Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BY ANDREW IVINS N otre Dame has found its next Jaylon Smith. At least that's what head coach Brian Kelly thinks. Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline five-star linebacker Daelin Hayes gave a verbal commitment to Notre Dame Dec. 10, picking the Irish over his other two fi- nalists, Michigan State and Ohio State. "Once I officially took football out of the equation, it seemed like a no brainer," Hayes said. "I believe to make a decision based purely off of athletics is kind of foolish. "Why not maximize every opportu- nity on and off the field that a college presents? And in picking that college, I felt that Notre Dame is the best plat- form for me to do so." While Hayes had long been a tar- get for the Irish, he wasn't always set on playing football in South Bend. He originally committed to USC the summer before his junior season. He signed an early financial aid agree- ment with the school in September and was all set to be a Trojan, but then a coaching change in Los Angeles threw his recruitment for a spin. That's when Kelly & Co. decided to make its move on what they think could be the next great linebacker in South Bend. "Daelin has always loved Notre Dame," said Lakeshia Neals, Hayes' mother. "Ever since he was a freshman in high school he always had this love for Notre Dame. That was his first col- lege choice." "He always liked Notre Dame," Sky- line coach Chanterius Brock added. "I think what Coach Kelly and Notre Dame did a good job of was under- standing how to stay on and recruit Hayes even when he was committed to USC." That relationship proved to be the difference. The Irish hosted Hayes for an official visit the weekend after he decommit- ted from the Trojans. He left South Bend with glowing reviews about the program. "This visit was nothing short of spectacular," Hayes told Rivals. "They Notre Dame Finds Its Next Top Linebacker COMMITMENT PROFILE DAELIN HAYES Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline five-star Daelin Hayes, the nation's No. 6 outside linebacker and No. 21 overall prospect according to Rivals, and his mother, Lakeshia Neals, loved what Notre Dame has to offer both on the gridiron and in the class- room. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS