Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE DAELIN HAYES LINEBACKER 6-3 • 239 SKYLINE H.S. BELLEVILLE, MICH. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 31 7 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 227 15 5 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 132 10 4 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 240 12 5 MEASURABLES • Measured 6-3, 249 pounds at The Opening in Beaverton, Ore., in July. Posted a Nike Football Rat- ing (a measure of overall athletic ability) of 109.08 after running a 4.84 in the 40-yard dash and a 4.41 in the pro shuttle. Had a 31.2-inch vertical jump. STATISTICS • Totaled 14 tackles, two sacks, two forced fum- bles and a touchdown in three games before a shoulder injury ended his senior season. HONORS • Ranked as the No. 2 player in Michigan in the preseason by The Detroit News. • MaxPreps 2014 Preseason Junior All-America selection. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but didn't participate in the game due to injury. • Named MVP of the Cleveland Rivals Camp Series in 2015. • Rivals Underclassmen Challenge MVP in 2014. RECRUITMENT • Originally committed to USC the summer be- fore his junior season. Told TrojanSports.com, on Feb. 25, 2015, that his commitment to USC was like "a marriage," but started having second thoughts about his pledge a few months later when head coach Steve Sarkisian was dismissed. • Took an unofficial visit to Notre Dame for the Texas game on Sept. 5, 2015. Returned to South Bend for an official visit on Oct. 17, 2015, just five days after he decommitted from USC. • Primary recruiter for the Irish was defensive line coach Keith Gilmore, a Detroit native. Head coach Brian Kelly was also involved. • Committed to Notre Dame on Dec. 10, 2015, after taking official visits to Ohio State and Michi- gan State. NOTABLE • Born May 16, 1998. • His father, Derrick, was an all-state basketball player at Detroit Southwestern and played at Iowa State (1993-95) and the University of Detroit Mercy (1996-98). His mother, Lakeshia Neal, ran track at the University of Detroit Mercy. • Cousin of former Michigan running back Justice Hayes, who finished his career at Southern Miss. 2016 PROJECTION • With the Irish set to return just six scholarship linebackers from the 2015 squad, he will have a chance to earn a role in spring camp at the Will linebacker position. THEY SAID IT • Head coach Brian Kelly: "We're really excited about him. He's a bright, articulate kid. He knows what he wants. The thing I like about Daelin more than anything else is if you give him something that is really definitive and tangible, he's going to go after it. And it's an approach that I love about a kid at that age, and he'll work towards that." • Defensive line coach Keith Gilmore: "He can be an ideal rush player. He's a rare talent, special breed kid. … If there is a freshman that can come in and help us on the defensive line, he's one of those guys that can do that. "He's a gym rat type guy, so he's in here doing extra work on the weekends, learning the defense. He's a prototype and will do everything possible to get himself ready to play."