Hakim Karamoko - NC State
It’s ‘clear and obvious’ that Hakim Karamoko will become a professional player in the near future. But where will he end up?
After a successful spring season in the Spring Soccer Cup, I imagine that this upcoming fall will be his last season playing in NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer one way or another.
Previously having played on the wing during his first fall season with the Wolfpack, newly appointed head coach Marc Hubbard has featured Karamoko in a more central attacking role while also appearing to give the dynamic attacker the freedom to roam in his formation. He scored 5 goals throughout the five game spring season to help NC State make it to the Spring Soccer Cup championship final against Wake Forest.
Despite only being used in 515 minutes under George Kiefer during the prior fall season, Karamoko scored 4 goals and provided 1 assist from the right wing. Each of those goals were scored in rather spectacular fashion, and as a result of his efforts, he was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. He scored his best goal against Clemson only a few days before his 18th birthday. Clemson went on to win the ACC Championship as well as the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer National Championship.
Goal v. Clemson University on October 27, 2023 (Clip from ACC Network of ESPN Inc.)
Karamoko has always been one of the best of his age group for most of his life and he continues to raise his game in the talent rich Atlantic Coastal Conference (ACC) at the collegiate level.
For those unfamiliar, many of the players in this conference, and other top teams in this division, come from notable academies around the United States and despite the competition, he’s been a top performer so far. Even his opponents acknowledge his ability. In the Spring Soccer Cup final versus Wake Forest, Karamoko lined up against two MLS academy graduates who are also eventual professional players and proved to be a formidable attacking threat throughout the contest. He followed up his two goal performance against Duke from the prior weekend to score again with a breakaway goal in the first half of play.
Goal v. Duke University on April 7, 2024
His speed, strength and skill make him a handful for any defender, and he put that on display in front of a few MLS and other professional scouts on the final day of the spring season competition. Wake Forest ended up lifting the trophy after winning in a penalty shootout, but Karamoko and the Wolfpack gave them a difficult time. He even impressed the opposition fans. One parent told me after the match, “That 31… He shouldn’t be playing in college.”
Despite basically bursting onto the scene, there are already murmurs of opportunities in Europe, and as an 18 year old sophomore, there’s no way he doesn’t make the Eligible Players list for the 2025 MLS SuperDraft in December where he would likely be a top ten draft pick in my opinion. For those who think that’s a tough comment to make this early in his college career, I’d ask, what other 18 year old has shown his level of ability? Maybe only two or three others come to mind, but they are different positions, and one is already on the books with an MLS club. If you think about it, Karamoko was probably only about 200 minutes, 2 goals or a handful of assists away from Generation Adidas consideration this past December. Despite some different attributes, he compared to the level of Kimani Stewart-Baynes, who was drafted 4th Overall in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft and also had some interest in Belgium prior to the draft as well. The Maryland winger played 850 minutes with 3 goals and 7 assists on his way to earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. Nine months younger than Stewart-Baynes, Karamoko is another great young prospect with pro-level attributes and skills, and with more opportunities, he’ll continue to learn and improve.
With a family that includes former Arsenal and French National Team midfielder Abou Diaby, Karamoko’s success hasn’t been a surprise to many who know him. His uncle had nearly a ten-year career with Arsenal under Arsène Wenger (2006-2015). Though he was born in the United States, Karamoko grew up in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire where he formed his foundation in soccer and learned how to play the game. One of his best friends from his childhood described Hakim as very polite and respectful while possessing an explosiveness and intelligence within his game. All of which still ring true.
Since moving to New York City as a 13 year old, he has played for Manhattan SC. Before heading down to Raleigh, he was notably involved in each of the three goals for Manhattan SC during their 2023 U.S. Open Cup campaign with two goals and one assist in two games. As a 16 year old in 2022, he played with the USL League Two side that included Shakur Mohammed and several top NCAA Division I players, and in the previous year, he was selected for the 2021 Super Y League Finals All-Tournament Team with the Manhattan SC U16/17 team.
As his first year at NC State comes to a close, Karamoko was awarded with the Most Valuable Player (MVP) honor for the Men’s Soccer program during the recent 2024 Wolfie Awards — an annual gala held by NC State University Athletics that showcases the best of the athletics programs campus-wide.