Potential landing spots for Daelin Hayes

Written by
Evan Paputa
Published
10/11/2015
Source: Evan Paputa
Daelin Hayes’ “marriage” to the University of Southern California is officially over. Tonight the 2016 Ann Arbor Skyline outside linebacker broke the news that he would be decommitting on his Twitter page.


“At this time my family and I feel that it is in my best interest to de-commit from the University of Southern California and open up my recruitment process. I’d like to thank the USC coaching staff for the opportunities that they have placed before me,” Hayes wrote.

The coaching staff that provided Hayes with the opportunity to play at USC is doubtful to still be in place next season after head coach, Steve Sarkisian, announced today that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence, effective immediately.

Potential Landing Spots

Daelin Hayes says he will take official visits to USC and Notre Dame. Says Michigan State is still in the hunt. pic.twitter.com/y8lzc7iteD
— Evan Paputa (@EvanPaputa) August 28, 2015

Hayes has been fully committed to USC since July 26, 2014 and hadn’t talked about other schools since that commitment. With that being said, there are a few potential landing spots that The D Zone is aware of at this moment.

Notre Dame is the most likely destination. He took an unofficial visit there September 5 and previously scheduled his official visit to South Bend next weekend when the Fighting Irish host USC. Furthermore, Notre Dame always seemed to be a “dream offer” for Hayes prior to his commitment to USC.

If Notre Dame is the favorite to land Hayes, the school next closest in line is Michigan State. The Spartans have always impressed Hayes from afar due in large part of the way Mark Dantonio utilized his linebackers. Look for Michigan State to get an official visit from Hayes.

Hayes received lots of interest from multiple SEC schools during his commitment to USC but it was always one-sided. Schools like LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Georgia have offered and showed interest in Hayes. Of that group, Ole Miss and LSU seem to be the "hottest" schools and would be the frontrunners in the SEC to get a visit.

By virtue, look for at least one of them to get one of Hayes’ final four official visits and strong consideration.

One final school that Hayes has been linked to at one point or another during his recruitment is Michigan. However, Michigan has not been mentioned by Hayes during his commitment to USC. At this point there is no evidence that Michigan would be more likely than Notre Dame, Michigan State, or SEC schools like Ole Miss, but because he goes to high school in Ann Arbor and the Wolverines are off to a hot start defensively, it could be a possibility.

If National Signing Day were today, I’d put my money on Notre Dame.

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