Family And Fandom Led Cornerback Karson Hobbs To Notre Dame
It wasn’t long ago that Notre Dame 2024 cornerback commit Karson Hobbs was a South Carolina commit who was hardly on the Irish radar. Things changed rapidly once the Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller standout visited for the Cal game in mid September. From there things escalated very quickly.
Hobbs quickly went from a talented cornerback committed to an SEC program to a no-brainer fit with the Irish. As it turns out, Hobbs’ affinity to the Notre Dame program was no secret even before the offer came. That fandom runs in his family.
"I’ve been a fan since I was born,” Hobbs explained. "My dad brought it on to me, actually my grandfather too. I’ve just been a Notre Dame fan since I was a little kid.
"My dad was the one who didn’t really care about my little league football games, he was leaving to go watch Notre Dame play,” Hobbs chuckled. "That’s the type of fan he is. He is dedicated and so am I. Having it all fall into place is a crazy feeling.”
Truthfully, once Notre Dame came calling, it was going to be tough for the Hobbs family to ignore. He was extremely happy with his decision to be a part of the Gamecock program, but there was no hiding that there was a school that held a special place in his heart.
During his first trip to campus on September 17 his view on his future home changed quickly. Hobbs has been on campus several time since, but that first visit still resonates with him. It was the beginning of a relationship that he had been dreaming about.
"The first time I went down there was the Cal game in September and it was when they offered me,” Hobbs explained. "I got a text after my St. Xavier game and said they would like me to come down, kick it with the coaches and come out to a game. I showed my dad and he was all hyped up.
"At the time, I wasn’t expecting an offer or anything, but I’m just expecting to have a great time,” Hobbs continued. "I was still committed to South Carolina, but in my mind I was thinking about when would my dad ever get the opportunity to step foot on a Notre Dame field by himself. After everything he’s done for me, it was only right that I repay him.”
A son fulfilling a dream for his dad is about as admirable as you can get. Of course it was a recruiting trip for him but there was no end goal in mind. It was just a chance for a great experience for the both of them.
As it turned out, that visit would drastically alter the future for Hobbs and his family.
"We got there, going through the campus and everything and the first time I stepped foot in the practice facility, my eyes lit up,” reminisced the Irish commit. "It was really like a dream come true. This was even before the offer.
"The game was about to start, I saw Coach (Marcus) Freeman and Coach (Mike) Mickens,” he continued. "I hadn’t spoken to them a day in my life but we started talking football, talking Ohio, business and whatever. Then he told me that I was going to leave there with a full ride scholarship from the University of Notre Dame.”
With Notre Dame being his dream school, you can imagine that offer meant a lot to Hobbs; it was special. He wasn’t the only one that it resonated with. It was his father who could join in the great achievement as well.
"After that, my dad went over to the side and started crying,” said Hobbs. "In my mind, I’m still committed but I knew it right then and there. Before the whole process, the only school that was going to change my mind was Notre Dame.”
At that point, it was pretty much a done deal. Hobbs knew where he wanted to be but he still faced the dilemma of the commitment he had given to South Carolina. There are a lot of recruits who don’t hold that promise to high standards, but Hobbs did. It was something that he wrestled with for a long time.
In the end, the allure and love for the Fighting Irish program won out. Everything became solidified when the Hobbs family made it back on campus for another visit.
"Then we went down to the Clemson game,” he explained. "I think that was the best game I’ve ever been to in my life. We stormed the field after. It was in that moment that I realized that I knew I wanted to play under that, all of the fans, all of the support. I realized what had to be done.”
Hobbs quickly made the decision to flip his commitment to Notre Dame. South Carolina presented Hobbs a great opportunity and he is forever grateful for that.
In the end, he knew where he wanted to be. Hobbs was all Irish from the beginning.
"We felt like (South Carolina) was the place that we wanted to be at the time,” Hobbs said. "There was always only one place that I would ever decommit and change for and that was Notre Dame. It’s Notre Dame, my dream school.”
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