Notre Dame Football: 2016 Recruiting Awards

Biggest Get of the Class

Recipient: Daelin Hayes, Linebacker, Ann Arbor, MI

There were a few different guys you could go with here such as Khalid Kareem or Javon McKinley, but Hayes gets the nod. Hayes has already enrolled at Notre Dame and should take part in spring practice. He did suffer a couple of injuries during his senior year of high school, so while he will participate, expect it to be limited. The nice thing about him being enrolled early is that he can get involved in Notre Dame’s weight program early and get his body right for big-time college football.

He is listed as a linebacker, but with his body type, he easily could make the transition to the defensive line, an area where Notre Dame is pretty thin. Look for Hayes to be a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball over his four years in the blue and gold.

This is the biggest get of the class for Notre Dame not only because he’s a great player, but the Irish also went into Michigan and Michigan State’s backyard and took him from them. And not only did they steal him from Michigan and MSU, they also had him flip his commitment from rival USC to Notre Dame. Brian Kelly and his staff did a great job here.

Others Considered: Khalid Kareem, Javon McKinley, Tommy Kraemer

Next: Best Sleeper of the Class