinking about just waiting it out until the end. I want to take my time and take it slow and not rush into any decisions.” If he makes it, it will be either Rutgers or Miami. If he does not, Notre Dame is probably still at the top of the list.