Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING ROUNDUP RIVALS 2016 TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS As of Oct. 29 1. Ohio State 19 2. LSU 19 3. Florida State 18 4. Ole Miss 19 5. Michigan 21 6. Michigan State 20 7. Stanford 19 8. Penn State 19 9. Miami 20 10. Georgia 16 16. Notre Dame 17 Rk. School Commits Rk. School Commits Recruiting Notes • Things couldn't have gone any better for Notre Dame when it came to Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline five-star linebacker Daelin Hayes' official visit. Hayes, who decommitted from USC Oct. 12, was in South Bend for the Irish's bout with the Trojans Oct. 17. He had a chance to speak with head coach Brian Kelly, meet with current linebacker Jaylon Smith and get what he called an overall feel for the campus. "This visit was nothing short of spectacular," Hayes told Rivals. "They set the bar. "I talked to a majority of the coaches both days, but on Saturday Coach Kelly pulled me in as soon as we got the day started. He wanted to stress that they wanted me to come to Notre Dame. He said, 'As far as how we would use you, just look at No. 9 [Jaylon Smith]. That's where you'll be.' "I have confidence in the coaching staff as far as development," Hayes added. "You look at Jaylon's evolution from the time he was a freshman to where he is at now — the potential first linebacker taken in the NFL Draft. It's nothing short of phenomenal." Hayes didn't name a leader following the visit, but the Irish look to be the team to beat for the No. 1 prospect in Michigan, and the nation's No. 3 outside linebacker and No. 13 overall recruit. The 6-3, 254-pounder plans to take official visits to Ohio State (Nov. 7), Michigan State (Nov. 14), Oregon (Nov. 21) and LSU (Nov. 28) before making a decision and enrolling early at the school of his choice. • Hayes' visit was viewed as a success, and the same can be said about another top linebacker prospect that was on campus for the weekend. Houston Aldine Davis four-star linebacker Jef- frey McCulloch needed just two words to describe his official visit to Notre Dame. "Absolutely magnificent," he said. McCulloch, who is ranked as the No. 5 inside linebacker and No. 169 overall prospect in the country, arrived on campus not knowing where the Irish stood in his recruitment, but left think- ing that it was a school he plans to consider moving forward. Houston Aldine Davis four-star line- backer Jeffrey McCulloch took an official visit to Notre Dame for the USC game Oct. 17. The Rivals100 prospect arrived not knowing much about the Irish, but said that he plans to consider Notre Dame. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS