Rivals100 offensive tackle Robert Hainsey has announced that he plans to attend the University of Notre Dame. The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy and Under Armour All-American's decision was made known on ESPNU during the broadcast of The Opening.
Landing Hainsey gives the Irish 15 commits in the 2017 class, and gives Notre Dame six recruits in the Rivals250. Hainsey is the nation’s No. 64 ranked player, joining Cypress (Texas) Cy-Fair tight end Brock Wright in the Rivals100.
Making an early decision was not the original plan for Hainsey, who initially wanted to wait until the Under Armour All-American Game in January of 2017. A pair of visits to Notre Dame between March and June changed those plans.
“I just decided (Notre Dame) is where I wanted to go,” Hainsey said of his decision. “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep it in until the Under Armour game and I thought this would be a good stage to do it.”
Hainsey chose the Irish over Michigan and Michigan State, a pair of schools known for developing strong run games, and line coaches Tim Drevno (Michigan) and Mark Staten (Michigan State) made a strong impression on the IMG Academy standout. Hainsey’s relationship with Notre Dame line coach Harry Hiestand stood out above the rest.
“I really like Coach Harry,” Hainsey explained. “He knows what he’s talking about and he knows what he wants. Coach Harry coaches a little bit different. His resume speaks for itself. The amount of players he puts in the league and the way the line plays, I feel I fit in very well.”
His path to Notre Dame was not typical for such a highly ranked recruit. In fact, in the early going it was actually Hainsey who recruited Notre Dame. Having a pair of IMG Academy teammates – 2016 signees Tony Jones Jr. and Spencer Perry – began Hainsey’s early interest in the Irish program.
“Notre Dame was always interesting; it’s Notre Dame,” explained the 6-5, 276-pound tackle. “Spencer and Tony going there probably opened my eyes up to it a lot more and I realized it’s a school I might want to go to.”
At the time, Hainsey did not have an offer from Notre Dame, and the Irish had not been in much contact. Knowing that Notre Dame was a school he wanted to learn more about, Hainsey reached out to Hiestand.
“They hadn’t offered me, so I had to try hard to get in contact with Coach Harry because he’s not on Twitter,” Hainsey continued. “I had to do my best to start talking to him, so I got his number and started calling him. We started talking and he watched my film and he said he really liked me. Finally, he wanted me to visit while I was home. I didn’t plan on visiting during my spring break but we made time so I could see it and I knew he was going to offer me.”
That March visit did in fact result in Notre Dame offering the Pittsburgh native. The work he put into earning the offer made Notre Dame unique. What Notre Dame offers him on and off the field also made the Irish program standout.
“That was a big thing because that was the only offer I had to try and really get,” Hainsey explained. “That made it more special. I want to go there because of what it can do for me further in life, with football and after football. Nothing else compares.”
Hainsey earned offers from Ohio State, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Ole miss, Nebraska, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Penn State and South Carolina among many others.
