Justice Haynes has football in his blood.
He also has red and black swirling through there, but the son of former Georgia Bulldogs and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Verron Haynes wanted to make one thing clear in his interview with BlueandGold.com.
“My recruitment is 100% open,” Haynes said.
A four-star class of 2023 running back out of Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity Catholic, Haynes visited Notre Dame last month. He has held a scholarship offer from the Irish since Feb. 19, but his options seem to grow by the day. He has received offers from Texas and Colorado in the last week alone.
Despite offers from upward of two dozen schools — many of them powerhouses like Alabama, Clemson and Georgia — and counting, Haynes said Notre Dame is “definitely up there on the list” of programs that have piqued his interest.
“I loved it,” Haynes said of his Irish visit in June. “I learned a lot of new things about Notre Dame. Coach Lance Taylor is a very communicable person. We have a really good relationship. Coach Brian Kelly and the rest of the staff all made it feel like home up there.
“It’s different with how everyone is family around there,” he added. “The Catholic aspect of it, no other campus that I’ve visited is like it. The Golden Dome and all that is unique. It’s really cool.”
Haynes noted that his father was highly impressed by Notre Dame as well.
“He loved it,” Haynes said. “He thought it was really special. He loved the combination of academics and athletics there and how they kept it real.”
Haynes spent time in South Bend with two other Notre Dame targets in the class of 2023 — four-star corner Ethan Nation and four-star safety Caleb Downs — both of whom are also from Georgia. Haynes got the best of both worlds as a result. He formed relationships with coaches from the offense and defense.
Haynes always seemed to circle back to offensive coaches when describing his visit, though. He said he really liked offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Most importantly, Haynes hit it off with running backs coach Lance Taylor.
“He’s a relatable guy,” Haynes said. “A guy you can talk to. Very energetic, always bringing the energy. He’s going to make you better. We had a great film session.
“He told me how he was going to make me a better player and a better man.”
Haynes said his conversation with Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly was a memorable one, too.
“He said, first off, thanks for coming up here,” Haynes said. “He said not a lot of people get this opportunity so cherish it and keep day by day thanking God. It’s a real blessing to keep working and continue getting better.”
Haynes has two stellar seasons at Blessed Trinity already under his belt. According to MaxPreps, he ran for 1,754 yards and 18 touchdowns on 205 carries in 15 games as a true freshman. Last year, he ran for 1,750 yards and 25 touchdowns on 176 carries in just nine games.
With two years of high school ball yet to play, Haynes’ ever-growing list of potential programs he could suit up for at the next level will continue to expand. But if his recap of his visit to Notre Dame is any indication of how the Irish could factor into his decision, then it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to see the prospect who has red and black in his veins wear blue and gold in a couple years.
“I’m just going to continue to build these relationships with all these great, amazing people and coaches,” Haynes said. “Again, my recruitment is 100% open.”
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