Notre Dame’s best pass rusher may be true freshman Daelin Hayes. The early-entry freshman came to South Bend with a 5-star rating and an NFL physique, but there are more questions than answers about the Michigan native.
None of those queries are bigger than his actually on-field abilities. With shoulder injuries plaguing him for two high school seasons and off-field family issues putting him in eligibility purgatory, Hayes is an elite football prospect in spite of the fact that he hasn’t played a lot of football.
Capable of practicing this spring even if he arrived on campus just weeks removed from a shoulder surgery, Hayes took reps and stayed active this spring, mostly because he’s the perfect fit for a pass-rushing role this fall—assuming his body (and brain) allow it.
DAELIN HAYES
6'3.5", 257 lbs.
Freshman, No. 9, DE
RECRUITING PROFILE
A U.S. Army All-American selection, Hayes earned a 5-star ranking from Rivals and was one of the best players in the Midwest, despite not being on the football field for much of his three seasons of high school football.
But that didn’t keep college football’s top programs from chasing him and Notre Dame won a hard-fought recruiting battle over programs like Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and USC.
FUTURE POTENTIAL
Hayes opened eyes immediately on campus, testing with a 4.8 40-yard dash at 257 pounds. That type of speed allows him to play linebacker as well as defensive end, though it’s obviously a big reason why everybody sees a potential edge rusher when they look at him. The Irish staff cross-trained him this spring, though it’s pretty clear the need at weakside defensive end begs for Hayes to find a home there.
If Hayes stays healthy, he’s every bit the NFL prospect you come to expect from a 5-star defensive end recruit. I’m not sure he’s an Aaron Lynch type recruit (he’s shorted and thicker than the current version of Lynch), but the Irish roster doesn’t have a lot of athletes like this capable of chasing the quarterback.
CRYSTAL BALL
I see a designated pass rusher season coming on for Hayes, with the hopes that it’ll allow him to specialize at something, and potentially stay healthy in a restricted role. Some have mentioned Kolin Hill’s freshman campaign as a comp. I think that’s setting the bar too low.
Instead, look at Prince Shumbo’s rookie campaign. Even as a tweener, Shembo found the field in pass rush situations, putting together a nice stat line with five TFLs and 4.5 sacks as a freshman.
Again, the hope is Hayes is a quick learner, because he’s played less than a full season of football at the high school level. So while he may have been a workout warrior and dominated the camp circuit on his way to a 5-star grade, that’s just not a lot of experience.
The good news? Notre Dame’s not asking him to play quarterback or free safety. They need him to chase down quarterbacks—a skill Keith Gilmore should be able to unearth from Hayes rather quickly.
Hayes should play every week this season if he can stay on the field. If he does that, I’ll say he matches Shembo’s freshman season.
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