Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1133608
92 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Entering this season with a combined 122 career tackles, 33 stops for loss, and 18 sacks, Notre Dame senior defensive ends Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem deserve their frontline status on this year's Notre Dame defense, especially with both projected as early NFL Draft picks next spring. But there's a linemate who has every intention of also using this season as his launch point to join those two in the 2020 draft class, albeit with much less fanfare. Daelin Hayes is the first to admit he has not always lived up to the five-star billing he brought to Notre Dame in 2016 after flipping his commitment from USC, despite becoming a full-time starter for the Irish in 2017 as a sophomore and again to begin his junior season in 2018. But when pride, impatience and the pressure of five stars collided with a demotion last year from starter to backing up Okwara, Hayes anxiously wondered if Notre Dame was where he belonged. "Just keep going through it," Hayes skepti- cally reminded himself during those uncertain times after recording only five tackles in the first six games of last season. "Keep your preparation as consistent as possible, the storm will let up eventually." Through the unyielding support of family, coaches and teammates, this 6-foot-4 freak high school linebacker — turned 268-pound collegiate drop end — stayed with the plan while the clouds lifted. H a y e s q u i e t l y fi n - ished last season with 31 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and six quar- terback hurries (per school numbers). The strong finish to his junior season has Hayes revamping his approach to his senior year. "I have always had like this cloud of expectation," explained Hayes, whose 72 career tackles actually lead this standout stable of Irish defensive ends. "If I play with that over my head, like that mental baggage, then it takes away from my game, so that is some- thing I've had to overcome." Beyond the added personal pressure, Hayes also explained — free of any excuses — that coaching turmoil and turnover didn't help his production progression. As an early enrolled freshman in 2016, Hayes has worked under four defensive coordinators and three distinct defensive strategies during his time at Notre Dame, going all the way back to Brian VanGorder, who was fired during Hayes' freshman season after a 1-3 start. But Hayes insisted during spring ball that with three consecutive seasons under the defensive philosophy shared by coordinators Mike Elko in 2017 and Elko's successor, Clark Lea, during the last two spring seasons, the anvil of five-star expectations has finally been lifted. "Just settling down and freeing myself of that burden of trying to be the big-play [guy]," Hayes said of his fresh outlook. "Just playing football and letting the game come to you is something I've been focused on." From here, the rest is up to Hayes. He has preached this revival message before and has still often succumbed to self-doubt. Irish head coach Brian Kelly sent a clear message to Hayes midway through last season, hoping to provide direction and lend support. "Daelin has settled into a really good spot," Kelly said, "where his focus is 'let me just be a really good football player and work on my craft,' and all of that other stuff will take care of itself." So far that message has stayed true. — Todd D. Burlage Clearing The Hayes Senior Daelin Hayes leads the Irish stable of defensive ends with 72 career tackles. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL