Four-star recruit Daelin Hayes announced in a video on Thursday that he will attend the University of Notre Dame in 2016, via a video posted by Bleacher Report. The future Notre Dame linebacker has been put as high as a five-star recruit and was a one-time reportedly committed to Notre Dame rival USC, according to Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman.
Hayes is listed as the 230th top high school player in the nation, and is listed at 6-foot-4, 249 pounds, according to ESPN. Hayes joins a long list of great linebackers to play under Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, and will be expected to become a big time player for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame junior linebacker Jaylon Smith is reportedly one of the safest picks in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft, and players like Smith and Manti Te'o are legitimate reasons why top high school linebackers want to play for the Fighting Irish, according to Daniel Jeremiah of College Football 24/7. Kelly has continued to produced top college linebackers, and Hayes will look to join that list of extremely talented linebackers who have played for Notre Dame.
The newly acquired Irish linebacker is expected to play the same position as Smith, as a hybrid defensive end / linebacker. Hayes plans to graduate early from Ann Arbor Skyline High School, and start college in January, so he can begin to participate in spring practice, according to David Goricki of the Detroit News.
Notre Dame finished the regular season at 10-2, and looks to be one of the most dominant teams in the 2016 season, as they will be returning a ton of talented stars including two quarterbacks in Malik Zaire and Deshone Kizer, and arguably one of the best receivers in the nation in Will Fuller.
