Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2017 45 2017 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE me my senior year. He did a lot of teaching us technique. "A lot of my technique came from The Opening and the Five-Star Chal- lenge, working with George Hega- min and LeCharles Bentley, even though I was only there for three days I left like I learned so much." When Hainsey arrived at IMG Academy prior to his junior season, he checked in at 250 pounds. When he finished his career less than two years later, Hainsey was up to 275 pounds, and he had improved his agility and overall athletic skills. He attributes much of the gains in his development to then-IMG strength coach David Ballou, who was hired this January to join the strength and conditioning staff at Notre Dame. "I have to give a lot of credit to strength and conditioning, and nutri- tion," Hainsey said of Ballou's pro- gram at IMG. "I really loved being in the weight room with him and my friends. I learned a great deal about how to eat right." Developing as a football player was certainly a big part of why Hainsey made the decision to leave home and attend IMG Academy. For his parents, the takeaway from IMG wasn't what Robert did on the field, it was the kind of young man he be- came during his tenure. During his senior season, Hainsey was selected as IMG's lone season-long captain. "You definitely saw growth in his maturity as a person," said Hain- sey's father, who ended up making it to every one of Robert's games as a senior. "He was able to reaffirm his commitment to wanting to be the best he could be at football and academics. "His football game progressed tremendously, and we expected the football to get better. But the over- all maturity of him as a person, the leadership qualities, that was a huge change." ✦ ROBERT HAINSEY OFFENSIVE TACKLE 6-4 · 275 IMG ACADEMY (BRADENTON, FLA.) PITTSBURGH RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 108 11 21 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 31 1 7 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 135 8 21 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 129 14 17 MEASURABLES • At Nike Football The Opening Finals in Oregon this past July, posted a 5.22 40-yard dash, 4.61 20-yard shuttle and a vertical jump of 26 inches. STATISTICS • As a senior, was part of an offensive line that helped pave the way for IMG Academy to rack up 387.9 total yards of offense per game (200.0 passing and 187.9 rushing). • In his senior season, IMG Academy finished 11-0 and was ranked as the nation's No. 2 high school team by USA Today. In his junior year, IMG Academy posted a 9-0 mark and a final national ranking of No. 3 from USA Today. HONORS • Named to the 2016 All-USA Florida first-team offense by USA Today after his senior season. • One of two offensive guards named to The Florida Times-Union Super 75. • Rated as the nation's No. 96 overall recruit and No. 18 offensive lineman by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report. • Listed as a four-star member of the PrepStar Top 300 Dream Team, ranked as the No. 68 over- all prospect and No. 4 offensive guard nationally. • Won the American Family Insurance Lineman Strength Competition for offensive linemen dur- ing Under Armour All-America week. • Named to the MaxPreps 2013 Football Fresh- man All-America team as a second-team offense selection. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Participated in the Under Armour All-America Game Jan. 1 in Orlando, Fla., and practiced at left guard and right tackle throughout the week. • Chosen to take part in the Nike Football The Opening Regional last February in Orlando, Fla., and earned a spot at The Opening Finals in Bea- verton, Ore. • Selected to the Under Armour Future 50 Com- bine during the week of the 2016 Under Armour All-America Game. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on ESPN during The Opening Finals in Beaverton, Ore., on July 10, 2016. • Chose Notre Dame over Michigan and Michi- gan State. Also received offers from Ohio State, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Penn State, among many others. • Visited campus officially for the Stanford game (Oct. 15) during the season and took an unofficial visit over the weekend of Notre Dame's Echoes Awards banquet (Dec. 9-11). • Primarily recruited by offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. NOTABLE • Born Aug. 12, 1998. • Enrolled at Notre Dame in January 2017. • Intends to major in business, with an empha- sis on consulting. • Was the lone team captain for IMG Academy during his senior season. • Was a 2015 teammate of current Notre Dame freshman running back Tony Jones Jr. and fresh- man safety Spencer Perry. • A Pittsburgh native who attended Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pa., for two years prior to transferring to IMG Academy. 2017 PROJECTION • Notre Dame likes to redshirt its offensive linemen, but Hainsey's advanced technique and competitiveness will have him ready if the need arises. THEY SAID IT Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand: "Very mature, wants to know what we are doing and wants to be in the middle of everything. He wants to know the specifics of it, so he can do the best. "He likes the physical part of football and that is something we are always evaluating. He really enjoys getting after people and playing the game hard." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "Finding a player that could literally play all five positions along the offensive line is incredibly hard, but that is what Notre Dame is getting in Hainsey. He played left tackle for IMG Academy, but his best position is likely inside. "Hainsey is a technician and a quality athlete. He looked far more comfortable on the edge as a senior, and he showed improved ability to bend. He needs weight room work, but he plays with a nastiness that fits inside, and he knows how to use leverage. In many ways his body, athletic skills and toughness remind me of former Notre Dame captain Nick Martin." Rivals national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell: "Aggressive lineman with quick feet and is versa- tile enough to play tackle or guard. Doesn't shy from physical contact and re-sets well to counter defensive linemen's moves." Hainsey served as the lone season-long team captain for a talented IMG Academy squad that went 11-0 and finished No. 2 in USA Today's national rankings during his senior season. PHOTO BY ANDREW IVINS