Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2016 RECRUITING ISSUE form for me to do so." Hayes' mother, Lakeshia Neal, agreed. "It's just phenomenal," she said of the school's package for student-ath- letes. "To have such a wide access and network, and the academic opportuni- ties, it's like an Ivy League school in the Midwest. Daelin has always loved Notre Dame, and there's nothing you can't like about it." Hayes enrolled at Notre Dame Jan. 11. He's expected to be cleared for spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery in January with the goal of being able to contribute right away for a linebacker corps that re- turns just one starter in senior James Onwualu. While Hayes is well aware that there's plenty of hype around him, given his five-star rating and U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection, he said a few weeks before he arrived in South Bend to start classes that he won't let his status or the comparisons to Smith be a distraction. "I have confidence in the coaching staff," Hayes said. "When 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." Kelly and the Irish hope that they have found the next Smith — and the rankings and analysts suggest that the elements are there. "We don't need 100 games to evalu- ate a kid," Helmholdt said. "Daelin has played plenty of football. A lot of questions we had about him were an- swered in the offseason, and the others that couldn't be answered then were answered when he played. My ques- tion about Daelin doesn't have to do with ability, it's just has to do with if he can stay healthy." ✦ Rivals ranks Hayes as a five-star recruit, the top player in Michigan, and the No. 7 outside linebacker and No. 31 overall prospect nationally. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS