Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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nie Stanley (No. 6 overall in 2016) — and had two more blockers — Nick Martin (2016) and Chris Watt (2014) — go in the first three rounds. Not surprisingly, Hainsey was in- trigued in Notre Dame. Having two teammates — safety Spencer Perry and running back Tony Jones Jr. — heading to Notre Dame made the Irish even more attractive. "Notre Dame was always interest- ing; it's Notre Dame," explained the 6-5, 276-pound tackle. "Spencer and Tony going there probably opened my eyes up to it a lot more, and I realized it's a school I might want to go to." Despite being ranked as Rivals' No. 64 overall player in the country, Hainsey did not take the typical path of one of the nation's top blockers. In fact, it was Hainsey who did the early recruiting of Notre Dame. "They hadn't offered me, so I had to try hard to get in contact with Coach Harry because he's not on Twitter," Hainsey explained. "I had to do my best to start talking to him, so I got his number and started call- ing him. We started talking and he watched my film. He said he really liked me. "Finally, he wanted me to visit while I was home. I didn't plan on visiting during my spring break, but we made time so I could see it, I knew he was going to offer me." Hiestand did in fact offer Hainsey during that March visit, and it was a game-changer. "That was a big thing because that was the only offer I had to try and really get," Hainsey explained. "That made it more special. I want to go there because of what it can do for me further in life, with football and after football. Nothing else com- pares." Over the next several months, the relationship between Hainsey and FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Robert Hainsey plays with impeccable technique, shows top-notch footwork and uses his hands as well as one could expect from a high school lineman … He is a physical and aggressive blocker that loves to mix it up … His technique and toughness allows him to play bigger than his 276-pound frame … Fires off the ball quickly, showing a good initial burst and explosiveness at the snap … He is an instinctive player that makes quick reads, plays with good angles and mirrors well in the pass game. Areas For Improvement He will have to add weight, fill out his frame and continue improving his lower body strength … There is some tightness in his hips, which causes him to bend more at the waist instead of bending with his knees, which is preferred … This causes him to play high at times, which impacts the consistency of his pad level and limits his ability to play on the edge. — Bryan Driskell "HIS RÉSUMÉ SPEAKS FOR ITSELF WITH THE AMOUNT OF PLAYERS HE PUTS IN THE LEAGUE AND THE WAY THE LINE PLAYS. I FEEL I FIT IN VERY WELL." HAINSEY ON WHY HE WANTED TO PLAY FOR HIESTAND