Daelin Hayes Commits To Notre Dame

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Notre Dame's Brian Kelly picked up what he thinks is the next Jaylon Smith on Thursday.

Ann Arbor (Mich.) Skyline five-star linebacker Daelin Hayes gave a verbal commitment to Notre Dame during a brief ceremony at his high school, picking the Irish over his other finalists Michigan State and Ohio State.

While Hayes has long been a target for the Irish, he hasn't always set on playing for Notre Dame.

The nation's No. 21 overall prospect originally committed to USC the summer before his junior season. He signed an early financial aid agreement with the school in September, and appeared to be the prize of the class for the Trojans, but then a coaching change in Los Angeles threw his recruitment for a spin.

That's when Kelly & Co. decided to make its move.

"Daelin has always had a strong affinity for Notre Dame," Skyline coach Chanterius Brock said. "They were the second school to offer him a scholarship and they even did it before USC."

"He always liked Notre Dame," he quickly added. "I think what [Coach Kelly] and Notre Dame did a good job of was kind of understanding how to stay on and recruit Hayes even when he was committed to USC."

That relationship proved to be the difference.

The Irish hosted Hayes for an official visit the weekend after he decommitted from the Trojans. He left South Bend with glowing reviews about the program.

"This visit was nothing short of spectacular," Hayes told Rivals.com. "They set the bar, for real."

But just because Hayes felt comfortable with Kelly and Notre Dame defensive line coach Keith Gilmore didn't mean the recruitment was over. It was actually the opposite.

Hayes took official visits to both Michigan State and Ohio State. He listened to pitches from both Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio, but in the end, none of them could top what Kelly was selling, and that's the idea that Hayes could be the next Jaylon Smith.

Smith, like Hayes, was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. He became the heart of the defensive for the Irish and now projects as a top NFL Draft pick after back-to-back 100-tackle seasons.

"[Coach Kelly] said, 'As far as how we would use you, just look at No. 9 [Jaylon Smith]. That's where you'll be,'" Hayes said back on Oct. 18.

"I have confidence in the coaching staff as far as development," he added. "You look at Jaylon's evolution from the time he was a freshman to where he is at now - the potential first linebacker taken in the NFL Draft. It's nothing short of phenomenal."

Hayes is in line to become the first five-star prospect to ink with the Irish since Quenton Nelson in 2014. He plans to participate in Army-All American Game festivities next month before enrolling early at Notre Dame the second week of January.

"Those guys are pumping a good product, I mean it's Notre Dame," Brock said when asked what separated the Irish from he rest of the pack. "Those guys do a good job of letting the product kind of speak for itself but at the same time being visible enough. The coaches took it real steady and made him a priority, and he looked up and had a great opportunity."

The 6-3, 254-pound Hayes is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 1 recruit in Michigan and the nation's No. 6 outside linebacker prospect.